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Short-term effect of weather variables on West Nile virus infection in Equids in Spain: A space-time stratified case-crossover design
Full text linkWest Nile virus (WNV) is an arthropod-borne virus primarily transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, among birds, but occasionally infecting humans and equids. Understanding environmental factors on the disease occurrence is crucial for planning effective prevention and control strategies. Our study estimates the short-term effects of ambient temperature, relative humidity and precipitation on weekly cases of WNV in equids in Spain, using a space-time stratified case-crossover design. Because WNV transmission occurs sometime after the weather conditions become favorable for the vector, we aimed to estimate the lagged effect of the three weather variables on the incidence of WNV cases in equids. Therefore, we applied a conditional Poisson regression within the framework of lag-distributed models. These models are particularly effective for examining the delayed effects of exposures. The incidence of WNV confirmed cases was associated with temperatures registered within the prior two and eight weeks. The highest incidence was observed at lag four, where the incident rate ratio (IRR) increased to 11.96 (95 % CI: 9.84–50.40) with mean temperature at 33 °C, likewise relative humidity effect peaked also at lag four (IRR=3.99; 95 % CI: 1.43–11.16) at 93 % of relative humidity. On the other hand, the confidence intervals for precipitation were very wide, making it difficult to discern a clear change in the risk of WNV infection associated with total precipitation. This study sheds light on the complex relationships between meteorological variables and the incidence of WNV cases. Considering the zoonotic nature of the disease, these results could provide valuable information for surveillance and early warning of the disease.This study has been funded by AGAUR 2023 CLIMA 00103 project (Agency for Management of University and Research Grants) and MCINN PID2020-116768RR-C22 project (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation). Osvaldo Fonseca Rodríguez is funded by the Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC2022–037029-I) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN). IRTA is supported by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Bacillus spp. supplementation promotes feed efficiency and alters metabolic responses of preweaning Angus × Holstein calves
Full text linkThis experiment evaluated the effects of feeding a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial (DFM) on the growth rates and metabolic responses of Angus × Holstein crossbred calves. After a 1-wk adaptation period, 80 calves were blocked by sex, initial BW (47 ± 5.1 kg, average ± SD), and age (15 ± 3.8 d, average ± SD) into the following treatments: (1) milk replacer (MR) with the addition of maltodextrin (CON; n = 40; 15 females and 25 males), or (2) MR with the addition of 1 g of a Bacillus-based DFM (BAC; n = 40; 16 females and 24 males) containing Bacillus paralicheniformis 809 and Bacillus subtilis 810 and 9 g of maltodextrin/head per day. Treatments were offered for 63 d and animals were raised in 8 pens of 10 calves each. The dose of BAC was applied with the first MR feeding through an automatic milk feeder, and calves were fed increasing amounts of MR until reaching 1.74 kg of MR at 13 d; this amount was maintained until 42 d, and it was gradually decreased until 63 d, when calves were completely weaned. Animals were followed one more week after weaning. Blood samples were collected from all calves at the beginning and at weaning for determination of different markers of growth, metabolism, and immunity. For all statistical analyses, calf was considered the experimental unit. The proportion of calves with fecal score >1 was greater in CON during wk 4 and 7 of the study, but greater for BAC than CON at wk 6. Calves from CON had a greater ADG on wk 8, whereas opposite results were observed on wk 9. For MR intake, CON calves had a greater intake on wk 1 and 2 than BAC, whereas total DMI was greater for CON on wk 2, but greater on wk 9 for BAC. Lastly, the same treatment × week interaction tended to be observed on feed efficiency (FE), as BAC calves had a greater FE on wk 1 and 2 than CON and tended to be greater on wk 3. At weaning, serum gamma-glutamyl transferase, total serum protein, and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations were greater in BAC, whereas serum glucose and haptoglobin concentrations tended to be greater and serum lactate concentration tended to be lower in BAC-fed calves. In summary, Bacillus spp. supplementation positively affected the FE of preweaning Angus × Holstein calves while also modulating their metabolic and immune responses. Nonetheless, additional studies are warranted to understand the metabolic pathways leading to such responses, if any.Novonesis (Lyngby, Denmark) provided funding for this study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Where Do You Fly From? Assessing Aerial Dispersal in Temporary Rivers Using Stable Isotopes
Full text link1. Dispersal is a crucial ecological process that facilitates gene flow and species exchange within ecosystems. In temporary rivers (TRs), dispersal is a key driver of community assembly because it determines the ability of the organisms to adapt to seasonal drying and maintain stable populations. In particular, disconnected pools (DPs) in TRs function as critical ecological refuges during dry periods, preserving local and regional biodiversity and acting as sources for aerial macroinvertebrate dispersal. Aquatic macroinvertebrate traits have been used as a proxy to estimate dispersal. However, studies measuring the actual dispersal of aquatic macroinvertebrates in TRs are very limited.
2. In this study, we investigated macroinvertebrate dispersal in TRs with DPs remaining during the non-flowing phase by applying isotopic enrichment in the DPs and using mesocosms to assess dispersal. Our final aim was to assess the ability of aquatic macroinvertebrates to aerially disperse in TRs with DPs. The experiment was conducted in a headwater Mediterranean TR stream in northeast Spain, characterised by flow intermittence during summer. We used eight uncolonized mesocosms installed along the dry stream channel, both upstream and downstream from DPs. Labelled ammonium chloride (15NH4Cl) was employed as an isotopic tracer to mark DPs and track macroinvertebrate dispersal.
3. We first assessed the effectiveness of 15N isotopic tracers in tracking aquatic macroinvertebrate aerial dispersal. Then, we examined dispersal distance upstream and downstream of the DPs, predicting that community similarity between mesocosms and DPs would decrease with increasing geographic distance, highlighting the key role of spatial proximity in shaping community structure.
4. Isotopic enrichment increased over time in DPs, with a proportion of enriched individuals varying with life cycle stages (e.g., larvae or adults). Enriched Cloeon sp. and Chironomini larvae were the most abundant taxa captured in both DPs and mesocosms. Enriched aquatic obligate taxa (e.g., Mollusca, water mites) were also present in the mesocosms. There was a gradual decrease in enriched isotopic samples both upstream and downstream from DPs. Community similarity analysis revealed significant differences between DPs and mesocosms, while the upstream and downstream reaches clustered together. Additionally, weak positive correlations were observed between environmental and geographic distances and community composition.
5. Our findings contribute to the understanding of aquatic macroinvertebrate dispersal mechanisms through the use of isotopic enrichment techniques, pioneering their use in TRs and successfully detecting isotopic marking in subsequent generations. We emphasise the importance of maintaining DPs in TR networks to host colonisers that will facilitate community recovery during and after drying, either through active aerial dispersal of aquatic insect adults or passive aerial dispersal through zoochory. Considering future drying scenarios, the conservation (and potential promotion) of DPs as refuges should be prioritised to avoid local and regional biodiversity loss in TRs.This work was supported by the MECODISPER (CTM2017-89295-P) and the DRY-Guadalmed projects (PID2021-126143OB-C21 and PID2021-126143OB-C22) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033) and by ‘ERDF A way of making Europe’. N.B. was supported by ICREA-Academia 2021 funded by the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies. Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles and Núria Bonada should be considered as joint senior authors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Objetivos y estrategias para la vigilancia ambiental de determinantes bióticos de resistencia a los antibióticos. PRAN Medioambiente. Fase 2.Informe 2.1
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Sensory Defects in Fermented Sausages (2025 Update)
Full text linkThe production of fermented meat sausages derives from the ancestral practice of preserving meat by means of fermentation and/or drying. Today, the aim is to produce value-added products that are easy to use, nutritious and valued for their visual appeal, texture, aroma and flavour. Although considerable progress has been made in recent years in understanding the processes of fermentation and drying, the sensory attributes of the final products are not always as desired. The underlying causes must be sought in the raw materials, the ingredients and additives used, the manufacturing processes and the commercial handling of the product.This document compiles published scientific and technical literature, the accumulated experience of generations of professionals and the author's personal experience acquired over four decades of research into the causes and solutions of sensory defects in fermented sausages.This publication seeks to assist in the training of meat industry professionals, provide solutions to sensory issues and enhance the knowledge of all those who value fermented sausages and wish to understand them more fully. I also hope it will help identify research challenges and inspire university students, professionals, researchers and companies to explore them further, bearing in mind the great diversity that exists worldwide. This article updates the information published in 2022 (Arnau, 2022) and 2011 on defects of appearance, texture, smell and taste/flavour in fermented sausages (Arnau, 2011). I trust that this article will be of practical use and will contribute to enhancing the quality of fermented sausages in their various forms of consumption.I would like to thank IRTA and its management for the trust they placed in me to lead R&D&I efforts on fermented sausages. I also extend my gratitude to INIA, CDTI, the European Union, FECIC and the Generalitat de Catalunya for their financial support of research projects related to fermented sausages. I also thank the numerous professionals who have attended the courses on fermented sausages held annually at IRTA, both in Spanish and English, and who have shared their problems and experiences (https://transferencia.irta.cat/en/?s=international+course+meat). Finally, my thanks go to the professional team at IRTA-Monells for their efforts and dedication to deepening understanding of fermented sausages, to Dr Mª Dolors Guàrdia, Dr Sara Bover and Dr Xavier Serra for their input during the writing of this document, and to my family for their encouragement and patience throughout.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Sublingual immunization with E2-CD154 protein and the STING agonist c-di-AMP confers protection against classical swine fever virus in pigs
Full text linkIntroduction: Subunit vaccines represent a safer alternative to live attenuated formulations. However, they often require potent adjuvants and delivery systems to elicit robust immunity, particularly against highly contagious diseases such as Classical Swine Fever (CSF).
Methods: In this study, we investigated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a novel mucosal subunit vaccine comprising the chimeric E2-CD154 protein, co-administered with the mucosal adjuvant c-di-AMP, in domestic pigs. Optimal dosing and immunization schedules for sublingual immunization were determined, followed by a challenge experiment using a highly virulent CSF virus (CSFV) strain.
Results: Our results showed that sublingual co-administration of E2-CD154 and the STING agonist c-di-AMP conferred robust clinical protection, effectively prevented viral replication, and restricted the dissemination of infectious virus. This combination induced strong systemic IgG and IgA responses and neutralizing antibodies against multiple CSFV strains, achieving outcomes comparable with the commercial Porvac® vaccine, administered intramuscularly. Importantly, virus isolation from tonsils confirmed the absence of infectious virus in pigs immunized with E2-CD154 and c-di-AMP, unlike those receiving E2-CD154 or the adjuvant alone. Moreover, immunized animals exhibited minimal IFN-α serum levels post-challenge, indicating reduced innate activation and viral replication.
Discussion: These findings provide evidence, in a large mammalian host such as the pig, that c-di-AMP functions as an adjuvant for a recombinant E2-CD154 protein delivered sublingually, enhancing immune responses consistent with protection against viral replication. Together, these results offer insights into the development of non-replicating, DIVA-compatible platforms against CSFV and support the rational design of next-generation subunit vaccines targeting viral pathogens relevant to both veterinary and human medicine.The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation grant PID2021-125599OB-100. AMA was supported by the ICA grant 001-2022. IRTA is supported by the CERCA program/Generalitat de Catalunya.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Development and Standardization of Indirect ELISA for African Swine Fever Virus Using Recombinant p30 Protein Produced in Prokaryotic System
Full text linkAfrican Swine Fever (ASF), caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease with high mortality (≈100%) in pigs and is considered the most devastating disease to date. Given the importance of this disease, we aimed to assess the use of the recombinant p30 protein as the sole antigen for the development of an accurate and precise ELISA test (iELISA) for the virus. The recombinant p30 protein (rp30) was produced in a bacterial expression system using a SUMO-tagged expression vector. Protein expression was confirmed by Western blot analysis and purified using affinity chromatography. Antigenicity was evaluated in CF-1 mice, which demonstrated the ability to generate high levels of specific antibodies. The rp30 showed a sensitivity of 95.6% when used in the development of iELISA, a specificity of 92.3%, and a kappa index (κ) of 0.836. Furthermore, reference sera (OIE-ASF) were used to validate the assays, and the results demonstrated an excellent capacity to detect ASF antibodies using only the rp30 antigen up to a serum dilution of 1:100. The inter- and intra-assay variability coefficients were 4.27% and 4.85%, respectively, demonstrating that the assay was accurate and reproducible, allowing its use in seroepidemiological analyses for ASF surveillance.This research was funded by PROCINORTE (CENID-Salud Animal e inocuidad/INIFAP grant number: 154626612) and the MICIU (PID2022-136312OBI00).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Apple Dwarfing Rootstock Cold Hardiness: Comparing Performance of The Geneva® Series Rootstocks in Cold and Mild Winter Conditions
Full text linkApples typically have sufficient cold hardiness to survive most
winters in New York. However, as climate changes and winters
become milder, trees may not receive the right temperature
cues for maximum protection and develop insufficient cold
hardiness. We found that, all Geneva®-series rootstocks
outperformed M.9 in cold hardiness but certain Geneva®-series
rootstocks may exhibit reduced reliability as the climate warms,
while others show potential as climate-resilient germplasm.This project was funded by the NY Apple Research and Development Program and USDA Federal Capacity Funds. We thank Dr. Gennaro Fazio and Erica Casagrande who contributed to this projectinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Discrimination of normal and wooden breast chicken fillets using NIR, fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy
Full text linkWooden breast (WB) is a concerning myopathy affecting broilers that results in hardened and pale fillets, with lowered pysicochemical, technological and textural traits. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been successful to sort defective meat, but other spectroscopic methods, such as fluorescence emission, based on the detection of fluorophores, and Raman, based on inelastic scattering, have never been tested for this purpose. Breasts (40 normal, 40 WB) from a commercial slaughterhouse were selected by an experienced veterinarian and measured with NIRS (780–1080 nm), fluorescence emission (350–580 nm) after excitation at 330 nm, and Raman (100–3250 cm−1, 50 s of exposure moving the sample). Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to measure T2 relaxation distribution, and water, fat and collagen content were measured for reference. Finally, PLS models assessed the discriminant power of each technology. The NIRS and NMR spectra showed more loosely bound water in WB. Fluorescence allowed to detect collagen and collagen crosslinking, as well as adipose tissue, and revealed two groups within the WB, one with greater collagen, and another with higher fat content. Raman spectra displayed a greater distinction of these two groups, and revealed less protein in WB, besides increased collagen and fat. Reference measurements of moisture, fat and collagen were well correlated with principal componentsof spectral data from each method, confirming the interpretation. Although NIRS accurately discriminates between normal and WB (100% accuracy), fluorescence, with 95%, and Raman, with 100%, revealed markers that could be used to assess the degree of both fibrosis and lipidosis in WB, providing a more detailed characterization of histological lesions.This work was funded by the Research Council of Norway through the projects SFI Digital Food Quality (RCN no. 309259), along with The Agricultural and Food Industry Research Funds through the projects Precision Food Production (RCN no. 314111) and Enable (RCN no. 354160). Sensor-Fint Cost action (CA19145) is acknowledged for the Short Term Scientific Mission that partially funded this collaboration. Míriam Muñoz-Lapeira recognizes the IRTA Sponsored Fellowship Program 2022 for her investigator trainee employment contract under the strategic scientific initiative Smart Agrifood Systems. CERCA program and the Consolidated Research Group (2021 SGR 00468 and SGR 00461) from the Generalitat de Catalunya is also acknowledged. Authors would like to thank the slaughterhouse personnel for technical assistance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Principales motivos de baja y mortalidad en cerdas reproductoras de granjas españolas
No full textLa duración del periodo reproductivo de las cerdas es, junto a su eficiencia productiva, el determinante de la amortización del coste y mantenimiento de las cerdas a lo largo de su vida. De poco sirve tener una población de cerdas prolíficas con un óptimo manejo si su longevidad se ve comprometida antes de alcanzar su rentabilidad. Por ello, una adecuada gestión de las cerdas reproductoras conlleva una correcta monitorización y un registro fiable de su perfil productivo y salud física. Esta información permite identificar factores relacionados con los principales motivos de baja y mortalidad y anticiparse a problemas productivos, de supervivencia y de bienestar.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio