The effect of natural antimicrobials on the Campylobacter coli T6SS+/- during in vitro infection assays and on their ability to adhere to chicken skin and carcasses.

Reducing the Campylobacter load on poultry carcasses represents a major tasks for the industry as its ability to reduce their presence is of major interest aiming to increase consumer safety. This study investigated the ability of a mixture of natural antimicrobials (A3001) to reduce the adherence of the T6SS+/-C. coli isolates (NC1hcp-, NC2 hcp- and NC3 hcp+) to chicken neck skin and whole carcasses. Overall, the antimicrobial mixture induced a significant reduction in the capability of our C. coli isolates to colonise the chicken skin (p < 0.05) and carcasses (p < 0.0001) but with a greater effect (≈3 log reduction) on the NC3 isolate. Using the HCT-8 in vitro infection model we also show that at a concentration of 0.5% A3001, the impact on the NC3 isolate is accompanied by the downregulation of the hcp gene (p = 0.0001), and indicator of the T6SS presence. The results described herein also indicated that these isolates are highly resistant to H2O2, up to 20 mM, suggesting a high resilience to environmental stresses. In summary our study shows that natural antimicrobials can reduce the ability of T6SS positive chicken C. coli isolates to adhere to chicken skin or to the whole carcass and to infect epithelial cells in vitro and could be considered a potential intervention at processor level

Recycling of biological sludge for the fertilizing of soils cultivated with Lolium perenne

The present study has been elaborated with the aim of justifying the high efficiency of in-situ slaughterhouse sludge recycling and its usage in Lolium perenne cultures. Stabilized slaughterhouse sludge was used to complete the high deficiency in nutrients of the poor terrains. Slaughterhouse sludge represents an excessive, final by product from a meat-processing unit in Western Romania. It contains 59.78-90.77% easily bio-degradable organic substances. Moreover, it has compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorus, total N=1.922-3.318%, total P=1107-1126mg•kg-1D.M. The experimental variants have been prepared, having the following characteristics: control variants of non-fertilized soils and variants of soils fertilized with slaughterhouse sludge, 50t•ha-1. The experimental variants used were arranged in a completely randomized block design, with three replicates each. The efficiency of fertilization with slaughterhouse sludge was a 30-35% rise in the quantity of grass harvested vs. the quantities harvested from the control variants. The quantity of Cd and Pb has been determined from the aerial parts of the harvested plants and they were below the maximum limit admitted by the sanitary regulations in Romania. Cr didn’t bio-accumulate in plants at a detection limit. The quantity of other metals determined from the aerial parts of the plants was low: i.e. <10mg•kg-1D.M. for Cu or Ni <50mg•kg-1D.M. for Zn, <150mg•kg-1D.M.for Mn. Green feed harvested from fields fertilized with slaughterhouse sludge can be part of animal nutrition

Assessment of the Impact of Population Reduction on Grasslands with a New “Tool”: A Case Study on the “Mountainous Banat” Area of Romania

The landscapes and, implicitly, the surfaces of secondary grasslands in the mountain areas have been intensively modified and transformed by humans. In this context, this paper analyses the spatial and temporal changes of grassland surfaces following the impact of human population reduction. Thus, the study proposes the implementation of the Grassland Anthropic Impact Index (GAII) as a “measurement tool” to functionally link the two components, grassland surface and human population. The spatiotemporal analyses are based on Corine Land Cover data and demographic data, processed via Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methods and the Land Change Modeler (LCM) tool. The research shows that over a period of 28 years, the population, which was continuously decreasing, caused a series of transformations to the grasslands over an area of 33343 ha. The influence of the reduction in the number of inhabitants was also demonstrated by the direction of the changes produced in the grassland surfaces: in the better populated areas, the grasslands expanded over lands with other uses, and in the sparsely populated areas, they were abandoned. GAII values generally increase with the decrease of the population in the target area, meaning that for an inhabitant (potential user) a greater grassland surface is reported, resulting in a greater responsibility for the management of this resource on a space and time scale. Following the evaluation of the trend of the last 28 years, it was observed that the depopulation of mountain areas can be seen as a threat to grassland ecosystems, either through the transition to other categories of use, or through abandonment. The implications of these phenomena are much broader: they produce chain reactions and affect other components of the regional geosystem

The Influence of Temperature and pH on the Results Obtained in the Diagnosis of Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease

Avian Influenza is an infectious, contagious disease of an acute evolutionary type with an epizootic enzootic character, affecting numerous species of domestic and wild birds, clinically characterized by serious general disorders, accompanied by respiratory, digestive, nervous phenomena and an edema of the subcutaneous connective tissue from head and neck region, and morphopathologically through hemorrhagic lesions in various tissues and organs. At present it is spread in most European countries, America, Asia and Africa. It is of great economic importance due to its very high morbidity and mortality. Because the disease is underdiagnosed, and people do not notice the illness or mortality occurring in their livestock, the virus is very difficult to control. The number of cases of infection increases in the spring and autumn due to the migrations that migratory birds perform. They either start the migration already infected, or become infected during the migration, in the stopovers where the disease develops. Infected birds do not manage to reach the end of the migration, the body being weakened due to the fight against the virus, they can no longer fly and end up dying in the territories of the free countries, leading to new outbreaks of Avian Influenza

Plants Growth on Different Fertilized Agricultural Land and Metal Bioavailability

The study compares the amounts of Zea mays, grains, cobs and stalks, harvested on fertilized / unfertilized variant with different fertilizers: M-control, V1-fertilized with sewage sludge 50 t/ha + indigenous volcanic tuff, 5 t/ha, V2-fertilized with sewage sludge 50 t/ha, V3-fertilized with cattle manure, 50 t/ha. The amount of grains and cobs harvested from variant fertilized with cattle manure or sewage sludge mixed with indigenous volcanic tuff were similar. The amount of cobs and grains harvests from variant fertilized with sewage sludge mixed with indigenous volcanic tuff were higher between 15.1-17.5%, respectively 15.4-19.1% than those harvested from variant fertilized with sewage sludge. The indigenous volcanic tuff used as addition at sewage sludge was an important factor for the reduction of bioavailability of metals in the aerial tissues of the plant. The amount of toxic metals, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn from the tissues of Zea mays plants was below the maximum limits allowed by the UE rules

Geospatial Technologies Used in the Management of Water Resources in West of Romania

Stability in time of major and important objectives is vital and can be achieved by 3D scanners which follow changes in time with construction, respective of the natural or artificial hydrotechnical dams and the obtaining of 3D data in real time with the possibility of evaluating and making quick decisions. This scientific paper approaches a research topic of great importance and actuality in the field of Civil Engineering, Hydrotechnics, and Geomatics using the 3D scanning technologies for the hydrotechnical arrangements (Topolovăţu Mic, Coșteiu and Sânmartinu Maghiar) and hydroameliorative (Cruceni Pumping Station). In Romania, data collection was carried out for the first time using the mobile scanning technology (MMS), “Backpack” type, namely, Leica Pegasus Backpack. Data collection using terrestrial laser scanning technology (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) was carried out with the Leica C10 equipment. The processing of point clouds was carried out using the Inertial Explorer program, and the processing of point clouds was carried out with the Cyclone program. The collection of ground checkpoints used for checking, correcting, and analyzing point clouds was carried out using the GPS Leica GS08 equipment. Compared with traditional methods using classical measuring instruments, precise data was obtained (with an error of 2–4 cm) through 3D laser scanning technology in a short time and with multiple possibilities of processing and visualizing point clouds

Geospatial Technologies Used in the Management of Water Resources in West of Romania

Stability in time of major and important objectives is vital and can be achieved by 3D scanners which follow changes in time with construction, respective of the natural or artificial hydrotechnical dams and the obtaining of 3D data in real time with the possibility of evaluating and making quick decisions. This scientific paper approaches a research topic of great importance and actuality in the field of Civil Engineering, Hydrotechnics, and Geomatics using the 3D scanning technologies for the hydrotechnical arrangements (Topolov&#259;&#355;u Mic, Co&#537;teiu and S&acirc;nmartinu Maghiar) and hydroameliorative (Cruceni Pumping Station). In Romania, data collection was carried out for the first time using the mobile scanning technology (MMS), &ldquo;Backpack&rdquo; type, namely, Leica Pegasus Backpack. Data collection using terrestrial laser scanning technology (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) was carried out with the Leica C10 equipment. The processing of point clouds was carried out using the Inertial Explorer program, and the processing of point clouds was carried out with the Cyclone program. The collection of ground checkpoints used for checking, correcting, and analyzing point clouds was carried out using the GPS Leica GS08 equipment. Compared with traditional methods using classical measuring instruments, precise data was obtained (with an error of 2&ndash;4 cm) through 3D laser scanning technology in a short time and with multiple possibilities of processing and visualizing point clouds

Research Regarding the Use of Benctonic Macro Invertebrates on Bega River Water Quality Determination in the Timisoara Area

The benthic macro invertebrates are considered in this century to be one of the most important biological parameters for the quality of surface waters and they have the following characteristics: they live in constant contact with the sediments where pollutants are accumulated, have a fairly long-lasting lifecycle, are present in all types of aquatic ecosystems, are easily collected and quite easy to identify. The aim of this paper is to show the use of benthic macro invertebrates on Bega River water quality determination in the Timisoara area. After the identification of macro invertebrates has done, it have been performed the density, abundance and frequency of the sample. Based on these values, we can say that the upstream segment waters falls into the category of superior quality compared to the waters of the central segment, especially in the downstream segment

Exploring the Genetic Landscape of <i>Tilia</i> Spp. with Molecular and Statistical Tools

Tree species with high ecological plasticity are recommended for use in urban green infrastructures. This study explores the genetic diversity of Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos, and Tilia argentea, highlighting their contribution to urban landscapes. In this respect, the genetic variability of individuals from four populations of the Tilia genus has been analyzed using Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) molecular markers, and some of their phenotypic characters were naked-eyed observed or determined by dendrometric measurements. Significant variability between the populations studied was determined. Cluster analysis identified two main groups: Tilia cordata I and Tilia cordata II populations formed the first cluster, and Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia argentea populations formed the second cluster. The results of the phenotypic analysis confirmed the genetic results separating the two populations of Tilia cordata from the populations of Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia argentea in relation to their visible morphological characters. Results obtained from dendrometric measurements analysis represent the foundation for further investigations on urban ecology. An essential potential practical use of the results: the establishment of more efficient ISSR primers to identify the Tilia species analyzed: UBC864, A12, UBC840, and A7 for Tilia cordata, A13 for Tilia platyphyllos and A7 for Tilia argentea has been demonstrated