bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of a water hardness test kit to measure serum calcium concentration in cattle
Authors: Matsas David J. , Warnick Lorin D. , Mechor Gerald D. , Seib Laverne N. , Fatone Sandra , White Maurice E. , Guard Charles L.
Published: December 2023

Objective

To determine whether a commercially available water hardness test kit could be used to measure total serum calcium concentration and diagnose hypocalcemia in dairy cows.

Design

Prospective study.

Animals

30 dairy cows from 19 commercial herds.

Procedure

Serum calcium concentration was determined using a water hardness test kit and a standard, laboratory-based method. Simple linear regression was used to determine whether there was a linear relationship between results of the 2 methods, and Spearman's rank correlation was used to calculate correlation between measurements. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of using test kit-derived values for diagnosis of hypocalcemia (laboratory value < 8 mg/dl) were calculated.

Results

There was a high correlation and significant linear relationship between results of the 2 methods. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of a positive test result, and predictive value of a negative test result were 100, 73, 86, and 100%, respectively. Accuracy was improved by using a test kit-derived calcium concentration of 7 mg/dl as the cut-off for determining hypocalcemia.

Clinical Implications

Results indicate that a commercially available water hardness test kit can be used as a rapid, inexpensive method of estimating serum calcium concentrations and diagnosing hypocalcemia in dairy cattle. However, the test is not practical for cow-side use, because blood samples must be centrifuged to obtain serum for use in the test kit. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;214:826–828)
Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser-assisted excision of progressive ethmoid hematomas in horses: 20 cases (1986–1996)
Authors: Rothaug Paul G. , Tulleners Eric P.
Published: December 2023

Objective

To describe a technique of contact neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser-assisted excision of progressive ethmoid hematoma (PEH) in horses, to determine the recurrence rate of clinical signs of PEH in horses with follow-up time of a minimum of 12 months, and to compare this result with reported results achieved by using conventional techniques.

Design

Retrospective study.

Animals

21 horses with 26 PEH.

Procedure

Medical records of all horses with PEH treated by Nd:YAG laser excision from December 1986 through August 1996 were analyzed. Twenty-one horses underwent unilateral (18 surgeries) or bilateral (4) frontonasal bone flap with excision of the mass, using an Nd:YAG laser. One horse with bilateral PEH underwent a unilateral bone flap twice, 1 year apart.

Results

1 horse died. Four of 20 horses with follow-up times of 12 months or longer had recurrence of PEH. The PEH recurrence rate was 20% (5/25 PEH). Three of 6 horses with bilateral lesions had recurrence of PEH. Recurrence rate for horses that had bilateral PEH (3/6 horses) was greater than for horses with unilateral PEH (1/14 horses).

Clinical Implications

Treatment of PEH by Nd:YAG laser excision through a frontonasal bone flap results in a recurrence rate comparable with that reported for conventional techniques. Horses with bilateral lesions are more likely to have a recurrence of PEH. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;214:1037–1041)
Estimation of lifetime productivity of female swine
Authors: Lucia Thomaz , Dial Gary D. , Marsh William E.
Published: December 2023

Objective

To develop estimates of lifetime productivity for breeding female swine calculated longitudinally during time in the breeding herd, and to compare estimates of lifetime productivity for female swine removed from the herd at different parities.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Animals

9,416 breeding female swine from 29 herds.

Procedure

A frequency distribution for parity at the time of removal was generated. Estimates of lifetime productivity (lifetime nonproductive days [NPD], lifetime NPD as a proportion of herd life, total number of pigs born per litter weaned, number of pigs born alive per litter weaned, number of pigs weaned per litter weaned, number of NPD per year in the herd, number of litters weaned per year in the herd, and number of pigs weaned per year in the herd) were calculated for females with parity ≥ 1 at the time of removal.

Results

For 58% of all females, parity at the time of removal was ≤ 3. On average, 20.7% of herd life was spent in nonproductive activities, but the proportion of herd life that was nonproductive decreased significantly as parity at the time of removal increased. Number of NPD per year in the herd decreased and number of litters weaned per year in the herd and number of pigs weaned per year in the herd increased significantly as parity at the time of removal increased.

Clinical Implications

Higher parity at the time of removal from the herd is associated with improved lifetime productivity for female swine. Parity at time of removal is commonly used as an approximation for lifetime productivity, but it does not take into account the impact of NPD, especially NPD during early reproductive cycles. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;214: 1056–1059)
Risk factors for abomasal displacement in dairy cows
Authors: Rohrbach Barton W. , Cannedy Allen L. , Freeman Kim , Slenning Barrett D.
Published: December 2023

Objective

To determine whether various peripar-turient events or 305-day milk production during the previous lactation period were associated with abomasal displacement in dairy cows.

Design

Retrospective, case-control study.

Animals

75 pairs of case and control cows from 3 university-owned and 3 commercial dairy herds.

Procedure

Cows with abomasal displacement were matched with control cows on the basis of herd of origin, breed, age, and calving date. Frequency of specific periparturient events during the period from 2 weeks prior to parturition to diagnosis of abomasal displacement, as well as milk production during the preceding lactation period, were compared between case and control cows.

Results

Multivariate analyses indicated that case cows were significantly more likely to have had retained placenta, ketosis, a stillborn calf, metritis, twins, or parturient paresis than were control cows. Dystocia, mastitis, and milk production during the previous lactation period were not associated with abomasal displacement.

Clinical Implications

Results indicated that a variety of periparturient events were associated with development of abomasal displacement among dairy cows. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;214:1660-1663)
Chronic granulocytic leukemia in a dog
Authors: Fine Deborah M. , Tvedten Harold W.
Published: December 2023

Chronic granulocytic leukemia is an uncommon myeloproliferative disorder that results in substantial proliferation of mature granulocytes.

Because the severe leukocytosis and left shift observed with chronic granulocytic leukemia may strongly resemble a leukemoid reaction, other causes of severe leukocytosis must be ruled out.

Myeloid cellular infiltrations may cause hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, or nonregenerative anemia and thrombocytopenia.

Commonly, results of serum biochemical analyses are only minimally altered or within reference ranges and clinical signs are nonspecific.
Effect of oral administration of a calcium chloride gel on blood mineral concentrations, parturient disorders, reproductive performance, and milk production of dairy cows with retained fetal membranes
Authors: Hernandez Jorge , Risco Carlos A. , Elliott Jessie B.
Published: December 2023

Objective

To assess the effect of oral administration of CaCl2 gel on blood mineral concentrations, parturient disorders, reproductive performance, and milk production of dairy cows with retained fetal membranes (RFM).

Design

Randomized field trial.

Animals

20 cows that calved normally and were not treated with CaCl2 gel (group 1), 20 cows with RFM that were treated with CaCl2 gel (group 2), and 20 cows with RFM that were not treated with CaCl2 gel (group 3).

Procedure

Group-2 cows were treated orally with CaCl2 gel (54 g of calcium) 24 and 48 hours after parturition.

Results

Administration of CaCl2 gel 24 and 48 hours after parturition did not have a significant effect on serum normalized calcium, total calcium, magnesium, or phosphorus concentrations or on incidence of metritis or left displacement of the abomasum, days to first insemination, pregnancy status after first insemination, or milk production.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Administration of CaCl2 gel 24 and 48 hours after parturition did not have significant effect on blood mineral concentrations, parturient disorders, reproductive performance, and milk production in dairy cows with RFM. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;215:72-76)
Assessment of degree of oxidative stress and antioxidant concentrations in dogs with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Freeman Lisa M. , Brown Don J. , Rush John E.
Published: December 2023

Objective

To assess degree of oxidative stress and antioxidant concentrations in dogs with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM).

Design

Prospective study.

Animals

18 dogs with IDCM and 16 healthy control dogs.

Procedure

Concentrations of malondialdehyde (an indicator of oxidative stress); vitamins A, C, and E; glutathione peroxidase; and superoxide dismutase were measured.

Results

Glutathione peroxidase concentration was significantly increased in dogs with IDCM, compared with control dogs. Vitamin A and superoxide dismutase concentrations were not significantly different between groups. A negative correlation was found between disease severity and plasma vitamin E concentration. Disease severity was not correlated with concentrations of other antioxidants. Medications did not significantly affect oxidant or antioxidant concentrations.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

The change in glutathione peroxidase concentration and the correlation between vitamin E concentration and disease severity suggest that the oxidant-antioxidant system may play a role in development of IDCM. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;215:644–646)
Anesthetic and cardiorespiratory effects of a 1:1 mixture of propofol and thiopental sodium in dogs
Authors: Ko Jeff C. H. , Golder Francis J. , Mandsager Ronald E. , Heaton-Jones Terrel , Mattern Kara L.
Published: December 2023

Objective

To compare anesthetic and cardiorespiratory effects of a 1:1 (vol:vol) mixture of propofol and thiopental sodium with either drug used alone in dogs.

Design

Randomized crossover study.

Animals

10 healthy Walker Hounds.

Procedure

Dogs received propofol (6 mg/kg [2.7 mg/lb] of body weight), thiopental (15 mg/kg [6.8 mg/lb]), or a mixture of propofol (6 mg/kg) and thiopental (15 mg/kg) at 1-week intervals. Drugs were slowly administered IV over 90 seconds or until dogs lost consciousness. Increments of 10% of the initial dose were administered until intubation was possible. Amount of drug required for intubation, quality of induction and recovery, times from induction to intubation and to walking with minimal ataxia, and duration of intubation and lateral recumbency were recorded. Heart and respiratory rates, mean, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin saturation of oxygen (Spo2), and end-tidal CO2 concentration (ETco2) were determined before and after intubation.

Results

Amounts of propofol and thiopental required to permit intubation were less, but not significantly so, when administered in combination than when administered alone. Duration of lateral recumbency and time from induction to walking were greater and recovery quality was worse in the thiopental group, compared with the other groups. Dogs in all groups remained normotensive. Respiratory rate, heart rate, ETsco2, and Spo2 did not differ among groups.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

A 1:1 mixture of propofol and thiopental induced anesthesia of similar quality to propofol or thiopental alone. Recovery quality and recovery times were similar to those of propofol and superior to those of thiopental. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;215:1292–1296)
Theriogenology Question of the Month
Authors: McCain Dawn , Estill Charles T.
Published: December 2023

This feature is sponsored by the American College of Theriogenologists. Readers of the JAVMA are invited to submit contributions. Contributions should provide a learning exercise about theriogenology. A specific question should be posed for the readers. The author’s answer to the question and a brief discussion should be presented. Possible topics include commonly seen problems in domestic or exotic animals. Herd problems in dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and exotic hoofstock, problems in kennels or catteries, or flock problems in domestic and exotic fowl also are appropriate. Please contact Dr. Craig A. Smith, Assistant Editor (800/248-2862, ext 259, or FAX 847/925-1329), for further details.
Animal Behavior Case of the Month
Authors: Reich Marsha R.
Published: December 2023

This feature is sponsored by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Readers of the JAVMA are invited to submit reports, which should include a brief description of a behavioral problem, the evaluation and treatment, and succinct discussion of the case.

Send contributions to Dr. Bonnie Beaver, Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4474.
“Being Treated Like a Fetal Container is Enraging”: Examining Anger and Anxiety in Contemporary American Reproductive Dystopias
Authors: Andreescu Raluca
Published: December 2023

The paper examines the manner in which female anger and anxiety are channelled through two recent American reproductive dystopias, Leni Zumas’s Red Clocks (2018) and Louise Erdrich’s Future Home of the Living God (2017). Starting from these two novels, I argue that anger and anxiety in feminist dystopias represent both the vehicle for political and social critique and the response to (potential) oppressive reproductive practices.
Carmen Sylva (Queen Elisabeth of Romania): A Trans-National Writer
Authors: Mudure Mihaela
Published: December 2023

Elisabeth of Neuwied (1843-1916) was the first Queen of Romania and the wife of Charles I Hollenzolern-Sigmaringen. As a writer she is known under the name of Carmen Sylva. The Queen was a very active and gifted personality but one of her main interests was literature. This article focuses on Carmen Sylva’s literary position as a writer who rejected narrow nationalism although her public position obliged her to impersonate Romanian values while integrating them into an Occident all too eager to spread all over the place. Carmen Sylva is an interesting case of a European trans-national literary identity.
Rainwater harvesting and water-saving irrigation for enhancing land productivity in upland rice cultivation
Authors: Heryani Nani , Kartiwa Budi , Rejekiningrum Popi , Pramudia Aris , Sosiawan Hendri
Published: December 2023

The development of dry land requires precise planning due to its climate-sensitive nature. It is essential to ensure water availability to meet crop water requirements. Rainwater harvesting remains underutilized in upland rice cultivation. The field experiment was conducted in Tulungagung Regency, East Java province, Indonesia from August to December 2017. The research aimed to develop water harvesting technology and irrigation management for upland rice. The nested design was the experimental design with irrigation levels and varieties of upland rice treatments. Four irrigation levels were farmer's customs, 70%, 85%, and 100% of the crop water requirement, while the varieties were Situ Patenggang, Inpago-9, and Inpago-11. Our findings revealed that 70% of the crop water requirement was sufficient for upland rice cultivation in dryland. Crop yields were unaffected by the irrigation level. Differences among upland rice varieties were only significant on plant height character. There was an increased cropping index due to additional water sources in the last months of the dry season until the early rainy season. Rainwater harvesting can be adapted to climate change, especially in areas that often experience water shortages.

Keywords: dry land, channel reservoir, irrigation level, crop water requirement
Gebelikte cinsel sıkıntı ve öznel mutluluk arasındaki ilişki
Authors: Barut Sümeyye , Sabancı Baransel Esra , Ucar Tuba
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between sexual distress and subjective happiness during pregnancy. MATERIAL and METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted with 420 women who met the inclusion criteria (pregnant women aged 18 years and older, without any health risk) and agreed to participate in the study. Healthy pregnant women who applied to outpatient clinics and met the inclusion criteria were included in the sample of the study by random sampling method. Data were collected with the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Female Sexual Distress Scale–Revised (FSDS-R), and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). One-Way ANOVA test was used in groups of more than two, and t-test was used in pairs and independent groups to compare the mean scores of the scale. In addition, Pearson Product Moments Correlation Coefficient was used to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. RESULTS: In the study, the total score of SHS was 19.59±4.99; The total score of FSDS-R was determined as 24.33±6.39. It was determined that there was a negative significant relationship between the subjective happiness and sexual distress of the pregnant women, while the subjective happiness levels of the pregnant women increased, the mean scores of sexual distress decreased significantly and there was a weak relationship between them (r=-0.378, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In the study, it was determined that while the subjective happiness levels of the pregnant women increased, their mean sexual distress score decreased. According to these results, identifying the pregnant women who have sexual difficulties and directing them to appropriate resources may help to minimize the sexual problems experienced during pregnancy. Keywords: pregnancy, sexual distress, subjective happiness
ТРАДИЦІЙНИЙ НАРОДНИЙ ЖІНОЧИЙ ОДЯГ ЗАХІДНОЇ ВОЛИНІ
Authors: ЩИБРЯ Володимир , ХОМЕНКО Наталія
Published: December 2023

Мета статті – дослідити комплекси жіночого вбрання Західної Волині кінця ХІХ – середини ХХ ст., охарактеризувати матеріали, типи крою та оздоблення, визначити їх вузько локальні особливості. Методи дослідження. У дослідженні використано низку загальнонаукових і спеціальних методів: типологічного аналізу, порівняльно-історичного, статистичного, структурно-функціонального, польових досліджень, а також безпосереднього спостереження. Наукова новизна полягає у тому, що у статті вперше зібрано і систематизовано матеріали архівних, друкованих, експедиційних і музейних джерел щодо традиційного одягу Західної Волині кінця ХІХ – середини ХХ ст.; визначено його локальні особливості; до наукового обігу введено нову термінологію; уточнено географічні межі поширення певних явищ. Висновки. Народний одяг Західної Волині, попри трансформації та модифікації, які відбулися наприкінці ХІХ – на поч. ХХ ст, зберіг особливий колорит. Однією з визначальних ознак натільного одягу аналізованого регіону є колір вишивки, а саме – чорний. Традиція чорновишитих сорочок охоплює Сокальський, Іваничівський, Володимир-Волинський і Горохівський райони Волинської області, а також значну частину Грубешівського повіту Люблінського воєводства Республіки Польща, що вказує на недоцільність вживання назв “сокальські” та “надбужанські”. Наступна локальна ознака – довгі відкладні коміри на жіночих сорочках. Щодо жіночого поясного одягу, то найбільш характерними були спідниці, пошиті зі смугастого полотна у вузькі синьо-білі поздовжні та поперечні паси, які мають локальну назву – “валивка”. Пояси на Західній Волині були у вигляді смугастих вузьких крайок. Серед нагрудного жіночого одягу, окрім “горсетів”, “станіків” та “шнуровиць”, у першій половині ХХ ст. поширюються “камізельки”. З-поміж верхнього доцільно назвати зразки, які виникли під впливом міської моди – “сиваки”, “косачки”, “сачки”, “пінжаки”.

Ключові слова: Західна Волинь, традиційний одяг, натільний одяг, поясний одяг, нагрудний одяг.
A Research on Fertility, Herd Life, Milk Production and Milk Quality Characteristics of Simmental (Fleckvieh) Cows: 2. Milk Quality
Authors: Koç Atakan , Öner Mehmet
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the milk quality characteristics of Simmental (SIM) cows of Austrian origin, which have increased the interest of breeders in Türkiye in recent years. For this aim, the milk analysis results of a farm located in Menemen County, İzmir/Türkiye from 2012 to 2021 were used. Milk fat (MF, %), protein (MP, %), lactose (ML, %), total dry matter (TDM, %) contents and somatic cell count (SCC, cell/ml) were determined. In order to determine the current situation, milk samples were taken from the cows (90 heads) in August 2021, and in addition to the above milk components, the solid non-fat (SNF) and freezing point (FP) were determined. The effects of sampling season, calving month, lactation month, sampling season x calving month and sampling season x lactation month interactions were found to be statistically significant for all traits (P<0.05). Parity and calving month effects on Log10SCC were also detected to be statistically significant (P<0.05). The mean MF, MP, ML, TDM, FP and SCC of SIM cattle were 3.71±0.018%, 3.42±0.009%, 4.63±0.009%, 12.49±0.03, -0.535±0.003oC and 5.14±0.01 (138.038 cells/ml), respectively. It was concluded that the milk components of Austrian-origin SIM cattle are not very different from the Holstein-Friesian (HF) breed, however, in the low SCC average for many years, besides the important contribution of the measures taken against mastitis in the farm, the resistance against mastitis may be higher in this genotype. This situation is thought to be the reason why breeders in Türkiye prefer Austrian-origin SIM cattle in addition to high milk yield and carcass weight.
Influence of Foliar Application of Boron on the Growth, Yield and Quality of Sesame (cv. BARI Til-4)
Authors: Dey Apu , Begum Mahfuza , Kabiraj Md. Sojib , Rashid Md. Harun , Paul Swapan Kumar
Published: December 2023

Foliar supplementation may be useful for boron to a crop when its demands are higher compared to the supply from soil. Boron is an important micronutrient which had a substantial impact on oil content, seed yield, and the components of the sesame yield. A field investigation was implemented to determine the impact of foliar application of boron on seed yield, growth and oil content of sesame cv. BARI Til-4. The investigation included four concentrations of boron viz. 0, 25, 50, and 75 ppm and three frequencies of boron application viz. one time at 30 days after sowing (DAS), two times at 30 and 50 DAS,  and three times at 30, 50, and 70 DAS. The experiment was conducted following randomized complete block design, which was replicated thrice. At the vegetative stage, the highest plant height (107.3 cm), branches/plant (5.0) and shoot dry weight (45.20 g/plant) resulted in 75 ppm boron spray at 30, 50 and 70 DAS. However, the highest root dry weight (5.80 g/plant) was recorded in 75 ppm with one application of boron at 30 DAS. The plants with the highest plant height (112.1 cm), branches/plant (5.13), pods/plant (44.13), seeds/pod (54.33), seed yield (609.0 kg/ha), harvest index (30.65%), and oil content (42.33%) were also observed with the combination of 75 ppm boron spray with thrice application at 30, 50 and 70 DAS. The lowest seed yield (368.7 kg/ha) resulted in without boron application. Therefore, it can be inferred that the most efficient method for increasing the sesame seed yield and oil content is thrice (30, 50, and 70 DAS) foliar spraying of 75 ppm boron.
Molecular Survey of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Aborted Fetuses of Sheep in the Iğdır Province of Türkiye
Authors: Koca Davut , Orunç Kılınç Özlem , Ayan Adnan , Ertaş Oğuz Fatma , Turgut Ali Osman , Oktay Ayan Özge
Published: December 2023

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite, can infect a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including livestock species. T. gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that affects both humans and other warm-blooded animals. The aim of this study was to detect T. gondii by using PCR in the brain tissues of 60 aborted sheep fetuses from the Iğdır Province in Türkiye. For this purpose, 60 brain tissue samples of sheep were collected within the lambing seasons of 2023 in Iğdır, Türkiye. The DNA extraction was performed using the PureLink™ Genomic DNA Mini Kit from brain samples. The PCR was performed with the appropriate primers from the obtained DNA samples. T. gondii was found in the brain (16.6%) samples of aborted sheep fetuses. According to the present study, T. gondii infection can be one of the causes of fetus abortion of sheep in Iğdır province, Türkiye. This result emphasizes the need for vigilance and preventive measures in managing this potential public and animal health concerns.
Comparison of Different Extraction Methods on the Recovery Efficiencies of Valuable Components from Orange Peels
Authors: Argun Mehmet Emin , Öztürk Aslıhan , Argun Mustafa Şamil
Published: December 2023

Supercritical-CO2 extraction, Soxhlet extraction, and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods were conducted in this study to recover valuable components, specifically phenolic antioxidant compounds, from orange peels. Basic operating parameters such as temperature and pressure, which affect the extraction efficiency of phenolic substances in orange peel with supercritical-CO2, were designed using the central composite design methodology. In the Soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods, 2-hour extraction processes were carried out using ethanol at different concentrations (50%, 80% and 100%) as a solvent. Yield comparison was made by performing total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and total flavonoid content analyses in the extracts. The total phenolic content (TPC) in the extracts was determined to be 5034 mg GAE/L for supercritical-CO2 extraction at 61.5°C and 20 MPa. In comparison, Soxhlet extraction yielded a TPC of 1728 mg GAE/L, while the ultrasound-assisted extraction method resulted in a TPC of 4056 mg GAE/L. It was determined that the optimum operating parameters of supercritical-CO2 extraction were 60°C and 26.4 MPa in case all the responses were maximized. The best phenolic recovery was obtained at 100% ethanol in Soxhlet extraction and 80% ethanol in ultrasound-assisted extraction. Although supercritical-CO2 extraction is an environmentally friendly application, the recovery rate of valuable components from raw materials is lower than in Soxhlet extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction. However, since the volume of the extracts obtained from the supercritical-CO2 extraction is small, the ratio of phenolic compounds is higher.
Near- and Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Machine Learning Algorithms to Determine Minerals and Antioxidant Activity in Commercial Cheese
Authors: Menevşeoglu Ahmed , Gunes Nurhan , Ayvaz Huseyin , Öztürk Sarıkaya Sevim Beyza , Zehiroglu Cuma
Published: December 2023

Erzincan Tulum Cheese (ETC) holds a significant place among the most popular cheeses in Türkiye. It has been awarded Protected Geographical Indication status, which restricts the allowable milk species, its production area, and specific sheep breed used in its production. Mineral content and antioxidant activity of ETC were aimed to be predicted using conventional FT-NIR and a portable FT-MIR spectrometer combined with partial least square regression (PLSR) and machine learning algorithms based on conditional entropy. Seventy ETC samples were analyzed for their mineral (Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and P) content using ICP-MS. The samples' antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH•+ scavenging activity method. PLSR combined with FT-NIR spectral data correlated with antioxidant activity (r=0.89) and minerals (as low as r=0.83) except for Cr and Fe. FT-MIR data provided a good correlation for minerals (as low as r=0.82) except for Cr and Mn and a moderate correlation with antioxidant activity (r=0.64). Information theory was applied to select wavenumbers used in machine learning algorithms, and better results were obtained compared to PLSR. Overall, FT-NIR and FT-MIR spectroscopy provided rapid (~ 1 min), non-destructive, sensitive, and reliable output for mineral and antioxidant activity predictions in commercial cheese samples.
A Comprehensive Study on the Competitiveness of Governing Structures of Bulgarian Farming
Authors: Kargı Bilal , Bachev Hrabrin
Published: December 2023

The farm is an abstract category in Economic theory for describing agents managing farming activity, while the real governing structures are farms of different juridical types – physical persons, sole traders, cooperatives, ago=companies, etc. Most of the time, farm’s competitiveness is inadequately assessed through technical and accountancy efficiency, factors’ productivity, profitability, market shares, etc. because critical governance aspects are ignored. This article incorporates the interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics assumptions and principles and tries to give new insights on the real competitiveness of economic organizations in modern agriculture.  It suggests a holistic framework for assessing farm’ competitiveness taking into account economic, financial, and governance efficiency, and evaluates absolute and comparative competitiveness of governing structures of Bulgarian farming. The novel assessment system includes four pillars, four criteria, 17 particular, and 5 integral indicators. The first-in-kind evaluation, based on survey data, found that the competitiveness of Bulgarian farms is good. The competitiveness of cooperatives is highest, followed by corporations and associations, sole traders, and physical persons. Critical for competitive positions of farms are: low productivity, income, financial security, and adaptability to natural environment, where public support and farms’ management strategies should be directed. Large shares of the country’s farms have low competitiveness, and if measures are not taken to improve management, restructuring, state support, etc., many farms will cease to exist in the near future. In some cases, other characteristics of governing structures like size, specialization, market orientation, and ecological location, are critical for determining competitiveness level. The suggested and successfully tested framework for assessing the competitiveness of farms should be further improved and applied more widely and periodically in the country and internationally. The precision and representativeness of the information used should also be improved by increasing the number of surveyed farms and their important characteristics. The later requires close cooperation with producer organizations, national agricultural advisory service, and other interested parties as well as extending and improving the system for collecting agro-statistical information in the country and the EU.
Ecological Advancements and Developments of Agroforestry
Authors: Mondal Shitosri , Angon Prodipto Bishnu , Roy Arpita Rani
Published: December 2023

Agroforestry is a conventional method of land use that could help to address agricultural environmental issues. In order to take advantage of the ensuing ecological and economic interactions, agroforestry is the technique of consciously integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crop and/or animal systems. According to recent studies, the global agri-food industry may reach more sustainable methods of producing food and fiber by adopting agroforestry techniques and principles more widely. This would benefit farmers economically and would benefit society as a whole in terms of the environment. Agroforestry promotes eco-intensification based on resource efficiency and offers a wide range of provisioning, regulating, cultural, supporting ecosystem services, and environmental advantages. In this review, we discussed agroforestry with its advantages and developments.
Job Opportunities for Students in their Major after Graduation - A Case Study at Da Lat University
Authors: Thi Thuy Dung Vu , Minh Chien Le
Published: December 2023

Job opportunities after graduation for students and job opportunities in the right major have become important indicators in assessing the training quality of universities in Vietnam today. Based on an online investigation of 264 students who have graduated within the past 10 years at Da Lat University, this article evaluates the job opportunities and jobs in the right major after graduation for university students in the past 10 years, correlated with personal factors, family factors, school factors and the labor market. Research results show that the main job market for post-graduate students is mainly in the public sector, education and training sector, and commune and ward level specialists. While students who work in their majors tend to choose jobs because of their passion and interests, students who have jobs in the wrong majors choose jobs because of economic income. This suggests policy implications for students themselves, universities and the labor market in the present and the future.

Keywords: Job opportunities, jobs in the right major, jobs after graduation, students.
Russian borrowings in Tuvan colloquial speech
Authors:   Tuvan Institute for Humanities and Applied Social and Economic Research under the Government of the Republic of Tuva, Kyzyl, Russian Federation, Annai E.K.
Published: December 2023

This paper investigates the historical evolution of the Tuvan-Russian/Russian-Tuvan bilingualism and its current state in the Tuva Republic. In 1974, B. I. Tatarintsev examined bilingualism and Russian loanwords in the Tuvan language and identified three periods of linguistic borrowing. Here, we propose a classification of new periods in the history of Tuvan-Russian bilingualism: the 4th (1993–2015) and the 5th (from 2015 to the present time). These periods can be differentiated by the changes in the functional relations between the Russian and the Tuvan languages in national republics of the Russian Federation, including the Tuva Republic, following the dissolution of the USSR in the 1990s. The recent trend of globalization has contributed to the expansion of the Russian language’s functions and its dominance in everyday life and official communication. Tuvan, being primarily used in informal communication or within families, is becoming more colloquial. This paper demonstrates the influence of Russian on Tuvan through the emergence of new ways of word formation with evaluative meanings and the occurrence of semantic shifts in various Russian loanwords. Verbs are frequently derived from Russian stems, and Russian adverbs are sometimes used in Tuvan speech. Moreover, it is important to highlight the escalating number of loanwords in recent decades and the discernible influence of Russian on oral Tuvan. To substantiate our findings, we utilize oral speech records and examples of posts in VKontakte and Facebook, where informal communication between native speakers commonly takes place.
THERMAL STABILITY OF FUSION PROTEINS OF B. BOVIS DNA-EXOTRANSFERASE AND E. COLI DNA-BINDING PROTEIN
Authors:   Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of NAS of Belarus, Minsk, Sachanka A.B. , Shchur V.V. , Dzichenka Y.U. , Usanov S.A. , Yantsevich A.V.
Published: December 2023

As revealed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescent detection fusion of E. coli DNA binding protein (EcSSB) domain to bovine DNA exotransferase (TdT) result in thermal stability increase of the whole protein.
TELOMERE LENGTH IN PATIENTS WITH LUNG CANCER
Authors:   Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal Chemistry SB RAS, Kemerovo, Soboleva O.A. , Torgunakova A.V. , Minina V.I. ,   Kemerovo State University
Published: December 2023

An analysis was made of the relative length of telomeres and rs2736100 polymorphic variants of the TERT gene in 123 patients diagnosed with lung cancer and 120 healthy individuals. The telomeres of cancer patients turned out to be statistically significantly longer (p<0,001) compared to healthy ones. Depending on the carriage of various variants of the TERT genotypes, there were no significant differences in telomere length in both groups.
ESTABLISHMENT OF CRISPR/CAS9 VECTOR FOR INACTIVATION OF EXTRACELLULAR ADAMALYSIN-LIKE METALLOPROTEINASE IN GENOME OF BACILLUS PUMILUS 3-19
Authors:   Kazan Federal University, Khasanov D.I. , Rudakova N.L. , Vasilyeva Yu.A. , Gilmutdinova A.I. , Lastochkina E.E. , Volkova E.S. , Sharipova M.R.
Published: December 2023

B. pumilus 3-19 metalloproteinase is the first bacterial enzyme-homolog of eukaryotic metalloproteinases of the astacin and adamalysin families among extracellular proteases of bacilli. To study the role of an enzyme in cell, it is necessary to examine how the inactivation of its gene will affect the physiology of the strain. In this work, a CRISPR/Cas9 vector pKDm06.23 was constructed to obtain a mutant of B. pumilus 3-19 with an inactivated metalloproteinase gene.
MIRNAS OF URINE EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES — POTENTIAL MARKERS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROSTATE CANCER THERAPY
Authors:   Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Shutko E.V. , Salloum G. , Bryzgunova O.E. , Murina E.A. , Ostal’cev I.A. , Pak S.V. , Laktionov P.P. , Konoshenko M.Yu. ,   Meshalkin National Medical Research Center, Novosibirsk
Published: December 2023

During the therapy of prostate cancer (PCa), there is a change in the expression of miRNAs involved in the development of PCa. miRNA expression of urine extracellular vesicles is a promising marker of the therapy effectiveness. miRNA ratios — potential markers of the effectiveness of radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiation therapy (RT) — were identified by analyzing the expression of 14 miRNAs in the urine of PCa patients before, as well as 3, 6 and 12 months after RP and RT.
EVALUATION OF IMMUNOGENIC AND PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF PVAXRBD DNA VACCINE IN BALB/C MICE IMMUNIZED BY JET INJECTION METHOD
Authors:   State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR, Koltsovo, Yakovlev V.A. , Kisakov D.N. , Kisakova L.A. , Tigeeva E.V. , Borgoyakova M.B. , Zaikovskaya A.V. , Shipovalov A.V. , Kudrov G.A. , Pyankov O.V. , Rudometov A.P. , Karpenko L.I. , Ilyichev A.A.
Published: December 2023

As a result of this work, it was found that immunization with the experimental DNA vaccine pVAXrbd using jet injection significantly enhances the immune response of BALB/c mice. There was a tendency for specific antibody titers to increase with increasing vaccine dose. Challenge study showed that the vaccine has a dose-dependent protective effect, significantly reducing the viral load in lung tissues compared to the control.
Prevalência de transtornos mentais comuns e fatores associados entre trabalhadores de enfermagem em terapia intensiva
Authors: Rangel Ariadne Ferreira , Sousa Camila Carvalho de , Fernandes Alessandra Rabelo Gonçalves , Silva Valdenir Almeida da
Published: December 2023

Objetivo: Investigar a prevalência e os fatores associados aos transtornos mentais comuns (TMC) em TRABALHADORES de enfermagem intensivistas, durante a pandemia da Covid-19. Métodos: Estudo de corte transversal, realizado em um hospital público universitário de média e alta complexidade, localizado na Bahia, Brasil. A amostra foi composta por 90 profissionais de enfermagem que atuavam em UTI durante a pandemia da COVID-19. A análise de dados envolveu descrição de frequências absolutas e relativas das variáveis de interesse do estudo, seguida de análises bivariadas para verificar associação entre características sociodemográficas e do trabalho com os TMC, considerou-se o valor de p <0,05 para associações estatisticamente significantes. Resultados: A prevalência de TMC foi de 38,9%. Fatores sociodemográficos e laborais associaram-se à ocorrência de TMC, no entanto, apenas o sexo apresentou significância estatística (p < 0.036). Conclusão:  Nota-se elevada prevalência de TMC entre trabalhadores de enfermagem intensivista, fato que pode ter sido agravado pela pandemia da COVID-19.  Além disso, observa-se que a persistência de desigualdades de gênero pode ter contribuído para elevar a prevalência de TMC entre as mulheres. Ressalta-se a necessidade de mudanças institucionais para redução das desigualdades de gênero e promoção de um ambiente de trabalho mais saudável
Training and Practice of Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse Specialists in China
Authors: Yang Dandan , Zhang Ruihong , Kirkland-Kyhn Holly
Published: December 2023

Background: In China, with chronic wound patients increasing by 10% per year and more than 1 million stoma patients, there is an increasing demand for wound ostomy continence care. Accordingly, specialized wound care in China is developing rapidly and the gap with developed countries is narrowing. PURPOSE: This paper aims to describe the status of training, practice, and management of wound nurses in China. METHODS: Data on the training and practice of wound specialist nurses in the Chinese Mainland were collected through literature review and hospital surveys. RESULTS: The training system of Chinese Wound, Ostomy & Continence (WOC) specialist nurses is developing rapidly, but lacks a unified access standard, curriculum, teaching materials, and assessment system. Specialist nurses play an important role in education, clinical practice, and scientific research, but home care and independent nursing practices are still in their infancy. CONCLUSION: The developing momentum of wound care in China is encouraging, but it is necessary to unify and standardize WOC nurses' qualification certification, scope of practice, level-to-level administration, and other aspects to cultivate higher-quality specialized wound nurses.
Efficient Axiomatization of OWL 2 EL Ontologies from Data by means of Formal Concept Analysis
Authors: Kriegel Francesco
Published: December 2023

We present an FCA-based axiomatization method that produces a complete EL TBox (the terminological part of an OWL 2 EL ontology) from a graph dataset in at most exponential time. We describe technical details that allow for efficient implementation as well as variations that dispense with the computation of extremely large axioms, thereby rendering the approach applicable albeit some completeness is lost. Moreover, we evaluate the prototype on real-world datasets.
Preferential Query Answering in the Semantic Web with Possibilistic Networks
Authors: Borgwardt Stefan , Fazzinga Bettina , Lukasiewicz Thomas , Shrivastava Akanksha , Tifrea-Marciuska Oana
Published: December 2023

In this paper, we explore how ontological knowledge expressed via existential rules can be combined with possibilistic networks (i) to represent qualitative preferences along with domain knowledge, and (ii) to realize preference-based answering of conjunctive queries (CQs). We call these combinations ontological possibilistic networks (OP-nets). We define skyline and k-rank answers to CQs under preferences and provide complexity (including data tractability) results for deciding consistency and CQ skyline membership for OP-nets. We show that our formalism has a lower complexity than a similar existing formalism.
The role of magic objects in the Khakas epic narrative
Authors:   Khakas Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, Nadezhda CHISTOBAEVA
Published: December 2023

In the study of the poetic-stylistic system of the epic, the consideration of stable poetic descriptions is very important, since they play an important role in the formation of the structure and content of the epic plot. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe magic objects with the semantics of “getting information” that contribute to the development of a certain plot and motifs in the epic narrative of the Khakas people. The achievement of this goal provides for the solution of the following tasks: identification and description of stable poetic descriptions on the example of magic objects with the semantics of “getting information”, with a detailed analysis of the Book of Fate, similarities and differences in different epictellers’ texts, determining the degree of attachment to the epic plot and motifs. In heroic tales, the Book of Fate as a magic object is found under different names: the borrowed word, a book, in the meaning of ‘a fortune-telling book, omniscient book, letter, written message’, kinde ‘a book, paper’, pichik ‘a letter, note, message’, sugdur pichik ‘a letter, paper with written text, sutra’, kigdei pichik ‘a letter, paper, book’, sabyra pichik ‘an inscription carved on wood, stone, rock, rock inscriptions, message, heroic letter, letter, epitaph’. As a result of the analysis, with a sample of ten heroic tales recorded from famous Khakas epictellers, it was found that a book, kinde, pichik are most often used as a magical object in the meaning of ‘a book’, and less often  sugdur pichik and sabyra pichik. The main function of a magic book in heroic tales is to deliver a message to the heroes. The introduction of a magic book into the poetic body of the epic contributes to the motivation of the departure of a bogatyr/woman-bogatyr from home (for hunting, receiving a message, searching for a betrothed or a bogatyr horse, for the battle with opponents). Compositionally, motivation is the beginning of the action. It is also found that if epic heroes write a message on hard surfaces (stone, wood), then a writing tool is also indicated: a nail, a steel sword. As the analysis showed, variability is observed by contextual synonyms-verbs, due to the use of epithets, formulaic phrases, but the comparison of a letter with a cheprak (a saddle cloth) remains unchanged. A epicteller’s use of various epic formulas, fixed expressions, and phrases does not violate the unity of the poetic impression, but contributes to the creation of harmony in the folklore narrative.