Search Results (117)

Vagococcus lutrae is an emerging pathogen that can cause severe disease, especially in immunocompromised patients. Unlike Vagococcus fluvialis, which is recognized as a human and animal pathogen, there are few reports of V. lutrae from human and animal infections. In humans, it has been reported in patients with severe skin lesions and bloodstream infections. In veterinary medicine, V. lutrae was accidentally isolated from a Eurasian otter and a largemouth bass, and only once from the genitourinary tract of a pig with a urinary tract infection. However, the prevalence may be underestimated due to difficulties in identification using traditional methods. In addition, V. lutrae could be a carrier of resistance genes and contribute to the spread of AMR. A neutered male cat with feline urological syndrome underwent urethrostomy surgery due to serious problems with dysuria and urolithiasis that could not be resolved through catheterizations. Urine culture revealed the presence of Vagococcus lutrae. The strain showed resistance genes against aminoglycoside, lincosamide, streptogramin a and b, pleuromutilin, macrolide, tetracycline, oxazolidinone, and amphenicol classes. We report the first isolation of V. lutrae from the urinary tract of a cat. Full article

An adult female Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), introduced with another subject in the National Park of Gran Paradiso (Aosta Valley Region, Italy), was found dead. The necropsy found a mass involving mainly the gallbladder walls with other multicentric masses in the liver and pancreas. In addition to these, through the histological examination, other nodules were detected in the pancreas, with structure similar to gallbladder neoplasm. Histopathology diagnosed it as neoplasia composed of epithelioid cells, forming lobules of tubules and pseudoacini, with a very low mitotic count, discrete cellular pleomorphism, and prominent fibrous stroma. Neoplastic cells demonstrated positive immunoreactivity for cytokeratin and negative immunoreactivity for S100. Gross and histologic lesions and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a primary gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) of metastatic type. GBC is a rare neoplasm in both humans and animals, sometimes associated with cholelithiasis and cholecystitis, with few reports in the veterinary literature especially in cattle, pigs, dogs and cats. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of GBC in a Eurasian otter. Full article

Human-Wildlife conflict (HWC) presents a growing challenge for wildlife conservation, especially as species recover and reoccupy human-dominated landscapes, creating tensions between ecological goals and local livelihoods. Such conflicts are increasingly reported across Europe, including Romania, involving semi-aquatic species like the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra L.). Enhancing coexistence with wildlife through the integration of conflict mapping, stakeholder engagement, and spatial analysis into conservation planning is therefore essential for ensuring the long-term protection of conflict species. A mixed-methods approach was used, including structured surveys among stakeholders, standardized damage report collection from institutions, and expert field assessments of species activity. The results indicate that while most respondents recognize the legal protection of both species, a minority have experienced direct conflict, primarily with beavers through flooding and crop damage. Tolerance varied markedly among demographic groups: researchers and environmental agency staff were most accepting, whereas farmers and fish farm owners were the least accepting; respondents with no personal damage experience and those with university or post-secondary education also displayed significantly higher acceptance toward both species. Institutional reports confirmed multiple beaver-related damage sites, and through field validation, conflict forecast zones with spatial clustering in Harghita, Brașov, Covasna, and Sibiu counties were developed. These findings underscore the importance of conflict forecasting maps, understanding the coexistence dynamics and drivers of acceptance, and the need to maintain high acceptance levels toward the studied species. The developed maps can serve as a basis for targeted interventions, helping to balance ecological benefits with socioeconomic concerns. Full article

Micronutrients play a prominent role in plant growth and development, and their bioavailability is a growing global concern. Zinc is one of the most important micronutrients in the plant life cycle, acting as a metallic cofactor for numerous biochemical reactions within plant cells. Zinc deficiency in plants leads to various physiological abnormalities, ultimately affecting nutritional quality and posing challenges to food security. Biofortification methods have been adopted by agronomists to increase Zn concentrations in crops through optimal foliar and soil applications. Changing climatic conditions and conventional agricultural practices alter edaphic factors, reducing zinc bioavailability in soils due to abrupt weather changes. Precision agriculture emphasizes need-based and site-specific technologies to address these nutritional deficiencies. Nanoscience, a multidimensional approach, reduces particle size to the nanometer (nm) scale to enhance their efficiency in precise amounts. Nanoscale forms of Zn⁺² and their broad applications across crops are gaining attention in agriculture under varied application methods. This review focuses on the significance of Zn oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and their extensive application in crop production. We also discuss optimum dosage levels, ZnONPs synthesis, application methods, toxicity, and promising future strategies in this field. Full article

The Eastern Aegean Sea hosts a diverse assemblage of elasmobranchs, many of which are vulnerable or endangered. This study presents a fishery-independent assessment of species composition, catch characteristics, and spatial patterns in bottom trawl fisheries between Lesvos Island and Ayvalik. A total of 48 surveys were conducted between September 2022 and October 2024, identifying nine elasmobranch species, with Scyliorhinus canicula (small-spotted catshark) and Mustelus mustelus (common smooth-hound) dominating the catch. Biological parameters, sex ratios, and condition upon capture and release were recorded, while catch per unit effort (CPUE) and diversity indices were used to evaluate temporal patterns. The survival probability was negatively affected by the trawl duration and elevated temperatures, emphasizing the need for mitigation measures. Spatial models revealed high-density zones that likely function as foraging or nursery grounds. Seasonal shifts in community composition were also evident. Many non-commercial species were discarded irrespective of their size or condition. These findings underscore the ecological importance of this understudied region and support the need for spatially explicit, species-specific management strategies, including gear selectivity improvements, seasonal closures, and Electronic Monitoring. The study offers a critical baseline for enhancing the sustainability of elasmobranch populations in the Eastern Mediterranean. Full article

The correlation between aerodynamic data obtained from ground and flight tests is crucial in developing aerospace vehicles. This paper proposes methods for modelling this correlation that combine feature extraction and symbolic regression. The neighborhood component analysis (NCA) method is utilized to extract features from the high-dimensional state space and then symbolic regression (SR) is applied to find the concise optimal expression. First, a simulation example of the NASA Twin Otter aircraft is used to validate the NCA and the SR tool developed by the research team in modeling the aerodynamic coefficient deviation between ground and flight due to an unpredictable inflight icing failure. Then, the method and tool are applied to real flight tests of two types of aerospace vehicles with different configurations. The final optimized mathematical models show that the two vehicles’ pitching moment coefficient deviations are related to the angle of attack (AOA) only. The mathematical model built using NCA and the SR tool demonstrates higher fitting accuracy and better generalization performance for flight test data than other typical data-driven methods. The mathematical model delivers a multi-fold enhancement in fitting accuracy over data-driven methods for all fight cases. For UAV flight test data, the average root mean square error (RMSE) of the mathematical model demonstrates a maximum improvement of 37% in accuracy compared to three data-driven methods. For XRLV flight test data, the prediction accuracy of the mathematical model shows an enhancement exceeding 80% relative to Gaussian kernel SVM and Gaussian process data-driven models. The research verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the data feature extraction combined with the symbolic regression method in mining the correlation law between ground and flight deviations of aerodynamic characteristics. This study provides valuable insight for modeling problems with finite data samples and explicit physical meanings. Full article

Eurasian otters, as apex predators in freshwater ecosystems, are crucial to maintaining nutrient cycling and habitat stability. Although Eurasian otters prefer unaltered natural habitats, their adaptive and opportunistic behavior allows them to occupy suboptimal environments, including urbanized areas. As urbanization increases, the pressure on apex carnivores like the Eurasian otter will continue to grow. To date, urban stream restoration plans have not used the Eurasian otter as a keystone species, but given their influence across the trophic levels, Eurasian otter-focused restoration plans could enhance otter populations and overall biodiversity in urban areas. Here, we lay out six principles designed as a template for enhancing urban habitats for Eurasian otters as well as biodiversity. The principles (enhancing habitat structure complexity, restoring natural riparian vegetation and habitats, safeguarding water quality, providing native prey species, reducing otter mortality, and promoting positive public perception) are essential for urban ecosystem regeneration focused on Eurasian otters. Although there have been no urban restoration projects specifically tailored toward Eurasian otters, initiatives based on similar principles have been effective in promoting biodiversity and otter presence. Overall, an urban habitat restoration plan focused on Eurasian otters will not just increase otter presence but biodiversity across all trophic levels. Full article

Hearing difficulty in noise can occur in 10–15% of listeners with typical hearing in the general population of the United States. Using one’s smartphone as a remote microphone (RM) system with the AirPods Pro (AP) may be considered an assistive device given its wide availability and potentially lower price. To evaluate this possibility, the accuracy of voice-to-text transcription for sentences presented in noise was compared, when KEMAR wore an AP receiver connected to an iPhone set to function as an RM system, to the accuracy obtained when it wore a sophisticated Phonak Roger RM system. A ten-sentence list was presented for six technology arrangements at three signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs; +5, 0, and −5 dB) in two types of noise (speech-shaped and babble noise). Each sentence was transcribed by Otter AI to obtain an overall percent accuracy for each condition. At the most challenging SNR (−5 dB SNR) across both noise types, the Roger system and smartphone/AP set to noise cancelation mode showed significantly higher accuracy relative to the condition when the smartphone/AP was in transparency mode. However, the major limitation of Bluetooth signal delay when using the AP/smartphone system would require further investigation in real-world settings with human users. Full article

Historical archives hold untapped potential for understanding long-term biodiversity change. This study introduces computational approaches to historical ecology, combining archival research, text analysis, and spatial mapping to reconstruct past biodiversity patterns. Using the 1845 Bavarian Animal Observation Dataset (AOD1845), a comprehensive survey of vertebrate species across 119 districts, we transform 5400 prose records into structured ecological data. Our analyses reveal how species distributions, habitat associations, and human–wildlife interactions were shaped by land use and environmental pressures in pre-industrial Bavaria. Beyond documenting ecological baselines, the study captures early perceptions of habitat loss and species decline. We emphasise the critical role of historical expertise in interpreting archival sources and avoiding anachronisms when integrating historical data with modern biodiversity frameworks. By bridging the humanities and environmental sciences, this work shows how digitised archives and computational methods can open new frontiers for conservation science, restoration ecology, and Anthropocene studies. The findings advocate for the systematic mobilisation of historical datasets to better understand biodiversity change over time. Full article

This paper investigates an adaptive fault-tolerant control strategy for the Twin Otter aircraft, aimed at addressing critical challenges arising from system uncertainties and actuator faults. A global prescribed performance function is employed to ensure pre-determined transient and steady-state tracking performance under uncertainties and faults. Differing from existing prescribed performance controllers, the proposed approach is characterized by (1) no limitation on the initial tracking error; (2) no requirement for tracking error normalization; and (3) incorporation of an improved monitoring function. Specifically, this novel monitoring function dynamically adjusts prescribed error bounds based on real-time fault information, thus enhancing flexibility and robustness. Furthermore, fixed-time convergence of the tracking error is rigorously guaranteed, significantly improving system reliability and safety. Although the simplified Twin Otter aircraft model analyzed herein is a second-order parametric strict-feedback system, the theoretical framework extends naturally to higher-order strict-feedback systems. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method are validated through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations on a Twin Otter aircraft system with time-varying parameters and actuator faults. Full article

Non-invasive genetic approaches, particularly using fecal samples, are commonly used to study endangered and elusive species, as they are easy to collect with minimal permission and cause little disturbance to the subject population. However, such studies face limitations due to poor DNA yield, which affects the overall utilization of collected samples and increases data errors. Here, we evaluated the impact of sample age and collection season on the performance of DNA extracted from feces (spraints) of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), a semi-aquatic apex predator in South Korean freshwater ecosystems. We found that PCR amplification success rates decreased more rapidly in summer (79.3–58.2%) compared to winter (99.2–84.8%) with extended environmental exposure. Genotyping error rates were higher in samples collected during summer, with the rate of error increase over time being significantly greater in summer than in winter. The hot and humid South Korean summer fosters microbial growth and fecal degradation, which negatively impacts DNA yield, reducing PCR amplification success and increasing genotyping errors. We recommend collecting otter feces during winter for better DNA quality. If sampling in summer is unavoidable, it is crucial to collect fresh samples, which can be facilitated by conducting frequent surveys of latrine sites. Full article

The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a widespread semiaquatic carnivorous mammal in Eurasia. The nominate subspecies (L. l. lutra) occupies vast areas between Western Europe and the Russian Far East, but its phylogeography and genetic diversity are still unclear across Northern Eurasia. Another subspecies, L. l. meridionalis, located in the Caucasus mountains, is morphologically almost identical to L. l. lutra but needs genetic revision. We compared the genetic diversity of Eurasian otters from Russia and Armenia using a mtDNA fragment (820 bp) and 20 autosomal microsatellite loci (N = 117). A total of 32 haplotypes were observed with 17 novel haplotypes. The MtDNA median-joining network was mostly star-shaped with a branch of haplotypes from Far Eastern Russian otters. Both mtDNA analysis and Bayesian clustering of microsatellite data indicated that Far Eastern otters are more genetically differentiated than European and Siberian otters (Φst = 0.565 and 0.467; Rst = 0.306 and 0.256), as well as Caucasian otters (L. l. meridionalis) from Russia and Armenia (Φst = 0.515, Rst = 0.253). Haplotype and nucleotide diversities of Far Eastern otters are also the highest between sample groups (H = 0.882, π = 0.003) and, of Caucasian otters, the lowest (H = 0.464, π = 0.001). Our results suggest Caucasian otters are more similar to the otters from European Russia than to the other groups (but with lower genetic diversity) and lack the genetic variability typical to different subspecies. On the contrary, otters from the Russian Far East are more genetically differentiated, have higher genetic diversity than otters from Europe, and likely belong to another genetic lineage. Full article

Mink farming has seen a resurgence in Bulgaria since 2013, and this has led to a high risk of American mink escaping and establishing feral populations. The largest active commercial farm in the country has a capacity of nearly 130,000 animals. The aims of this study were to gather first-hand evidence of the presence of mink in the wild around the farm, assess their level of establishment, and document the native species and local communities for future impact assessment. Surveys were conducted using camera traps within a 3.7 km radius around the farm in the period 2020–2021 at ten stations with 1943 realised trap-nights. Some early signs of the establishment of the American mink in Bulgaria were documented. A large number of registrations was made, as frequently as the Eurasian otter and golden jackal and more frequently than other mustelids in the study area. Mink were observed throughout the two-year study, and escaped mink have been registered in the region as early as 2017. These factors are interpreted as signs of the early stages of establishment. When considering environmental, economic, public health, and social factors, we recommend that mink farming should be banned in Bulgaria and further monitoring and management actions must be undertaken for the individuals in the wild. Full article

This paper investigates the hydrodynamic characteristics of a rectangular otter board in different working postures by using a dynamic model. Dynamic models are mainly based on dynamic mesh techniques. The results of the dynamic model are, compared to the model test, carried out in a flume tank. Furthermore, different rotation speeds of dynamic model were analyzed. The research results are as follows: compared to flume tank results, the maximum error of the dynamic model is 23.77%. Moreover, the influence of rotation speed on the hydrodynamic board is not obvious, and 2 deg./s was chosen as the rotation speed. When the board is tilted slightly (including four working postures), its lift-to-drag ratio first increases slightly and then gradually decreases. Compared with the other three working postures, the pressure center coefficient of the board does not change significantly when it is tilted inward. When studying different working angles (including AOA and tilt angle) of the otter board, the numerical dynamic model significantly reduces repetitive setup work, making simulations more efficient. Its ability to provide continuous curves and a large volume of results offers researchers a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of the board’s hydrodynamics. Additionally, the dynamic model supports innovative fishery equipment development by allowing more accurate and continuous numerical simulations. Full article