The objective of the study was to develop a computational model with which predictions regarding the level of prevalence of mastitis in dairy sheep farms could be performed. Data for the construction of the model were obtained from a large Greece-wide field study with 111 farms. Unsupervised learning methodology was applied for clustering data into two clusters based on 18 variables (17 independent variables related to health management practices applied in farms, climatological data at the locations of the farms, and the level of prevalence of subclinical mastitis as the target value).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was the presentation of quantitative characteristics regarding the scientific content and bibliometric details of the relevant publications. In total, 156 papers were considered. Most papers presented original studies ( = 135), and fewer were reviews ( = 21).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWD40 repeat proteins (WDRs) are present in all eukaryotes and include members that are implicated in numerous cellular activities. They act as scaffold proteins and thus as molecular "hubs" for protein-protein interactions, which mediate the assembly of multifunctional complexes that regulate key developmental processes in , such as flowering time, hormonal signaling, and stress responses. Despite their importance, many aspects of their putative functions have not been elucidated yet.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWest Nile virus (WNV), a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus, has recently caused human outbreaks in Europe, including Greece. Its transmission cycle in nature includes wild birds as amplifying hosts and ornithophilic mosquito vectors. The aim of this study was to assess WNV circulation among wild birds from two regions of Greece, Peloponnese and Western Greece, during 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolyamine oxidases (PAOs) have been correlated with numerous physiological and developmental processes, as well as responses to biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Their transcriptional regulation is driven by signals generated by various developmental and environmental cues, including phytohormones. However, the inductive mechanism(s) of the corresponding genes remains elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFL-Ascorbic acid (AsA), a strong antioxidant, serves as an enzyme cofactor and redox status marker, modulating a plethora of biological processes. As tomato commercial varieties and hybrids possess relatively low amounts of AsA, the improvement of fruit AsA represents a strategic goal for enhanced human health. Previously, we have suggested that GDP-L-Galactose phosphorylase (GGP) and L-galactose-1-phosphate phosphatase (GPP) can serve as possible targets for AsA manipulation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
July 2022
The aim of this study was to develop a multiplex bead assay using a rLPS antigen, a smooth antigen, and a O:9 antigen that not only discriminates -infected from -uninfected pigs and wild boar, but also overcomes the cross reactivity with O:9. Sera from 126 domestic pigs were tested: 29 pigs were infected, 80 were non-infected and 17 were confirmed to be false positive serological reactors (FPSR). Sera from 49 wild boar were tested: 18 were positive and 31 were negative.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
June 2022
West Nile Virus (WNV) is maintained in nature in a bird-mosquito cycle and human infections follow a seasonal pattern, favored by climatic conditions. Peloponnese Region, located in Southern Greece, initiated an active WNV surveillance program to protect public health during 2019-2020. The project included monitoring of avian hosts and mosquito vectors, while sampling locations were prioritized after consideration of WNV circulation in birds, mosquitos and humans during previous seasons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWild and feral birds are known to be involved in the maintenance and dissemination of clinically-important antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, such as extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing among wild and feral birds from Greece and to describe their antimicrobial resistance characteristics. In this context, fecal samples of 362 birds were collected and cultured.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA cross-sectional study was performed in 325 sheep and 119 goat dairy farms in Greece. Samples of bulk-tank milk were examined by standard microbiological techniques for spp. was isolated from one (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to estimate the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) bacteria in swine. Thus, 214 fecal samples were collected from suckling and weaned piglets from 34 farms in Greece (out of an overall population of about 14,300 sows). A subset of 78 (36.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis an Enterobacteriaceae with unclarified dispersion and pathogenicity. During an ongoing investigation about antimicrobial resistance in Greece, the occurrence of was evaluated among wild birds and humans. A total of 445 wild bird and 2000 human fecal samples were collected and screened for the presence of the organism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe gram-positive pathogenic bacterium subsp. () causes bacterial canker disease in tomato, affecting crop yield and fruit quality. To understand how tomato plants respond, the dynamic expression profile of host genes was analyzed upon infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCanine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) primarily infects dogs, which are the main host reservoir, causing severe gastrointestinal disease associated with immunosuppression. The present study was conducted in Thessaly, Greece and aimed to identify risk and environmental factors associated with CPV-2 infection in diarrheic dogs. Fecal samples were collected from 116 dogs presenting diarrhea and were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of CPV-2 DNA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancers (Basel)
April 2021
Melanoma is classified among the most notoriously aggressive human cancers. Despite the recent progress, due to its propensity for metastasis and resistance to therapy, novel biomarkers and oncogenic molecular drivers need to be promptly identified for metastatic melanoma. Hence, by employing nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry deep proteomics technology, advanced bioinformatics algorithms, immunofluorescence, western blotting, wound healing protocols, molecular modeling programs, and MTT assays, we comparatively examined the respective proteomic contents of WM115 primary ( = 3955 proteins) and WM266-4 metastatic ( = 6681 proteins) melanoma cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe growth of two isolates (one biofilm-forming and one not) on teatcups for cattle (made of rubber) or sheep (made of silicone) were assessed in nine multiplicates for 24 h post-smearing on the teatcup surface. Staphylococci were smeared on an area of 0.0003142 m on the material and their growth and expansion further on were monitored for 24 h.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe prevalence of multidrug resistant, extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae is increasing worldwide. The present study aimed to provide an overview of the multidrug resistance phenotype and genotype of ESBL-producing () isolates of livestock and wild bird origin in Greece. Nineteen phenotypically confirmed ESBL-producing strains isolated from fecal samples of cattle ( = 7), pigs ( = 11) and a Eurasian magpie that presented resistance to at least one class of non β-lactam antibiotics, were selected and genotypically characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis an important causal agent of ovine mastitis. A literature search indicated a lack of systematic studies of causal agents of the infection by using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The objectives were to analyse MLST-based data and evaluate the antimicrobial resistance of isolates from ovine mastitis in Greece.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResistance mediated by β-lactamases is a globally spread menace. The aim of the present study was to determine the occurrence of producing plasmid-encoded AmpC β-lactamases (pAmpC) in animals. Fecal samples from chickens (n = 159), cattle (n = 104), pigs (n = 214), and various wild bird species (n = 168), collected from different Greek regions during 2018-2020, were screened for the presence of pAmpC-encoding genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objectives of this experimental work were the evaluation of the potential role of subsp. in diarrhoeic syndrome in lambs and the investigation of facets of the pathogenesis of the infection. In total, 12 lambs were challenged orally on the first day of life, with a subsp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objectives of this work were (a) to determine the presence of streptococci in samples from small ruminant dairy farms (bulk-tank milk and, where possible, teatcup swabs), (b) to investigate the potential adverse effects of streptococci on milk quality and (c) to investigate the importance of some husbandry factors for the isolation of streptococci. Bulk-tank milk samples and teatcups swab samples were examined bacteriologically for the presence of streptococci. Somatic cell counting and milk composition measurements were also performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objectives of the study were (a) to study the characteristics of uterine involution in ewes that had developed subclinical uterine infection in the immediately post-partum period and (b) to evaluate effects of the infection in the subsequent reproductive performance of ewes. Uterine infection was induced in ewes (I, n = 10) by intrauterine inoculation of ; uninoculated controls were included (C, n = 12). Animals were examined at regular intervals before and post-inoculation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEukaryotic organisms accomplish the removal of introns to produce mature mRNAs through splicing. Nuclear and organelle splicing mechanisms are distinctively executed by spliceosome and group II intron complex, respectively. Here, we show that LEFKOTHEA, a nuclear encoded RNA-binding protein, participates in chloroplast group II intron and nuclear pre-mRNA splicing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStaphylococci have been isolated from various sites of the body of healthy sheep, as well as from many infections of those animals, the main one being mastitis. The objective of this review is to appraise the importance and significance of staphylococci in causing mastitis in ewes. The review includes a brief classification and taxonomy of staphylococci and describes the procedures for their isolation and identification, as well as their virulence determinants and the mechanisms of resistance to antibacterial agents.
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