Dissertatio diætetica, de pingvedine animali ... /

Also published under the title, "Sus scrofa," in Linnés' Amoenitates academicae, v. 5, ed. 1, 1760; ed. 2, 1788, p. 461-483. cf. Hulth, Bibl. Linn. (1907) p. 118.

Feral goat eradications on islands

Introduced mammals are major drivers of extinction. Feral goats (Capra hircus) are particularly devastating to island ecosystems, causing direct and indirect impacts through overgrazing, which often results in ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. Removing goat populations from islands is a powerful conservation tool to prevent extinctions and restore ecosystems. Goats have been eradicated successfully from 120 islands worldwide. With newly developed technology and techniques, island size is perhaps no longer a limiting factor in the successful removal of introduced goat populations. Furthermore,. the use of global positioning systems, geographic information systems, aerial hunting by helicopter specialized bunting dogs, and Judas goats has dramatically increased efficiency and significantly reduced the duration of eradication campaigns. Intensive monitoring programs are also critical for successful eradications. Because of the presence of humans with domestic goat populations on large islands, future island conservation actions will require eradication programs that involve local island inhabitants in a collaborative approach with biologists, sociologists, and educators. Given the clear biodiversity benefits, introduced goat populations should be routinely removed from islands.

Perfil sorológico contra Rickettsia spp e Leptospira spp e infestação de carrapatos em suínos mantidos sob diferentes sistemas de criação

The various types of pig farming, intensive and extensive, expose them to pig parasites but also to those from the environment of the breeding site. In this work was evaluated the exposure of bigs bred in technified farms, SISCAL (intensive breeding system in pens) and not technified (backyard) to leptospira, ticks and rickettsiae. Blood sera were analyzed to determine titers of antibodies anti-Leptospira by SAM technique and antibodies anti-rickettsial by IFA, pigs were inspected for ticks and in their breeding environment and surrounding areas (pastures and riparian vegetation), ticks were collected by the flannel dragging technique. In the farms of pigs 10.4% had anti-Leptospira antibodies, followed by SISCAL (8%) and backyard animals (2.5%). The serovars found were Bratislava, Pomona, serovar, Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae. Higher percentage of properties with pigs raised outdoors (SISCAL) had tick infested animals (20%) than those raised in backyard (6.7%), while commercial farms had no infested pigs nor infested breeding place. In both SISCAL and backyard pig breeding properties ticks were observed at the breeding site environment. Tick infestations were detected in areas surrounding pig breeding site in all three husbandry suystems. Ticks found were all Amblyomma scultpum nymphs or adults with the exception of one of Amblyomma parvum adult. In relation to anti-rickettsia serology to five Rickettsia species, 55.2% of pigs from commercial farms reacted to al least one species, backyard pigs reacted to 89.7% and all pigs of SISCAL showed anti-rickettsia titers. Consecutive tick sampling (June 2014 to February 2016) in SISCAL FAZU in Uberaba, showed the establishment A. sculptum ticks maintained by domestic pigs. These observations demonstrate the ability the pigs to maintain populations of A. sculptum at a favorable environment and may indicate a new trend in environmental infestations by this species of tick. Exposure to Leptospira and Rickettsia demonstrated the potential pigs exposure and transmission of important diseases in public health.

Desempenho reprodutivo de varrões e matrizes suínas de diferentes linhagens durante as estações do ano

The industrial Brazilian pig farming despite of the constant advance in the genetic improvement, nutrition, and in handling, seasonality problems occur in the production of weaned piglet, mainly due to the stations of the year that can impact directly in the profitability. These problems can be deepen due to breed and line of decent used in Brazil are all source from tempered weather countries. To the pig farmer it's difficult to determine the relations between indoor temperature of the barns, relative humidity of the air and top thermal amplitude which can provide good reproductive rates for the boars and arrays lodged in conventional barns. The lack research to production of environmental indices of easy interpretation to pigs, which are not dependent of complicated handling machines and also which are not expensive is considered as a negative factor from the producers. the objective os this experiment is evaluate the effects of the stations of the year over the reproductive performance of the boars Agroceres PIC 425, Agroceres PIC 337 and D.B. Dambred LM 6200, and of arrays Agroceres Canborough 22, Penarlan Naima e DB90 Danbred, in addition develop an environmental index with easy interpretation and use to the pig farmers of the region of Uberlândia - MG, using the maxim temperatures, rainfall monthly accumulated and of the thermal amplitude of the barn. The features rated during the stations of the years 2013 and 2014 were the volume and spermatic quality of the boars and the mainly reproductive indexes of the arrays as the total number of piglets born alive and total number of weaned piglets/ array/ parturition. The station of the year which had the worst results in the reproductive feature of the boars and arrays was the spring. Boars from different line of decent are sensitive to the effects of stress of the heat of spring causing lowest volume, concentration and problems in the spermatic morphology (p<0,05). The spring prejudice the reproductive indexes of arrays from different line of decent (p<0,05) and the pig farmers of Uberlândia are subjected to operating losses and income evasion due to the thermal stress in the reproduction that added can reach $150.000,00 annual for each 1000 arrays lodged/year.

Aplicación de técnicas de PCR en tiempo real a la trazabilidad y autenticidad de los piensos

La trazabilidad y el correcto etiquetado de los piensos y sus ingredientes son factores esenciales para prevenir fraudes y garantizar la seguridad alimentaria. En el ámbito de la lucha contra las Encefalopatías Espongiformes Transmisibles (EETs), la prohibición de la Unión Europea (UE) de alimentar a rumiantes y otros animales de granja con harinas de carne y huesos derivadas de animales, hace necesaria la disponibilidad de metodologías que permitan identificar el origen de las materias primas e ingredientes presentes en los piensos. El método oficial de análisis microscópico tradicionalmente empleado para este fin presenta limitaciones a la hora de diferenciar entre los huesos de mamíferos y de aves, así como para determinar el origen animal específico de las partículas detectadas. Por ello, una de las prioridades de la UE en los últimos años ha sido potenciar la búsqueda y desarrollo de técnicas analíticas alternativas que permitan la detección específica de todos los componentes que integran los piensos. Teniendo en cuenta estos aspectos, en esta Tesis Doctoral se han desarrollado técnicas de PCR en tiempo real con sondas TaqMan® para el control de autenticidad y trazabilidad de ingredientes de origen animal utilizados en la fabricación de los piensos. Las especies objeto de este trabajo han sido: vaca (Bos taurus), oveja (Ovis aries), cabra (Capra hircos), grupo rumiante, cerdo (Sus scrofa), pollo (Gallus gallos), pavo (Meleagris g-allopavo), pato (Anal platyrhynchos x Cairina moschata), oca (Anser anser), grupo aviar, caballo (Equus caballus), conejo (Oryctolagus cuniculus), liebre (Lepus capensis), grupo lepórido (conejo y liebre) y pescados...

Farmacocinética de oxitetraciclina en dosificación oral múltiple en cerdos. Análisis PK-PD

La oxitetraciclina, antibiótico de amplio uso en medicina veterinaria, pertenece al grupo de las tetraciclinas. Inhibe la síntesis de proteínas en la bacteria a nivel ribosomal. La oxitetraciclina presenta principalmente una acción bacteriostática frente a bacterias Gram-positivas y Gram-negativas, así como también frente a otros microorganismos tales como micoplasmas, espiroquetas, clamidias y rickettsias. Se clasifica en la actualidad de acuerdo con la cinética de muerte bacteriana como co-dependiente. En la bibliografía científica existen trabajos publicados de farmacocinética de oxitetraciclina en distintas especies animales, sin embargo hay escasos trabajos realizados en el cerdo. Dado que es necesario conocer la disposición de un fármaco en la especie animal estudiada para diseñar un adecuado régimen de dosificación, los objetivos del presente trabajo han sido: (i) describir el perfil farmacocinético de la oxitetraciclina tras administración oral única y múltiple en cerdos (Sus scrofa domestica) y (ii) realizar el análisis PK-PD para predecir la eficacia terapeútica del régimen de dosificación...

Acoustic signalling reflects personality in a social mammal

Social interactions among individuals are often mediated through acoustic signals. If acoustic signals are consistent and related to an individual's personality, these consistent individual differences in signalling may be an important driver in social interactions. However, few studies in non-human mammals have investigated the relationship between acoustic signalling and personality. Here we show that acoustic signalling rate is repeatable and strongly related to personality in a highly social mammal, the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica). Furthermore, acoustic signalling varied between environments of differing quality, with males from a poor-quality environment having a reduced vocalization rate compared with females and males from an enriched environment. Such differences may be mediated by personality with pigs from a poor-quality environment having more reactive and more extreme personality scores compared with pigs from an enriched environment. Our results add to the evidence that acoustic signalling reflects personality in a non-human mammal. Signals reflecting personalities may have far reaching consequences in shaping the evolution of social behaviours as acoustic communication forms an integral part of animal societies.

Complex contests and the influence of aggressiveness in pigs

Animal contests vary greatly in behavioural tactics used and intensity reached, with some encounters resolved without physical contact while others escalate to damaging fighting. However, the reasons for such variation remains to be fully explained. Aggressiveness, in terms of a personality trait, offers a potentially important source of variation that has typically been overlooked. Therefore, we studied how aggressiveness as a personality trait influenced escalation between contestants matched for resource holding potential (RHP), using detailed observations of the contest behaviour, contest dynamics, and escalation levels. We predicted that winner and loser behaviour would differ depending on personality. This was tested by examining 52 dyadic contests between pigs (Sus scrofa). Aggressiveness was assayed in resident-intruder tests prior to the contest. Contests were then staged between pigs matched for RHP in terms of body weight but differing in their aggressiveness. In 27% of the contests a winner emerged without escalated physical fighting, demonstrating that a fight is not a prerequisite between RHP-matched contestants. However, the duration of contests with or without fighting was the same. In contests without a fight, opponents spent more time on mutual investigation and non-contact displays such as parallel walking, which suggests that ritualized display may facilitate assessment and decision making. Winners low in aggressiveness invested more time in opponent investigation and display and showed substantially less aggression towards the loser after its retreat compared to aggressive winners. Aggressiveness influenced contest dynamics but did not predict the level of escalation. Prominent behavioural differences were found for the interaction between personality and outcome and we therefore recommend including this interaction in models where personality is considered. Analyses based on contest duration only would miss many of the subtleties which are shown here and we therefore encourage more detailed analyses of animal contests, irrespective of the level of contest escalation.

Avaliação da viabilidade da aplicação de técnicas biomoleculares na autenticação de produtos alimentares

A carne continua a ser a fonte proteica mais comum no quotidiano das pessoas. Além disso, os produtos cárneos processados apresentam-se como uma mais-valia nas suas vidas agitadas. Este tipo de produto torna difícil a diferenciação das carnes utilizadas na sua confecção, sendo por isso propícios a adulteração. A Reacção em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR) tem ganho cada vez mais importância nos laboratórios de biologia molecular, revelando-se uma técnica de análise rápida, sensível e altamente específica na identificação de espécies em produtos alimentares. No entanto, vários factores podem interferir com o processo de amplificação, pelo que alguns cuidados devem ser implementados desde a aquisição da amostra a analisar, ao seu acondicionamento e posterior extração de ADN. Existem inúmeros protocolos de extração de ADN, devendo para cada estudo avaliar-se e optar-se pelo mais adequado, considerando a finalidade estabelecida para a amostra extraída. O trabalho laboratorial apresentado nesta dissertação baseou-se em três etapas principais. Inicialmente, avaliaram-se diferentes protocolos de extração de ADN, utilizando-se amostras de carne adquiridas num talho. Entre os protocolos testados, o método de Brometo de Cetil-Trimetil-Amónio (CTAB) modificado foi o que permitiu obter amostras de ADN com maior concentração e elevado nível de pureza. Posteriormente, foram testados e optimizados diferentes protocolos de amplificação, por PCR em tempo real, para a detecção das espécies Bos taurus (vaca), Sus scrofa (porco), Equus caballus (cavalo) e Ovis aries (ovelha). Foram empregues primers específicos de espécie para a detecção de genes mitocondriais e genómicos, consoante cada protocolo. Para o caso concreto do porco, foi efectuada a avaliação de dois protocolos, singleplex com EvaGreen® e tetraplex com AllHorse, para possível aplicação dos mesmos na sua quantificação. Os resultados demonstraram elevada especificidade e sensibilidade das reacções para esta espécie, permitindo a sua detecção até um limite de 0,001 ng e 0,1%, respectivamente. Somente a primeira metodologia se mostrou adequada para quantificação. Por último, as metodologias sugeridas foram aplicadas com sucesso na análise de 4 amostras comerciais de hambúrgueres, tendo-se verificado a consistência da rotulagem em todos os casos, no que concerne a composição em termos de espécies animais. O interesse de trabalhos neste âmbito recai na importância da autenticidade dos rótulos de produtos alimentares, principalmente nos produtos cárneos, para segurança dos consumidores e salvaguarda dos produtores.

The bioaccumulation of persistent contaminants by zebra mussels and their effects on state-endangered common terns

Common terns currently are listed as endangered or threatened in many states, including Illinois, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York, and a species of special concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS, 2002). The sole remaining nesting colony in Illinois is located at the Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) in Lake County where intensive management by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has reduced nest predation and increased the number of eggs that hatch. However, the overall reproductive success (the number of young successfully reaching independence) has not improved. Observations of gross deformities in hatchlings (i.e. compromised feather development and cross-bill), lethargic behavior of young birds, and lesions, suggested the influence of environmental contaminants (Jablonski et al., 2005). I investigated if there were significant levels of environmental contaminants in eggs and nestlings of common terns. While there were minimal concentration of selenium, mercury, lead, and cadmium, there were large concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in both the eggs and nestlings. The greater amounts of PCBs in older chicks than younger chicks suggest local contamination. In order to potentially manage the factors responsible for exposing the terns to PCBs I investigated the pathway by which PCBs were exposed to terns. The two most likely biological pathways as determined by research on Great Lake fishes were investigated. The first pathway is through atmospheric deposition of PCBs and resuspension of PCB-ladel sediment which are subsequently acquired by filter-feeding fish (e.g. alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus) and then pelagic fish (e.g. lake trout, Salvelinus namaychus) or in this case terns. The second pathway explored was via the biodeposits of zebra mussels which are consumed by round gobies (Neogobius melanostromus) and ultimately littoral fish (e.g. small-mouthed bass, Micropterus dolomieui) or terns. Because common terns breed in near-shore sites where concentrations of zebra mussels are found, as well as forage in more pelagic environments it is possible that either or both pathways may be contributing to their PCB exposure. Field experiments and stable isotope analyses demonstrated that the most likely pathway by which terns are exposed to PCBs is via alewives, similar to how apex predators such as lake trout acquire PCBs. Biodeposits from zebra mussels do not appear to be a significant factor in PCB accumulation in terns. The impact of PCB exposure on birds can vary widely, however in this situation we choise to investigate one specific behavior often affected by PCB exposure, parental attentiveness. PCBs are known to cause endocrine disruption which ultimately results in reduced brooding of young and incubation of eggs. I used temperature sensors to quantify nest temperatures and parental attentiveness during incubation. High concentrations of PCBs in our study population appear to be leading to poor parental attentiveness, and extended periods of absence during incubation and brooding, ultimately leading to poor reproductive success. Common terns are perilously close to being extirpated in Illinois and management of PCB exposure will be difficult. I propose that additional testing should be conducted to locate a site with less PCB contamination and then to move the tern colony to this location, possibly using social cues as has been done with other tern species in Illinois. PCBs are having a profound impact on common tern populations in Illinois and without moving the colony it is likely that the population will continue to decline.

Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus by free-living wild animals in Spain

The presence of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) was analyzed in different free-living wild animals to assess the genetic diversity and predominant genotypes on each animal species. Samples were taken from the skin and/or nares, and isolates were characterized by spa typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The proportion of MSSA carriers were 5.00, 22.93, 19.78, and 17.67% in Eurasian griffon vulture, Iberian ibex, red deer, and wild boar, respectively (P = 0.057). A higher proportion of isolates (P = 0.000) were recovered from nasal samples (78.51%) than skin samples (21.49%), but the 9.26% of red deer and 18.25% of wild boar would have been undetected if only nasal samples had been tested. Sixty-three different spa types were identified, including 25 new spa types. The most common were t528 (43.59%) in Iberian ibex, t548 and t11212 (15.79% and 14.04%) in red deer, and t3750 (36.11%) in wild boar. By MLST, 27 STs were detected, of which 12 had not been described previously. The most frequent were ST581 for Iberian ibex (48.72%), ST425 for red deer (29.82%), and ST2328 for wild boar (42.36%). Isolates from Eurasian griffon vulture belong to ST133. Host specificity has been observed for the most frequent spa types and STs (P = 0.000). The highest resistance percentage was found against benzylpenicillin (average, 22.2%), although most of the S. aureus isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial tested. Basically, MSSA isolates were different from those MRSA isolates previously detected in the same animal species.