Complete Genome Sequences of Three Border Disease Virus Strains of the Same Subgenotype, BDSwiss, Isolated from Sheep, Cattle, and Pigs in Switzerland.

We report here the complete genome sequences of three border disease virus (BDV) strains of the same subgenotype isolated in Switzerland from a sheep, a cow, and a pig, respectively. This is the first report of full-length sequences of a tentatively new subgenotype isolated from three different species of cloven-hoofed farm animals.

Efficacy Assessment of Nucleic Acid Decontamination Reagents Used in Molecular Diagnostic Laboratories.

The occurrence of nucleic acid cross contamination in the laboratory resulting in false positive results of diagnostic samples is seriously problematic. Despite precautions to minimize or even avoid nucleic acid cross contaminations, it may appear anyway. Until now, no standardized strategy is available to evaluate the efficacy of commercially offered decontamination reagents.

Vesicular stomatitis virus replicon expressing the VP2 outer capsid protein of bluetongue virus serotype 8 induces complete protection of sheep against challenge infection.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arthropod-borne pathogen that causes an often fatal, hemorrhagic disease in ruminants. Different BTV serotypes occur throughout many temperate and tropical regions of the world. In 2006, BTV serotype 8 (BTV-8) emerged in Central and Northern Europe for the first time.

Selective attention to philopatric models causes directed social learning in wild vervet monkeys.

Human behaviour is often based on social learning, a mechanism that has been documented also in a variety of other vertebrates. However, social learning as a means of problem-solving may be optimal only under specific conditions, and both theoretical work and laboratory experiments highlight the importance of a potential model's identity. Here we present the results from a social learning experiment on six wild vervet monkey groups, where models were either a dominant female or a dominant male.