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Anatomical site and environmental exposure differentially shape the microbiota acorss mucosal tissues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Get PDFThis study investigates the diversity, structure, and composition of the fish microbiota across different mucosal organs by comparing the bacterial communities in the oropharyngeal cavity, posterior intestine, gills, and skin of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), along with water and biofilm samples from the surrounding environment. Four distinct skin regions across the dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes were also compared in fish weighing 390.5 ± 36.8 g. Sample analyses showed that lower values of richness (observed) and diversity (Shannon and Faith indices) were observed in the posterior intestine compared to the gills, skin, and environmental (water and biofilm) samples (P < 0.05). Similarly, the oropharynx showed higher Faith diversity values than the intestine (P = 0.01). Furthermore, bacterial community structures differed significantly across organs based on unweighted and weighted UniFrac distances (P = 0.001 for both), with the posterior intestine showing the greatest divergence from other mucosal sites. Indeed, Pseudomonadota was the most abundant phylum across all sample types, except for the posterior intestine, where Firmicutes, particularly the genus Mycoplasma, showed a clear predominance. The posterior intestine showed facultative anaerobic genera, while the other mucosae and environmental samples were mainly composed of strictly aerobic members, like Flavobacterium and Crocinitomix. The microbial communities across the different skin regions were highly heterogeneous: while the dorsal area showed a consistent microbiota, the ventral region exhibited differences between the anterior and posterior sections in bacterial structure and composition at the genus level (P < 0.05). For instance, Candidatus Piscichlamydia was very abundant in the gills and ventral-anterior skin, but was scarcely detected in the rest of skin areas. Overall, these findings suggest a high differentiation of bacterial communities across fish organs, tailored to the specific physiological and environmental characteristics of each mucosal tissue, with a stronger modulation by the surrounding environment in the external mucosae and a higher influence of host innate factors in inner organs, such as the intestine.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Spatial and seasonal performance of Blattisocius tarsalis in stored grain environments
Get PDFIn large-scale grain storage facilities, various pests can infest stored grain causing significant damage. The predatory mite Blattisocius tarsalis has shown robust dispersal abilities in controlled environments, along with an effective capacity to prey on the eggs of common storage pests. However, its maximum dispersal potential and efficacy in suppressing pest populations under realistic storage conditions remain poorly understood. Furthermore, the impact of temperature fluctuations on its performance has yet to be fully clarified. In this study, two sets of experiments were conducted, one during the summer and the other during the early spring, to evaluate the dispersal efficacy of B. tarsalis released in a large pile of paddy rice. To assess both dispersal and predatory efficacy, eggs of the common storage pest Plodia interpunctella were used as bait. These were placed at varying depths, directions, and distances, up to 4 m from the release point. Our results demonstrate that B. tarsalis can disperse as far as 4 m and effectively control pest populations, irrespective of seasonal conditions. The mites also exhibited a marked preference for moving into the grain mass and away from light sources. Although this study focused on P. interpunctella, which lays eggs on the grain surface, the ability of B. tarsalis to penetrate the grain pile suggests it may also prey on other pest species that oviposit deeper within the grain mass. These findings underscore the potential of B. tarsalis as a sustainable and effective biological control agent in stored-product pest management.This research was funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and FEDER (UE) (Grant PID 2021-125284OR-100, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE), (PID 2024-157580OR-I00 – STORED-IPM), and by the CERCA Program (Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, Spain) of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
Julia Parsons is grateful for the Internal Predoctoral Research Fellowship funded by IRTA.
We thank the company AGROBIO S.L. for providing the predatory mites used in all experiments.
Additionally, we sincerely appreciate the technical support received from the IRTA research technicians: Elisabet Alonso Sánchez, Marçal Pla Yjarro, and Lucas Marginedas Catalán.
We also wish to thank the company S.A.T. EL PANTAR for permitting the use of their facilities for the experiment and for their technical support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The SAFFI project: Fostering alignment and collaboration in EU-China food safety management with infant food safety as case study
Get PDFEnsuring food safety is a shared priority for both the European Union (EU) and China, yet differences in regulatory frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, and risk assessment approaches present challenges for harmonization. The SAFFI project (2020–2024), which concluded recently, seeked to bridge these gaps by fostering collaboration in food safety management, with a specific focus on infant food safety. Bringing together partners from several EU member states and Chinese provinces, SAFFI aimed to improve hazard identification, risk ranking, detection methods, and mitigation strategies for both microbial and chemical contaminants in infant food supply chains.
This article first provides a comparative analysis of EU and Chinese food safety regulations, highlighting key similarities and differences in legal structures, risk assessment procedures, and enforcement strategies. Infant food safety standards are particularly strict in both regions, yet inconsistencies in testing methods, contaminant limits, and monitoring approaches necessitate greater alignment.
The second part of the article details the scientific advances achieved through SAFFI to support regulatory convergence. These include structured databases and decision-support tools for hazard identification and prioritization, improved processing and preservation techniques for contaminant control, and cutting-edge analytical methods for detecting and monitoring known and emerging chemical and microbial hazards. The project also examined the role of consumer practices in mitigating risks and explored pathways for integrating rapid detection technologies into food safety systems.
Overall, the outcomes of SAFFI contribute to enhanced consumer protection, the promotion of safe international trade, and the development of more coherent, science-based food safety policies through sustained EU–China cooperation.This work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement No 861917 – SAFFI as well as by the National Program on Key Research Project of China (2019YFE0103900).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
Modeling improvements in digestible amino acids by a consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant in grower pigs
Get PDFData from 8 datasets generated from 5 independent experiments that determined the effects of a consensus bacterial 6-phytase variant (PhyG)
on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of amino acids (AA) in growing pigs (~21 to 45 kg body weight) were combined and modeled to test the
hypothesis that the phytase results in significant improvements in ileal AA digestibility. The aim was to generate accurate and robust dose-related
predictions of the digestible AA contributions of the phytase. The 5 experiments were conducted in Spain, Australia, USA, and Brazil and incorporated variation in diet composition (ingredient composition, phytate-phosphorus (PP) content, limestone solubility), diet form, animal breed and
sex. A total of 325 datapoints (observations) were analyzed. First, the relationship between the percentage AID of AA and log-transformed phytase dose (range 0 to 4,000 phytase units (FTU)/kg, analyzed values) was modeled by log-linear regression across all datasets without adjustment
for variation in the response to the negative control (NC) diet. The model predicted that the mean AID of total AA in the NC diets was 68.6% (range
43.3% [Cys] to 81.7% [Arg]). This was increased linearly by PhyG supplementation (P < 0.05), by 3.7 percentage units when dosed at 1,000 FTU/
kg and by 4.5 percentage units at 4,000 FTU/kg. Second, the percentage unit change in the AID of AA at each phytase dose from baseline (NC
without added phytase) was calculated separately for each dataset and the data then combined and modeled together by log-linear regression,
against analyzed and log-transformed phytase dose. By this analysis, increases were evident for the AID of all individual (and total) AA. Increases
(vs. baseline) at 1,000 and 2,000 FTU/kg were greatest for Trp (+ 6.1 and + 6.8 percentage units), Thr (+ 3.4 and + 3.8 percentage units after correction for synthetic Thr), Gly (+ 7.5 and + 8.3 percentage units) and Cys (+ 5.6 and + 6.2 percentage units). In conclusion, combined data from 5
separate experiments indicate that the bacterial phytase-6 variant will improve ileal digestibility of AA if included in diets fed to growing pigs. The
data will allow diet-specific AA matrix recommendations to be made in commercial feed formulations containing PhyG.The authors would like to thank Dr Joelle Buck (Newbury, UK) for her assistance with the writing of this manuscript, which was sponsored by Danisco Animal Nutrition & Health (IFF), The Netherlands, in accordance with Good Publication Practice guidelines. Conflict of interest statement. The authors declare no conflict of interest.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Occurrence and spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in the food chain in the EU/EFTA. Part 1: 2025 update
Get PDFCarbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) have been reported in the food chain in 14 out of 30 EU/EFTA countries. Commonly reported genes are blaVIM-1, blaOXA-48 and blaOXA-181, followed by blaNDM-5 and blaIMI-1. Escherichia coli, target of most of the studies, Enterobacter cloacae complex, Klebsiella pneumoniae complex and Salmonella Infantis are the most frequent CPE. E. coli isolates show a high clonal diversity. IncHI2 (blaVIM-1 and blaOXA-162), IncC (blaVIM-1 and blaNDM-1), IncX3 (blaNDM-5 and blaOXA-181), IncI and IncL (blaOXA-48) plasmids are frequently reported. Most reports are from terrestrial food-producing animals and their environments – mainly pigs, followed by bovines and poultry and with occasional reports of meat thereof (targets of the EU monitoring and follow up trace back investigations). Few studies have investigated foods of aquatic animal origin and of non-animal origin, finding a great CPE diversity. A notable increase in the number of CPE detections has been observed, predominantly from pigs, with a surge in certain countries in 2021 (blaOXA-181, Italy) and 2023 (blaOXA-48, Spain; blaOXA-181, blaOXA-48, blaOXA-244 and blaNDM-5, Portugal). Very few data points to circumstantial evidence of CPE transmission, clonal and/or horizontal gene spread within the food chain and from/to humans. Various methods are used in the EU/EFTA countries to detect and characterise CPE in the food chain. Improvement of their sensitivity should be investigated. Ten out of 30 EU/EFTA countries have specific contingency plans for CPE control, being epidemiological investigations (e.g. trace-back) a common action included in those plans. Overall, data remain scarce for the bacterial species and sources beyond those systematically monitored. Recommendations to fill data gaps on other bacterial species and sources, dissemination pathways and optimisation of detection methods are given. A One Health approach to address the drivers of CPE spread in the food chain is needed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Època de sembra de la fava en funció de la zona productora per optimitzar el rendiment i la qualitat del cultiu
No full textAmb els assajos realitzats la campanya 2024-25 al litoral de Girona i als regadius de Lleida s’ha observat una menor durada de la floració a mesura que s’ha retardat la data de sembra. Els resultats també suggereixen una disminució de la producció en les sembres més tardanes. La varietat HISTAL, de gra més gros, ha mostrat una major influència de la data de sembra en relació a la mida del gra, que disminueix amb el retard de la data de sembra sobretot a la Tallada d’Empordà.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The role of innate immune responses against two strains of PEDV (S INDEL and non-S INDEL) in newborn and weaned piglets inoculated by combined orogastric and intranasal routes
Get PDFIntroduction: Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a severe gastrointestinal disease in swine caused by PED virus (PEDV), leading to significant economic losses worldwide. Newborn piglets are especially vulnerable, with nearly 100% mortality, unlike older pigs. Disease severity also varies depending on the PEDV strain, with non-S INDEL strains being more virulent than S INDEL ones.
Methods: This study examined early pathogenesis and innate immunity in 5-day-old suckling and 5-week-old weaned piglets (n=8 per age group, 4 per strain) inoculated with S INDEL or non-S INDEL PEDV strains via combined orogastric and intranasal route. Age matched negative controls (n=3 per age group) were included. Body weight, temperature, and clinical signs were monitored for 48 hours post-inoculation (hpi). PEDV RNA levels were assessed in rectal swabs (RS) at 0 and 48 hpi, while pathological analyses and viral RNA loads were measured in jejunal content and intestinal mucosa. Gene expression of 75 selected antiviral and inflammatory genes were determined in laser capture microdissection (LCM)–derived jejunal samples using microfluidic qPCR at 48 hpi.
Results: Suckling piglets showed severe clinical signs, while weaned piglets were mostly asymptomatic at 48 hpi. In general, clinical signs and lesions in suckling piglets were similar, regardless of the PEDV strain. Both viral strains produced comparable viral RNA loads in the small intestine and feces, as well as consistent villous atrophy and fusion across age groups. In LCM-derived jejunal samples, weaned piglets had higher expression of antiviral genes (type I/III interferons, ISGs) and Th1/Th17 pro-inflammatory genes, particularly with the non-S INDEL strain. Conversely, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was overexpressed in suckling compared to weaned piglets for both strains.
Discussion: Overall, PEDV-induced intestinal damage, viral replication, and excretion were similar in studied groups regardless of viral strain or piglet age. The reduced clinical severity in weaned piglets may result from their stronger intestinal antiviral and pro-inflammatory response.The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This study was funded by the PORCOPROTECT project (PID2019-110260RB-I00) of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades from the Spanish government. C.L.-F. has a pre-doctoral fellowship funded by the crowdfunding initiative “yomecorono.com” (accessed on 18 December 2024).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Winter wheat plant density determination: Robust predictions across varied agronomic conditions using multiscale RGB imaging
Get PDFCereal plant density is a crucial agronomic factor affecting resource management and yield. This study automated wheat density estimation using multiscale imaging from ground and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) at 15, 30, and 50m Conducted over two agronomic seasons (2022 and 2023) with different water profiles, it analyzed three wheat genotypes (cv. Bologna, Hondia, and Marcopolo) sown at five densities ranging from 35 to 560 seeds m-2. Images collected through RGB sensors across Haun's developmental stages 2.6 – 12.2 provided data for calculating 15 Vegetation Indexes (VIs), which, along with their Principal Components (PCs), were used as inputs for Ridge and Principal Component Regression (PCR) models. Training was conducted on the 2022 datasets using 4-fold, 10-repeated cross-validation to determine the most predictive growth stages, with Haun stages 5.3 to 7.3 yielding the best results, irrespective of resolution. Testing on 2023 datasets showed that Ridge models consistently outperformed PCR, especially for medium to high-density ranges (140–560 seeds m-2), though they underperformed at lower densities, leading to their exclusion from the testing data. The top-performing Ridge model, trained on Haun stages 7.1–7.3 at 50 m (1.18 cm pixel-1), achieved Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) 17.91% – 28.54% (0.9 – 0.68 R2) values across various test sets, with stable performance throughout resolutions and stages (4.4 – 4.8). These findings show robust prediction capabilities across a broader developmental range and from the lowest resolution recorded, especially when vegetation coverage is abundant. The study highlights the practicality of high-throughput RGB imaging for scalable, flexible and affordable plant density estimation.This work was supported by the Spanish projects “HolisticWheat” (PID2022-138307OB-C21), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain and “DENSIPLANT” from the CERCA Center Agrotecnio, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain
J.J.-B. was supported by INVESTIGO 2022 program from Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia (NextGenerationEU). Currently J.J.-B. is recipient of a FPI doctoral fellowship PREP2022-000560 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FSE+.
C.S.C. held a Maria Zambrano's fellowship from the University of Lleida funded by Spanish Ministry of Universities and the European Social Fundand currently is contracted by the project PID2021-127415OB-I00 funded by AEI (State Research Agency of Spain).
S.C.K. is supported by the Ramon y Cajal RYC-2019-027818-I research fellowship from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, MINECO, Spain. We also acknowledge the support from the Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua and the Universitat de Barcelona.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
La digestibilitat dels olis que utilitzem per cuinar
Get PDFMoltes vegades quan mengem fora de casa tenim una digestió més pesada de l’habitual, que no tenim a
casainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio