Horses’ Senses Involvement in Food Location and Selection

Senses are an important part of the interaction with the environment. Previous studies has been established that horses use smell and taste in the selection of their food. The involvement of sight in the selection process has not been clarified up to this study. Here, we investigate the involvement of senses in the selection process of food, also the proportion in which, each senses are involved and we evaluate the horses preferences for different colors. Two experiments have been designed and carried out with two racing horses The results obtained have demonstrated that the sight is the main sense in the location of the food, followed by the sense of olfactory organ involved in selecting plants ingested and the sense of taste which contributes less to the selection. There has also been identified a preference of the envolved horses for the pink color used in this experiment

Microbial activity in soils from the Făgăraș Mountains

The aim of this paper was to assess the microbial activity and detection of some enzymes from soils of mountain zones in order to understand the complex processes that occur in these habitats. The sampling sites are located in three zones from the Făgăraș Mountains (woodside, forest and grassland). Six soil samples from these zones were subjected to microbiological and enzymological studies. The physical-chemical analyses were carried out using a portable multiparameter (pH, Eh, electrical conductivity and salinity). The following four ecophysiological bacterial groups have been studied: aerobic mesophilic heterotrophs, ammonifiers, nitrifiers and denitrifiers. The presence of all ecophysiological bacterial groups was registered in all the soil samples. The studied bacterial groups present fluctuations according with the sampling zones. The descending ranking of their abundance in the soil samples was: aerobic mesophilic heterotrophs, ammonifiers, nitrifiers, denitrifiers. Based on the bacteria number of each ecophysiological group, the bacterial indicators of soil quality (BISQ) were calculated. All of the four enzymatic activities analysed in soils (phosphatase, catalase, actual and potential dehydrogenase) were registered at every sampling site. Based on the absolute values of enzymatic activities, the enzymatic indicator of soil quality (EISQ) was obtained. The EISQ and BISQ values indicate a good intensity of these activities in all the analysed zones. Culda et al (PDF

Inherent and Composite Hydrogels as Promising Materials to Limit Antimicrobial Resistance

Antibiotic resistance has increased significantly in the recent years, and has become a global problem for human health and the environment. As a result, several technologies for the controlling of health-care associated infections have been developed over the years. Thus, the most recent findings in hydrogel fabrication, particularly antimicrobial hydrogels, could offer valuable solutions for these biomedical challenges. In this review, we discuss the most promising strategies in the development of antimicrobial hydrogels and the application of hydrogels in the treatment of microbial infections. The latest advances in the development of inherently and composite antimicrobial hydrogels will be discussed, as well as hydrogels as carriers of antimicrobials, with a focus on antibiotics, metal nanoparticles, antimicrobial peptides, and biological extracts. The emergence of CRISR-Cas9 technology for removing the antimicrobial resistance has led the necessity of new and performant carriers for delivery of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Different delivery systems, such as composite hydrogels and many types of nanoparticles, attracted a great deal of attention and will be also discussed in this review

Diversity of Thelazia spp. in domestic cattle from Romania: epidemiology and molecular diagnosis by a novel multiplex PCR

Abstract Background Thelaziosis is a neglected vector-borne disease caused by parasitic nematode worms of the genus Thelazia which affects various hosts. Limited attention has been given to ungulate-associated Thelazia species. Current diagnosis of thelaziosis and the identification/differentiation of species heavily relies on morphological features. Therefore, we conducted an epidemiological study in Romanian cattle, with the aim to obtain morphological and molecular data that can be used for species identification. Methods The eyes of 705 slaughtered cattle were sampled and subjected to morphological identification, morphometric analysis, and molecular characterization. PCR amplification and sequence analysis were performed based on the cytochromec oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene. Statistical tests assessed the correlations between infection parameters and ecological or biogeographical factors. A novel PCR method was developed based on the consensus sequence from each species. Specific forward primers were designed for each of the three species, and a reverse primer (COIintR) was used for all reactions. A consensus thermal profile was established by gradient PCR amplification of each species separately. Results Of the sampled cattle, 19.3% were infected with Thelazia spp. Prevalence varied significantly with ecogeographical factors. A total of 585 Thelazia nematodes were recovered, with T. rhodesi being the most abundant, followed by T. skrjabini and T. gulosa. Morphometric and molecular analyses supported the morphological identification, yielding unique sequences for each species. From the 59 T. rhodesi specimens sequenced, 29 unique sequences were obtained, with a 99.1–99.85% nucleotide identity to the only other COI sequence present in GenBank®. All nine T. gulosa isolates were unique (99.37–100% nucleotide identity to other sequences), while T. skrjabini specimens displayed 98.47–100% nucleotide identity to the sole available sequence. Conclusions Bovine thelaziosis is prevalent in Romania, raising concerns for animal welfare and potential economic impacts. Infected cattle grazing alongside vulnerable wild ruminants, such as the European bison, may affect conservation efforts. Our newly developed multiplex PCR shows promise as a valuable surveillance tool, enabling the detection of occult infections in apparently healthy animals through lachrymal secretion testing. Graphical Abstrac

The Presence of <em>Dirofilaria immitis</em> in Domestic Dogs on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos

This study's concept was outlined around the principle of conservation medicine in a biodiversity hotspot from the Neotropical realm: the Galapagos Islands. The wildlife balance has been modified by multi-host parasites introduced with some domestic animals (dogs and cats). The endemic and endangered species, the Galapagos sea lion (GSL, Zalophus wollebaeki), has been exposed to pathogens of canine and feline origin that could become a significant conservation problem for this species. One of these potential cases is the filarial heartworm infection, Dirofilaria immitis, which has been reported on other pinnipeds, with fatalities and clinical symptoms. Therefore, this study evaluated the presence of the microfilaria of D. immitis in dogs from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island, where the largest rookery of GSLs lives and where the proximity to domestic dogs is the most intimate compared to other rookeries of the archipelago. Between July and September 2021, 587 blood samples were collected from owned dogs of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Overall, 10 dogs (1.7%) were positive for the presence of the microfilaria of D. immitis with a confidence interval of 0.7–2.8%. No other filarial species were identified. Significant differences in prevalence between different dog categories were observed only for the age (p = 0.001). This study represents the first report of D. immitis, the agent of canine heartworm disease, in dogs from San Cristobal Island. Hence, the presence of the microfilaria of D. immitis in the blood of dogs could increase the risk of infection to which the GSL is exposed in the region