bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fine Bauxite Recovery Using a Plate-Packed Flotation Column
Authors: Zhang Pengyu , Jin Saizhen , Ou Leming , Zhang Wencai , Zhu Yuteng
Published: September 2020

In this investigation, the fine-grained bauxite ore flotation was conducted in a plate-packed flotation column. This paper evaluated the effects of packing-plates on recovering fine bauxite particles and revealed the fundamental mechanisms. Bubble coalescence and break-up behaviors in the packed and unpacked flotation columns were characterized by combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Population Balance Model (PBM) techniques. Flotation experiments showed that packing-plates in the collection zone of a column can improve bauxite flotation performance and increase the smaller bauxite particles recovery. Using packing-plates, the recovery of Al2O3 increased by 2.11%, and the grade of Al2O3 increased by 1.85%. The fraction of −20 μm mineral particles in concentrate increased from 47.31% to 54.79%. CFD simulation results indicated that the packing-plates optimized the bubble distribution characteristics and increased the proportion of microbubbles in the flotation column, which contributed to improving the capture probability of fine bauxite particles.
Sustainable Nanotechnologies for Curative and Preventive Wood Deacidification Treatments: An Eco-Friendly and Innovative Approach
Authors: Taglieri Giuliana , Daniele Valeria , Macera Ludovico , Schweins Ralf , Zorzi Sandro , Capron Marie , Chaumat Gilles , Mondelli Claudia
Published: September 2020

Waterlogged wooden artifacts represent an important historical legacy of our past. They are very fragile, especially due to the severe phenomenon of acidification that may occur in the presence of acid precursors. To date, a satisfactory solution for the deacidification of ancient wood on a large scale has still not been found. In this paper, we propose, for the first time, eco-friendly curative and preventive treatments using nanoparticles (NPs) of earth alkaline hydroxides dispersed in water and produced on a large scale. We present the characterization of the NPs (by X-ray diffraction, atomic-force and electron microscopy, and small-angle neutron scattering), together with the study of the deacidification efficiency of our treatments. We demonstrate that all our treatments are very effective for both curative and preventive aims, able to assure an almost neutral or slightly alkaline pH of the treated woods. Furthermore, the use of water as a solvent paves the way for large-scale and eco-friendly applications which avoid substances that are harmful for the environment and for human health.
Human Metapneumovirus Induces Mucin 19 Which Contributes to Viral Pathogenesis
Authors: McBride Kaitlin , Banos-Lara Ma. del Rocio , Cheemarla Nagarjuna R. , Guerrero-Plata Antonieta
Published: September 2020

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) remains one of the most common viral infections causing acute respiratory tract infections, especially in young children, elderly, and immunocompromised populations. Clinical symptoms can range from mild respiratory symptoms to severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia. The production of mucus is a common feature during HMPV infection, but its contribution to HMPV-induced pathogenesis and immune response is largely unknown. Mucins are a major component of mucus and they could have an impact on how the host responds to infections. Using an in vitro system and a mouse model of infection, we identified that Mucin 19 is predominantly expressed in the respiratory tract upon HMPV infection. Moreover, the lack of Muc19 led to an improved disease, lower lung viral titers and a decrease in the number of CD4+ T cells. These data indicate that mucin 19 contributes to the activation of the immune response to HMPV and to HMPV-induced pathogenesis.
In Vitro Selective Growth-Inhibitory Activities of Phytochemicals, Synthetic Phytochemical Analogs, and Antibiotics against Diarrheagenic/Probiotic Bacteria and Cancer/Normal Intestinal Cells
Authors: Kudera Tomas , Doskocil Ivo , Salmonova Hana , Petrtyl Miloslav , Skrivanova Eva , Kokoska Ladislav
Published: September 2020

A desirable attribute of novel antimicrobial agents for bacterial diarrhea is decreased toxicity toward host intestinal microbiota. In addition, gut dysbiosis is associated with an increased risk of developing intestinal cancer. In this study, the selective growth-inhibitory activities of ten phytochemicals and their synthetic analogs (berberine, bismuth subsalicylate, ferron, 8-hydroxyquinoline, chloroxine, nitroxoline, salicylic acid, sanguinarine, tannic acid, and zinc pyrithione), as well as those of six commercial antibiotics (ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, metronidazole, tetracycline, and vancomycin) against 21 intestinal pathogenic/probiotic (e.g., Salmonella spp. and bifidobacteria) bacterial strains and three intestinal cancer/normal (Caco-2, HT29, and FHs 74 Int) cell lines were examined in vitro using the broth microdilution method and thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay. Chloroxine, ciprofloxacin, nitroxoline, tetracycline, and zinc pyrithione exhibited the most potent selective growth-inhibitory activity against pathogens, whereas 8-hydroxyquinoline, chloroxine, nitroxoline, sanguinarine, and zinc pyrithione exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. None of the tested antibiotics were cytotoxic to normal cells, whereas 8-hydroxyquinoline and sanguinarine exhibited selective antiproliferative activity against cancer cells. These findings indicate that 8-hydroxyquinoline alkaloids and metal-pyridine derivative complexes are chemical structures derived from plants with potential bioactive properties in terms of selective antibacterial and anticancer activities against diarrheagenic bacteria and intestinal cancer cells.
Bottom-Up Physiologically Based Oral Absorption Modeling of Free Weak Base Drugs
Authors: Matsumura Naoya , Ono Asami , Akiyama Yoshiyuki , Fujita Takuya , Sugano Kiyohiko
Published: September 2020

In this study, we systematically evaluated “bottom-up” physiologically based oral absorption modeling, focusing on free weak base drugs. The gastrointestinal unified theoretical framework (the GUT framework) was employed as a simple and transparent model. The oral absorption of poorly soluble free weak base drugs is affected by gastric pH. Alternation of bulk and solid surface pH by dissolving drug substances was considered in the model. Simple physicochemical properties such as pKa, the intrinsic solubility, and the bile micelle partition coefficient were used as input parameters. The fraction of a dose absorbed (Fa) in vivo was obtained by reanalyzing the pharmacokinetic data in the literature (15 drugs, a total of 85 Fa data). The AUC ratio with/without a gastric acid-reducing agent (AUCr) was collected from the literature (22 data). When gastric dissolution was neglected, Fa was underestimated (absolute average fold error (AAFE) = 1.85, average fold error (AFE) = 0.64). By considering gastric dissolution, predictability was improved (AAFE = 1.40, AFE = 1.04). AUCr was also appropriately predicted (AAFE = 1.54, AFE = 1.04). The Fa values of several drugs were slightly overestimated (less than 1.7-fold), probably due to neglecting particle growth in the small intestine. This modeling strategy will be of great importance for drug discovery and development.
A Theoretical Framework for Estimating the Rate of Return to a Pharmacy Education Anywhere
Authors: Carvajal Manuel J. , Popovici Ioana
Published: September 2020

Undertaking a pharmacy education is an investment in human capital. Candidates trade off present versus future costs and benefits. They make this investment with the expectation of earning enough income throughout their worklives to make their undertaking financially worthwhile. Whether or not this occurs is determined by the rate of return. The aim of the current study was to construct a theoretical model to estimate the rate of return to a pharmacy education investment. Specifications for model assumptions, inputs, and outputs are discussed. The outputs are the rates of return, the inputs are the costs and benefits of a pharmacy education, and the assumptions illustrate the circumstances of the individual or group for whom the model is built. The rate of return is the annual percentage that equates the streams of benefits and costs over the investment span. The higher the value of the rate of return to a pharmacy education is, the more profitable is the investment. This theoretical model may be used to estimate the financial viability of pharmacy and compare it to the viability of other professions or to the viability of pharmacy among various locations.
The Quality of Advice Provided by Pharmacists to Patients Taking Direct Oral Anticoagulants: A Mystery Shopper Study
Authors: Ertl Jonathon , Chalmers Leanne , Bereznicki Luke
Published: September 2020

Pharmacists report being less confident in their knowledge of direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) than of vitamin K antagonists, which may influence their ability to detect and manage complications arising from DOAC use. In a mystery shopper study, patient agents were sent into community pharmacies with symptom or product-related requests related to common complications that might arise during treatment with oral anticoagulants, with each visit being assessed for the preferred outcome. Only 10/41 (24.4%) visits resulted in the preferred outcome. A complete history-taking process, obtaining a medical history, patient characteristics and pharmacist involvement were strong predictors of the preferred outcome being achieved. The preferred outcome was not consistently achieved without pharmacist involvement. The potential for strategies that support comprehensive pharmacist involvement in over-the-counter requests should be considered to ensure the provision of optimal care to patients taking high-risk medications such as DOACs.
The Influence of Nanofiller Shape and Nature on the Functional Properties of Waterborne Poly(urethane-urea) Nanocomposite Films
Authors: Špírková Milena , Hodan Jiří , Konefał Rafał , Machová Luďka , Němeček Pavel , Paruzel Aleksandra
Published: September 2020

A series of waterborne polycarbonate-based poly(urethane-urea) nanocomposite films were prepared and characterized. An isocyanate excess of 30 mol% with respect to the hydroxyl groups was used in the procedure, omitting the chain-extension step of the acetone process in the dispersion preparation. The individual steps of the synthesis of the poly(urethane-urea) matrix were followed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The nanofillers (1 wt% in the final nanocomposite) differed in nature and shape. Starch, graphene oxide and nanocellulose were used as representatives of organic nanofillers, while halloysite, montmorillonite, nanosilica and hydroxyapatite were used as representatives of inorganic nanofillers. Moreover, the fillers differed in their shape and average particle size. The films were characterized by a set of methods to obtain the tensile, thermal and surface properties of the nanocomposites as well as the internal arrangement of the nanoparticles in the nanocomposite film. The degradation process was evaluated at 37 °C in a H2O2 + CoCl2 solution.
Silicone Resin Coating of Micro-Sized Ferrite Particles Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Okajima Idzumi , Kanie Tatsuya , Sako Takeshi
Published: September 2020

An environmentally friendly and efficient polymer coating method for micro-sized particles was developed using supercritical CO2. Because this method used supercritical CO2 as the solvent to dissolve the coating material, we avoided environmental pollution from organic solvents, saved the energy required to evaporate/remove organic solvents, realized a uniform coating film on the fine particles, and prevented agglomeration of the coating particles. The solubilities of the five silicone resins used as coating materials were measured using the flow method, and the data were well correlated by Chrastil’s equation with an average deviation of 5.7%. Resins comprising numerous methyl-group side chains exhibited high solubilities and were suitable coating materials. A new semi-flow-type coating method using supercritical CO2 was also developed, which deposited a film with a uniform thickness of 0.2–1.3 μm on whole fine particles. Notably, in this method, the film thickness was easily controlled. A simple and rapid technique was developed for measuring the coating thickness using X-ray fluorescence analysis. The model for calculating the coating film thickness was based on the material balance of the coating material. This model satisfactorily predicted the thickness with an average error of 0.085 μm by measuring the solubility of the coating material in supercritical CO2, integrated flow volume of supercritical CO2, particle diameter, density and charged weight of the fine particle, and coating material density.
Mapping Sea Surface Height Using New Concepts of Kinematic GNSS Instruments
Authors: Chupin Clémence , Ballu Valérie , Testut Laurent , Tranchant Yann-Treden , Calzas Michel , Poirier Etienne , Coulombier Thibault , Laurain Olivier , Bonnefond Pascal ,   Team FOAM Project
Published: September 2020

For over 25 years, satellite altimetry observations have provided invaluable information about sea-level variations, from Global Mean Sea-Level to regional meso-scale variability. However, this information remains difficult to extract in coastal areas, where the proximity to land and complex dynamics create complications that are not sufficiently accounted for in current models. Detailed knowledge of local hydrodynamics, as well as reliable sea-surface height measurements, is required to improve and validate altimetry measurements. New kinematic systems based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have been developed to map the sea surface height in motion. We demonstrate the capacity of two of these systems, designed to measure the height at a centimetric level: (1) A GNSS floating carpet towed by boat (named CalNaGeo); and (2) a combination of GNSS antenna and acoustic altimeter (named Cyclopée) mounted on an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). We show that, at a fixed point, these instruments provide comparable accuracy to the best available tide gauge systems. When moving at up to 7 knots, the instrument velocity does not affect the sea surface height accuracy, and the two instruments agree at a cm-level.
GSCA-UNet: Towards Automatic Shadow Detection in Urban Aerial Imagery with Global-Spatial-Context Attention Module
Authors: Jin Yuwei , Xu Wenbo , Hu Zhongwen , Jia Haitao , Luo Xin , Shao Donghang
Published: September 2020

As an inevitable phenomenon in most optical remote-sensing images, the effect of shadows is prominent in urban scenes. Shadow detection is critical for exploiting shadows and recovering the distorted information. Unfortunately, in general, automatic shadow detection methods for urban aerial images cannot achieve satisfactory performance due to the limitation of feature patterns and the lack of consideration of non-local contextual information. To address this challenging problem, the global-spatial-context-attention (GSCA) module was developed to self-adaptively aggregate all global contextual information over the spatial dimension for each pixel in this paper. The GSCA module was embedded into a modified U-shaped encoder–decoder network that was derived from the UNet network to output the final shadow predictions. The network was trained on a newly created shadow detection dataset, and the binary cross-entropy (BCE) loss function was modified to enhance the training procedure. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated on several typical urban aerial images. Experiment results suggested that the proposed method achieved a better trade-off between automaticity and accuracy. The F1-score, overall accuracy, balanced-error-rate, and intersection-over-union metrics of the proposed method were higher than those of other state-of-the-art shadow detection methods.
A Fast Estimation Method for Direction of Arrival Using Tripole Vector Antenna
Authors: Zhang Bodong , Zou Xuan , Zhang Tingyi , Tang Yunong , Zeng Hao
Published: September 2020

The tripole vector antenna comprises three orthogonal dipole antennas, so it could completely capture all the electric field of the incident electromagnetic (EM) wave. Then, the electric field information could be used to estimate the direction of arrival (DOA) of the EM wave if two conditions are satisfied. One is that there exists only one single EM wave in space. The other is that the EM wave is elliptically or circularly polarized. The new estimation method obtains two snapshot vectors through the output of a tripole antenna and computes their cross-product vector. Furthermore, the direction of the cross-product vector is used to estimate the DOA of the EM wave directly. We analyze the statistical characteristics of the DOA estimation error to prove that the new scheme is an asymptotic unbiased estimation. Furthermore, unlike the existing Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC)-based algorithms, the proposed approach only need one tripole vector antenna instead of an antenna array. Meanwhile, the new method also outperforms existing MUSIC-based algorithms in the term of computational complexity. Finally, the performance and advantages of the proposed method are verified by numerical simulations.
Service Organisations’ Cultural Competency When Working with Ethnic Minority Victims/Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Results from a Program Evaluation Study in Australia
Authors: Sawrikar Pooja
Published: September 2020

Founded in the results of a systematic literature review, a professional development program was developed about the needs of ethnic minority victims/survivors of child sexual abuse, with one component on the role of organisations. The objective was to address the misperception that frontline workers are more responsible for cultural competency. The program was delivered across Australia in 2019 (T1 n = 112, T2 n = 44). Data collection for the program evaluation was conducted over six months using a mixed-methods design. The results show that: (a) a sizeable portion of organisations (16%) do not have any ethnic minority staff, and very few are in management positions (6–13%); (b) ethnic minority staff, and staff in organisations specialised for ethnic minority communities, offer choice to clients about ethnically-matched service providers more often; (c) there is evidence supporting the usefulness of ongoing training; (d) the use of a multicultural framework was rated higher ‘in principle’ than ‘in practice’, and ratings increased after the program; (e) the proportion of organisations collecting ethnicity-related data did not increase over time; (f) all organisations specialised for ethnic minority communities had visually inclusive websites but was only 54% for mainstream organisations; and (g) organisations specialised for ethnic minority communities have stronger links with other local ethnic minority community organisations. Overall, the program is seen as useful for promoting cultural competency at the organisational level; clearly identifying key mandatory and ideal elements, which support good practice with this highly vulnerable and marginalised client group.
Smart Farming Introduction in Wine Farms: A Systematic Review and a New Proposal
Authors: Sarri Daniele , Lombardo Stefania , Pagliai Andrea , Perna Carolina , Lisci Riccardo , De Pascale Valentina , Rimediotti Marco , Cencini Guido , Vieri Marco
Published: September 2020

This study shows a new methodological proposal for wine farm management, as a result of the progressive development of the technological innovations and their adoption. The study was carried out in Italy involving farmers, workers, or owners of wine farms who are progressively introducing or using precision agriculture technologies on their farm. The methodology proposed was divided in four stages (1. understanding the changes in action; 2. identifying the added value of Smart Farming processes; 3. verifying the reliability of new technologies; 4. adjusting production processes) that can be applied at different levels in vine farms to make the adoption of precision agriculture techniques and technologies harmonious and profitable. Data collection was carried out using a participant-observer method in brainstorming sessions, where the authors reflected on the significance of technology adoption means and how to put them in practice, and interviews, questionnaire surveys, diaries, and observations. Moreover, project activities and reports provided auxiliary data. The findings highlighted the issues of a sector which, although with broad investment and finance options, lacks a structure of human, territorial, and organizational resources for the successful adoption of technological innovations. The work represents a basis for the future development of models for strategic scenario planning and risk assessments for farmers, policymakers, and scientists.
Global Sourcing Strategies: A Framework for Lean, Agile, and Leagile
Authors: Rashad Waleed , Nedelko Zlatko
Published: September 2020

The main purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for utilization of lean, agile, and leagile strategies in the supply chains, where the core idea of the framework is to improve the global sourcing practices. Based on in-depth interviews with supply chain professionals and grounded theory approach, we constructed a framework of global sourcing improvement to support better utilization of lean, agile, and leagile strategies, which we believe can help the supply chains worldwide to act better, especially in various difficult conditions and sustain their business accordingly. Our proposed framework also contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, since the core concept of the framework is to establish a new organization under the umbrella of the UN to improve the global sourcing and consequently the usage of supply chain strategies accordingly. The applicative part of the paper reveals characteristics of new developed framework, ranging from its purpose and aims, structure, key processes, functions, and its financing. Along with validation of the framework are presented benefits for society, industry, and global economy. Additionally, the paper also reviews the impact of the current health and economic crisis caused by COVID 19, on usage of the three supply chain strategies namely; lean, agility, and leagility to see how they can work in the difficult time, as COVID 19.
Perceived Quality of Urban Wetland Parks: A Second-Order Factor Structure Equation Modeling
Authors: Li Jiang , Pan Qiao , Peng You , Feng Tao , Liu Shaobo , Cai Xiaoxi , Zhong Chixing , Yin Yicheng , Lai Wenbo
Published: September 2020

Wetland in the urban or peri-urban areas has been recognized as an important component of urban ecosystems and provides ecological and environmental services. Wetland park emerged as a kind of restoration of natural wetlands in the context of increasing pressure on land and eco-environment caused by urban sprawl, which has played an essential role in providing recreational spaces/opportunities and improving social interactions. However, little research has been conducted on the theoretical formulation elaborating individuals’ perceived quality of wetland parks when people are engaging in activities therein. This study is an attempt to develop a method to measure the quality of wetland parks based on individuals’ various perceptions and attitudes. From the view of human-nature interaction, the perceived quality is hypothetically conceptualized as a composite of two dimensions, such as comfort perception and environmental satisfaction. A series of questionnaire-based surveys were conducted among respondents (N = 936) in Yanghu wetland park in Changsha, China. Based on the measured items from on-site surveys, second-order factor structural equation modeling is applied to estimate the hypothesis of a hierarchical structure for elaborating how the quality of wetland park is perceived by individual respondents. The results test the hypothesis that the quality of wetland park as a second-order theoretical construct can be conceptualized by two first-order theoretical constructs, individuals’ comfort (loading = 0.749), and environmental satisfaction (loading = 0.828). In addition, a significant influence of attitudes toward green space on the perceived quality of wetland park has been identified.
Upcycling Potential of Industrial Waste in Soil Stabilization: Use of Kiln Dust and Fly Ash to Improve Weak Pavement Subgrades Encountered in Michigan, USA
Authors: Bandara Nishantha , Hettiarachchi Hiroshan , Jensen Elin , Binoy Tarik H.
Published: September 2020

The State of Michigan in the United States often encounters weak soil subgrades during its road construction and maintenance activities. Undercutting has been the usual solution, while a very few attempts of in-situ soil stabilization with cement or lime have been made. Compared to the large volume of weak soils that require improvement and the cost incurred on an annual basis, some locally available industrial byproducts present the potential to become effective soil subgrade stabilizers and a better solution from the sustainability perspective as well. The candidate industrial byproducts are Cement Kiln Dust (CKD), Lime Kiln Dust (LKD), and Fly Ash (FA), out of which only a fraction is currently used for any other secondary purposes while the rest is disposed of in Michigan landfills. This manuscript describes a laboratory investigation conducted on above industrial byproducts and/or their combinations to assess their suitability to be used as soil subgrade stabilizers in three selected weak soil types often found in Michigan. Results reveal that CKD or a combination of FA/LKD can be recommended for the long-term soil subgrade stabilization of all three soil types tested, while FA and LKD can be used in some soil types as a short-term soil stabilizer (for construction facilitation). A brief discussion is also presented at the end on the potential positive impact that can be made by the upcycling of CKD/LKD/FA on sustainability.
Temperate Agroforestry Development: The Case of Québec and of France
Authors: Hotelier-Rous Noémie , Laroche Geneviève , Durocher Ève , Rivest David , Olivier Alain , Liagre Fabien , Cogliastro Alain
Published: September 2020

This study sought to shed light on the political and organizational dynamics favoring the deployment of agroforestry in temperate environments. Development paths of agroforestry practices in Québec (Canada) and France were analyzed regarding five different issues: political status and recognition, regulation and financing, knowledge acquisition, knowledge transfer and training, development actors and implementation in the field. Scientific studies and results continue to accumulate concerning temperate agroforestry and its environmental benefits. Political recognition of the field appears to be stronger in France (and the EU), which makes state financial aid conditional upon the adoption of the practices. In Québec, only the Ministry of Agriculture provides limited support. It financially assists research at a moderate level, as well as the installation and maintenance of trees by participating farmers to perform specific functions, i.e., erosion control, water quality, and biodiversity. A large number of actors are active in France, where efforts are being made to improve consultation and to reduce redundancy. Stakeholders in Québec are linked to the broader agri-environment field and act partially through agroforestry, according to varying degrees of competency, creating a disparity between regions. Recognition at the highest level, i.e., training for councillors and advisors, greater flexibility in obtaining assistance, inclusion of a greater diversity of systems, and a structure that ensures promotion and consultation, would favour the further development of agroforestry in the industrialized nations of the temperate zone.
Multi-Criteria Decision Making Process in Metropolitan Transport Means Selection Based on the Sharing Mobility Idea
Authors: Cieśla Maria , Sobota Aleksander , Jacyna Marianna
Published: September 2020

The article presents the idea of modeling the decision-making process in the field of the metropolitan areas transport system. Due to the increasing process of metropolization and urbanization, which is predicted to be 68.4% worldwide and 83.7% in Europe in 2050, the issue will be even more sophisticated. The problem of depletion of transport network capacity as well as the implementation of modern technology solutions forces metropolitan committees to apply tools for metropolitan passenger transport system optimization. Significantly, the policy and regulations on sustainable urban mobility management are based on the mobility demand predictions and understanding of the travel decision-making process of citizens. The scientific purpose of this article is to build a mathematical model, as a tool supporting the multi-criteria decision-making process regarding the choice of means of transport in a developing metropolis. The issue raised in this article considers the most important research areas of the metropolitan transport means selection, which includes transport safety, qualitative, financial, and ecological aspects. The model was implemented in Silesian Metropolis in Poland with a particular emphasis on sharing mobility transport means users. As a result, a ranking of sharing transport means was developed, which is a piece of significant information for planners and future investors in the development of the metropolitan transport system.
Diagnostic Challenges in Canine Parvovirus 2c in Vaccine Failure Cases
Authors: Yip Hiu Ying Esther , Peaston Anne , Woolford Lucy , Khuu Shiow Jing , Wallace Georgia , Kumar Rohan Suresh , Patel Kandarp , Ahani Azari Ania , Akbarzadeh Malihe , Sharifian Maryam , Amanollahi Reza , Jafari Jozani Razi , Khabiri Aliakbar , Hemmatzadeh Farhid
Published: September 2020

In this study, three different diagnostic tests for parvovirus were compared with vaccination status and parvovirus genotype in suspected canine parvovirus cases. Faecal samples from vaccinated (N17) and unvaccinated or unknown vaccination status (N41) dogs that had clinical signs of parvovirus infection were tested using three different assays of antigen tests, conventional and quantitative PCR tests. The genotype of each sample was determined by sequencing. In addition to the suspected parvovirus samples, 21 faecal samples from apparently healthy dogs were tested in three diagnostic tests to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the tests. The antigen test was positive in 41.2% of vaccinated dogs and 73.2% of unvaccinated diseased dogs. Conventional PCR and qPCR were positive for canine parvovirus (CPV) in 82.4% of vaccinated dogs and 92.7% of unvaccinated dogs. CPV type-2c (CPV-2c) was detected in 82.75% of dogs (12 vaccinated and 36 unvaccinated dogs), CPV-2b was detected in 5.17% dogs (one vaccinated and two unvaccinated) and CPV-2a in 1.72% vaccinated dog. Mean Ct values in qPCR for vaccinated dogs were higher than the unvaccinated dogs (p = 0.049), suggesting that vaccinated dogs shed less virus, even in clinical forms of CPV. CPV-2c was the dominant subtype infecting dogs in both vaccinated and unvaccinated cases. Faecal antigen testing failed to identify a substantial proportion of CPV-2c infected dogs, likely due to low sensitivity. The faecal samples from apparently healthy dogs (n = 21) showed negative results in all three tests. Negative CPV faecal antigen results should be viewed with caution until they are confirmed by molecular methods.
The effectiveness of the use of feed additive Agolin Ruminant in the rations of lactating cows
Authors: Ivanov A. , Betin A.
Published: September 2020

An important task for livestock farms is the use of plant feed extracts to improve the effectiveness of dairy production. The development of new alternative drugs based on natural plants allows for the biological protection of animals. Agolin Ruminant is multi-functional feed additive is a mixture of high-quality active ingredients of plant origin, which is designed to optimize consumption and improve feed conversion in the dairy industry. The purpose of the work was to find the increase in the productivity of high-yield cows by using feed additives based on plant extracts on a large number of animals. Production tests have been carried out in the dairy complex of LLC “Tambov-milk” in the Tambov region on Holstein cows with actual productivity at the level of 8500–9000 kg of milk per year. Analysis of cow productivity indicates a positive effect of the introduction of the feed additive Agolin Ruminant in the ration of animals. For example, in the control group of cows for 30 days of lactation the average daily milk yield from 1 cow was 27,44 kg, in the experimental group 28,14 kg, which was more than 700 g or 2,55 %. The introduction of the Agolin Ruminant feed additive into the ration of animals in the experimental group had a positive effect on the fat content in milk, which at the end of the research period was 3,69 % in the control group, and 3,71 % in the experimental group or 0,02 abs.% higher. The protein content in milk in the control group of cows was 3,16 %, and in the experimental group 3,18 % the excess was also equal to 0,02 abs.%. Economic calculations indicate the effectiveness and expediency of using the Agolin Ruminant feed additive in feeding highly productive cows. At the sale price of 1 kg of milk for 29,0 rubles the productivity of cows have been increased by 0,7 kg, and the income from 1 head per day has increased by 17,3 rubles minus the cost of feed additive.
The basis of quality of sheep pelts and fur products is morphological features of the skin of sheep
Authors: Dmitrik I. , Zavgorodnyaya G.
Published: September 2020

The morphological and histological features of the skin and wool cover of sheep as the basis for the quality of fur sheep pelts have been studied. The most important properties of sheep pelts (uniformity, thinness and density of wool) are provide the possibility of producing high-quality fur semi-finished products from them. However, the features of the histostructure of fine-wool sheep determine the low mechanical strength of the “facial” layer of skin. As a result, the “front” layer during processing often cracks to the upper border of the reticular layer or even peels off from the latter, making the sheep pelt unsuitable for use on fur products. These defects in fur practice are called “cracking” and “peeling” of the facial layer. They are mainly peculiar to sheep pelts of fine-wooled sheep. In these animals due to the high density and tone of the coat, the roots and hair follicles, root vaginas, secretory departments, excretory ducts of the glands and other structures occupy a significant share of the volume in the thickness of the Pilar layer (up to 25–30 %). The share of fibrous structures remains less volume, and these structures themselves are relatively weakly developed, located loosely and loosely intertwined with each other. The accumulations of fat cells that occur here also cannot be attributed to skin-strengthening elements. In fine-fleece sheep the pilar layer is on average 60 % of the thickness of the dermis. Therefore, more than half of its thickness is a weakened zone. The strength of the “front” layer is not the same in different fine-wool breeds of sheep and in different animals within the breed. For example, the average breaking load for cod of the “front” layer in Soviet Merino pelts is 1,25 kg, and in Precoce is 2,49 kg.
Improvement of methods of the influence on microbiological indicators of raw milk
Authors: Ananyeva T. , Ostroukhova V.
Published: September 2020

Improving the quality and safety of milk and dairy products requires professional work on the technology and culture of production, improving the operating conditions of equipment and improving methods for influencing microbiological indicators. A method of electromagnetic influence on the microbial cell control system is proposed that allows reducing the growth rate of microorganisms, optimizing the quality and safety of milk and increasing the shelf life of products. The object of the study was the milk of cows of Kholmogorskaya breed, which were housed at loose (group 1) and tie barn (group 2) methods. It has been found that the method of housing animals does not affect the physical and chemical parameters of the milk under study, which meet the requirements for raw materials. Density, freezing point, acidity, and somatic cell content in milk have been affected by the season of the year. Changes in the quantitative composition of sanitary-indicative microorganisms of raw milk depend both on the method of housing and milking cows, and on the season of the year. The highest contamination of milk with microflora has been observed in the case of cows housing in tie barn. The maximum number of microorganisms has been observed in the summer with different methods of housing. There were no Salmonella in the milk of experimental groups of cows. Yeast and fungi have been registered in all milk samples. The influence of electromagnetic radiation on the development of certain types of microorganisms has been established. The largest number of Quantity of Mesophilic Aerobic and Facultative Anaerobic Microorganisms (QMAFAnM) was in raw milk without additional effects and amounted to 486 289 CFU/cm[sup]3[/sup] . When exposed to electromagnetic pulses the number of yeast and mold fungi has been decreased by 9 or more times.
The influence of pregnancy duration of sows on the growth, development and livability of piglets during the pre-weaning period
Authors: Fayzullin R. , Sayfutdinov M.
Published: September 2020

The duration of gestation is one of the most important biological features of pigs, which affects the live weight of young animals at birth, the nature of their post-embryonic development, livability and future productivity, in particular the precocity and feed expenditures. The purpose of the research was to study the influence of the duration of sows’ gestation on the growth, development and livability of piglets during the pre-weaning period. The researches have been carried out on the basis of the farm of LLC “Russia” in the Mozhginsky district in the Udmurt Republic. Two groups of lactating sows of Large White breed have been formed for researches by using analogs method. The formation of groups of sows has been carried out taking into account the duration of gestation, age and number of farrows. It has been found as the result of the conducted researches that the piglets obtained from sows with the duration of gestation of 115,16 days significantly exceeded the herdmates born from sows with the duration of gestation of 110,08 days by live weight at birth by 6,40 %, live weight at weaning at the age of 30 days by 5,91 %, average daily gain by 5,85 % and the livability of piglets by 18,84 %. The indicator of the power of the influence of the duration of gestation on the live weight of piglets aged 30 days was 44,0 % with the Fischer confidence criterion (Fst) equal to 6,45 and the probability (reliability) of error-free forecasts at P > 0,99. The indicators of the power of the influence of the duration of pregnancy on the absolute and average daily weight gain, as well as on the number of piglets aged 30 days, respectively, were 43,0 and 46,0 %, with the Fisher confidence criteria of 6,26 and 6,91 and the probability of error-free forecasts P > 0,99 and P > 0,999, respectively. Positive correlation and regression coefficients have been found between the studied traits, which indicate that breeding for the duration of gestation will make it possible to increase the growth, development and livability of suckling piglets.
Modern biotechnological methods in the reproduction of dairy cattle
Authors: Abugaliev S. , Bupebaeva L. , Baybatyrova M. , Matkerimov N. , Matkerimova K. , Kadrgaliyeva A.
Published: September 2020

The problem of increasing the highly productive number of dairy cows is becoming a priority in the cattle breeding of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The decrease in conception rate of cattle is associated with frequently detected in animals functional disorders of the reproductive system, including violations of the functional activity of the ovaries, manifested in the form of their hypofunction or cysts and inflammation of the uterine mucosa. The research has been carried out within the framework of budget projects of the Ministry of agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan: “Transfer and adaptation of technologies for automation of technological processes of livestock production on the basis of model farms in dairy farming from 100 cows from different regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan” and “Improving the efficiency of selection methods in cattle breeding” in the peasantry farm “Aidarbayev E. S.” Enbekshikazakh district in the Almaty region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It has been found according to the results of the research that the first signs of pregnancy ultrasound scanner detects at least 26 days, but the forecast is more accurate at the period of at least 33 days (according to 5 indicators). During the studied period in the peasantry farm “Aidarbayev” from 483 heads maternal livestock 359 heads of calves have been obtained or 74,3 %. Out of the total number of calves 251 alive calves have been received or 69,9 %, and 24,5 % of stillbirths. Of the calved 27 heads of cows 18 heifers or 66,7 % have been received, which is quite effective from a practical point of view. The sexed semen, which has being obtained in recent years, the percentage of conception rate from the first insemination has increased. Further research will focus on the causes of fetal mortality of calves and increased of conception rate when using sexed semen.
Analysis of polymorphism of CAPN1 and GH genes in cattle of Kazakh White-Headed breed in association with the peculiarities of beef productivity
Authors: Selionova M. , Plakhtyukova V. , Dmitrik I. , Zavgorodnyaya G. , Pavlova M.
Published: September 2020

The intensive development of genetics at the molecular level has now opened up the possibility for breeders to identify and study genes that are directly or indirectly related to desirable economically useful traits. The purpose of the research was to identify desirable genotypes in the breeding of Kazakh White-Headed cattle based on the genes-markers of meat productivity of calpain (CAPN1) and somatotropin (GH) for use in breeding to increase meat productivity and beef quality. Experimental researches have been carried out on steers of the Kazakh White-Headed breed on the basis of the APC collective farm “Gigant” in the Blagodarnensky district in the Stavropol Territory. Analysis of growth and development indicators of calves has shown that the value of live weight and average daily gains was higher in calves carrying the C allele at calpain gene locus and V allele at somatotropin gene locus. Dominant alleles C and V in the homozygous state characterize the desired genotype of calves. During weaning the studied indicators were higher with a diff erence on average up to 13,0 % in young animals of homozygous genotypes (CC and VV). The largest number of muscle fi bers has been observed in steers with the desired CC and VV genotypes. They outperformed their herdmates with GG genotype by 36,82 pcs/мм² or 19,7 % in calpain gene group (CAPN1) by 55,7 pcs/мм² or 31,4 % in somatotropin gene group (GH), respectively. The diameter of muscle fibers in carcasses with the desired genotype was less by 4,23 microns or 11,9 %, and by 6,82 microns or 16,8 %. The meat of steers with homozygous CC and VV alleles according to the studied genes differed from the meat of animals with GG and LL genotypes by 12,6 % in calpain gene (CAPN1) and 15,1 % in somatotropin gene (GH). The connective tissue content was higher in animals with the undesirable type of G and L alleles than in animals of the desired genotype, by 2,13 and 3,34 abs. percent’s. The area of the eye of loin in animals of desired VV genotype of somatotropin cluster (GH) was higher than in animals of CC genotype of calpain cluster (CAPN1) by 4,84 cм² or 10,1 %.
Influence of feed additive Fibreze on the productivity of cows in the period of increasing the milk yield
Authors: Buryakov N. , Buryakova M. , Khardik I.
Published: September 2020

Fibreze is a complex enzyme feed additive for ruminants, designed to normalize the metabolism and increase the productivity of animals. The purpose of the researches was to increase the efficiency of milk production when input in the ration of lactating cows of different levels of feed additive Fibreze. The rations of cows on the main indicators of nutrition corresponded to detailed norms of feeding in the All-Russian Institute of Animal Husbandry. In the structure of the ration the share of concentrated feed did not exceed 51 %. There was no more than 4,0 kg of dry matter per 100 kg of live weight at a concentration of EFU in 1 kg – 1,03. The content of raw fiber in the dry matter of the ration of cows in the 1st and 2nd phases of lactation was 20 %, which is consistent with the physiological norms for animals during this period. The input of the feed additive Fibreze 20 g/head/day in the ration of cows led to the increase in the average daily milk yield of natural fat content by 2,83 %, and the gross milk yield of 4 % of milk by 5,95 %. The use of Fibreze in cow feeding had a positive influence on the indicators of milk productivity for 120 days of lactation. Animals have been received Fibreze during the experiment period by 2,88 % more milk of natural fat content and 5,96 % more milk of 4 % fat content has been got. Feeding in mainl ration feed additive Fibreze contributed to the improvement of quality indicators of milk. The excess of the mass fraction of protein and the mass fraction of fat in the milk of cows of the 2nd experimental group during the period of increasing the milk yield was 1,6 and 4,5 %, respectively, in relation to the control. The yield of milk protein for 120 days of lactation was more by 7,0 kg, the yield of milk fat increased by 11,9 kg. The biggest economic effect has been achieved in cows that received the feed additive in the amount of 20 g/head/day as part of the ration.
mTOR Signaling in Kidney Diseases
Authors: Gui Yuan , Dai Chunsun
Published: September 2020

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine protein kinase, is crucial in regulating cell growth, metabolism, proliferation, and survival. Under physiologic conditions, mTOR signaling maintains podocyte and tubular cell homeostasis. In AKI, activation of mTOR signaling in tubular cells and interstitial fibroblasts promotes renal regeneration and repair. However, constitutive activation of mTOR signaling in kidneys results in the initiation and progression of glomerular hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, polycystic kidney disease, and renal cell carcinoma. Here, we summarize the recent studies about mTOR signaling in renal physiology and injury, and discuss the possibility of its use as a therapeutic target for kidney diseases.