How a Technology Identity Can Enhance the Diffusion of Good Design Practices in Product Sound Design

People are plugged into an intangible sound universe. But only a tiny part of the sounds we are exposed to have been purposefully designed. Recently, designers are bashfully approaching these intangible products’ quality. Product Sound Design represents, in fact, a promising research field still scarcely explored. The design community is answering this concern through new design methods. An Italian university developed a patented method-and-tool, conceived to collect, analyze, and recreate various sounds to develop a new generation of products with designed mechanical (and, eventually, digital) sounds. Spreading this innovation within the design community is fundamental to stimulate future more focused and aware practices. As well as all new technologies, the new patent didn’t have its own identity from the beginning. Extensive work conducted with the scientific approach has therefore been undertaken to redesign its identity to make its disruptiveness intelligible and understandable

The golden jackal (Canis aureus): A new host for Echinococcus multilocularis and Trichinella britovi in Switzerland.

INTRODUCTION The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a wild canid new to Switzerland. It is an officially monitored species and all deceased individuals are submitted for post-mortem examination to collect baseline health data. This includes parasitological examinations, with an emphasis on zoonotic, reportable infections, such as those caused by Trichinella spp. or Echinococcus spp. From 2016 to 2021, five golden jackals originating from four Swiss cantons were submitted for full post-mortem examination. In one case only organ samples were available, and therefore parasitological examination was not possible. Parasite stages recovered during necropsy, as well as by routine coproscopical techniques, were morphologically identified. Taeniid eggs and adult tapeworms were processed for molecular species identification. Additionally, tongue and diaphragm were analysed for Trichinella spp. by the artificial digestion technique followed by multiplex-PCR in positive cases. Of the four jackals investigated for parasites, hookworm eggs were detected in one animal, both adult worms and eggs of Echinococcus multilocularis were present in another case, and one animal was free of parasites. Eggs of E. multilocularis as well as eggs of Toxocara canis and sporocysts of Sarcocystis sp. were detected in the intestinal content, and Trichinella britovi larvae were found in the muscle samples of the last case. The health monitoring programme in place for protected carnivores in Switzerland allowed us to add the golden jackal to the list of hosts for the endemic zoonotic parasites E. multilocularis and T. britovi in this country. Hunters, farmers, and other persons who could come in contact with golden jackals should be aware of the associated health risk and handle faeces and carcasses with caution

Temporal stability in the genetic structure of Sarcoptes scabiei under the host-taxon law: empirical evidences from wildlife-derived Sarcoptes mite in Asturias, Spain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Implicitly, parasite molecular studies assume temporal genetic stability. In this study we tested, for the first time to our knowledge, the extent of changes in genetic diversity and structure of <it>Sarcoptes </it>mite populations from Pyrenean chamois (<it>Rupicapra pyrenaica</it>) in Asturias (Spain), using one multiplex of 9 microsatellite markers and <it>Sarcoptes </it>samples from sympatric Pyrenean chamois, red deer (<it>Cervus elaphus</it>), roe deer (<it>Capreolus capreolus</it>) and red fox (<it>Vulpes vulpes</it>).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The analysis of an 11-years interval period found little change in the genetic diversity (allelic diversity, and observed and expected heterozygosity). The temporal stability in the genetic diversity was confirmed by population structure analysis, which was not significantly variable over time. Population structure analysis revealed temporal stability in the genetic diversity of <it>Sarcoptes </it>mite under the host-taxon law (herbivore derived- and carnivore derived-<it>Sarcoptes </it>mite) among the sympatric wild animals from Asturias.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The confirmation of parasite temporal genetic stability is of vital interest to allow generalizations to be made, which have further implications regarding the genetic structure, epidemiology and monitoring protocols of the ubiquitous <it>Sarcoptes </it>mite. This could eventually be applied to other parasite species.</p

Obturator and thigh abscess after transobturator tape implantation for stress urinary incontinence

We report a case of obturator and thigh abscess 2 years after transobturator tape implantation (TVT-O) for stress urinary incontinence. Fifteen months after sling implantation repeated incisions and drainages of multiple recurrent thigh abscesses were performed. The source of infection, an eroded TVT-O, was only identified on readmission 9 months later when vaginal discharge was reported by the patient. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed because of tenderness and pain in the leg which revealed a large obturator and thigh abscess. The TVT-O was completely excised and the abscesses drained. Further follow-up was uneventful. This new technique of sling placement via the obturator route may be associated with novel infectious complications. Symptoms and signs as well as imaging modalities and conservative versus surgical management are discussed and the literature reviewed

Establishing a European network for wildlife health surveillance

Surveillance of wildlife health in Europe remains informal and reporting wildlife diseases is not yet coordinated among countries. At a meeting in Brussels on 15 October 2009, delegates from 25 countries provided an overview of the current status of wildlife health surveillance in Europe. This showed that every year in Europe over 18,000 wild animals are examined as part of general surveillance programmes and over 50,000 wild animals are examined in the course of targeted surveillance. The participants at the Brussels meeting agreed to set up a European network for wildlife health surveillance. The goals of this network, which was established in February 2010, are to improve procedures for the rapid exchange of information, harmonise procedures for investigation and diagnosis of wildlife diseases, share relevant expertise, and provide training opportunities for wildlife health surveillance

Is ITS-2 rDNA suitable marker for genetic characterization of Sarcoptes mites from different wild animals in different geographic areas?

The present study examined the relationship among individual Sarcoptes scabiei mites from 13 wild mammalian populations belonging to nine species in four European countries using the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) as genetic marker. The ITS-2 plus primer flanking 5.8S and 28S rDNA (ITS-2+) was amplified from individual mites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the amplicons were sequenced directly. A total of 148 ITS-2+ sequences of 404 bp in length were obtained and 67 variable sites were identified (16.59%). UPGMA analyses did not show any geographical or host-specific clustering, and a similar outcome was obtained using population pairwise Fst statistics. These results demonstrated that ITS-2 rDNA does not appear to be suitable for examining genetic diversity among mite populations. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer Reviewe

Alpine ibex (Capra i. ibex) is not a reservoir for chlamydial infections of domestic ruminants and humans

Chlamydophila (C.) abortus is the most common infectious abortigenic agent in small domestic ruminants in Switzerland. In contrast, the knowledge about chlamydiae in wild ruminants is scarce. As interactions between livestock and Alpine ibex (Capra i. ibex) occur on alpine pastures, the question raises if wild ruminants could play a role as carriers of chlamydiae. Thus, we investigated the prevalence of chlamydiae in Alpine ibex in Switzerland. In total, 624 sera, 676 eye swabs, 84 organ samples and 51 faecal samples from 664 ibex were investigated. Serum samples were tested by two commercial ELISA kits specific for C. abortus. Eye swabs, organs and faecal samples were examined by a Chlamydiaceae-specific real-time PCR. Positive cases were further investigated by the ArrayTube (AT) microarray method for chlamydial species determination. Of 624 serum samples investigated, 612 animals were negative, whereas nine sera (1.5%) reacted positively in one of the two tests and three sera showed an inconclusive result. Eye swabs of seven out of 412 ibex (1.7%) were tested positive for Chlamydiaceae by real-time PCR. By AT microarray, Chlamydophila pecorum was identified in two animals, Chlamydophila pneumoniae was detected in one animal and a mixed infection with Chlamydophila abortus and Chlamydophila pecorum was found in four animals. Organs and faecal samples were all negative by real-time PCR analysis. In summary, we conclude that C. abortus is not a common infectious agent in the Swiss ibex population. To our knowledge, this is the first description of C. pneumoniae in ibex. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the situation in other species of wild ruminants as chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus c. capreolus) in Switzerland