bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Underutilised Indigenous Vegetables for Household Dietary Diversity in Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Tanimonure Victoria Adeyemi , Naziri Diego , Codjoe Samuel Nii Ardey , Ayanwale Adeolu Babatunde
Published: October 2021

The diets of many households in developing countries are monotonous and starch-based. Integrating underutilised indigenous vegetables (UIVs) to cropping systems can contribute to both crop and dietary diversities, thereby improving rural households’ nutrition and boosting food security. Therefore, this study established a link between the UIVs’ diversity and the household dietary diversity (HDD) of the UIVs producers in the rural area of Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 191 UIV-producing households in the region. Their HDD was measured based on the 12 unique food groups consumed by households over a 7-day reference period preceding the survey, and negative binomial Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between UIV diversities, other sociodemographic characteristics, and the HDD score of the UIV-producing households in the area. The results showed that only about four groups of food contributed greatly to the HDD score. The result of the negative binomial Poisson regression analysis showed UIVs diversity as a significant variable that increased the HDD score in the study area. Other factors that determined the HDD score of UIV-producing households were the marital status of the household head, farm distance from the home, UIVs land area, off-farm income, UIVs gross margin, per capita food expenditure, and Oyo location. The study concluded that the inclusion of diverse underutilised indigenous vegetables into cropping systems in rural areas and vegetable home gardening practices in the rural and urban areas of developing countries could alleviate the challenge of nutrition insecurity.
Characteristics of Agricultural Dust Emissions from Harvesting Operations: Case Study of a Whole-Feed Peanut Combine
Authors: Zhang Peng , Xu Hongbo , Hu Zhichao , Chen Youqing , Cao Mingzhu , Yu Zhaoyang , Mao Enrong
Published: November 2021

The rapid development of peanut mechanization has increased the amount of dust expelled from peanut mechanized operations, which degrades the air quality and endangers the health of agricultural workers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to figure out the characteristics of dust emission from mechanized peanut harvesting. To this end, the particulate matters of diameters ≤ 2.5 μm and ≤10 μm and the total suspended particles were sampled in real time during peanut harvesting in Henan Province, China, and the airborne particle concentrations and particle size distributions were measured. The dust particles discharged during the mechanized peanut harvesting were concentrated within the 2~30 µm size range. When the wind speed was reduced below the settling velocity of the largest particles, the more massive particles were carried in the downwind. The amount of free silica in the dust samples was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Both the total dust and free silica concentrations exceeded the occupational exposure and threshold limits. To improve the characteristics of dust emission, the microstructure and dispersion of the dust were also investigated. Reducing the agricultural operations during periods of high wind speed, low crop-moisture content, and low air humidity is recommended for reducing the dust exposure of workers. The results will provide guidance and technical support for reducing the dust emissions of mechanized harvesting operations, improving air quality, and reducing the health hazards to operators.
Lime and Manure Amendment Improve Soil Fertility, Productivity and Nutrient Uptake of Rice-Mustard-Rice Cropping Pattern in an Acidic Terrace Soil
Authors: Islam Mohammad Rafiqul , Talukder Mohammad Moyeed Hasan , Hoque Mohammad Anamul , Uddin Shihab , Hoque Tahsina Sharmin , Rea Rafea Sultana , Alorabi Mohammed , Gaber Ahmed , Kasim Susilawati
Published: November 2021

Acid soil is an obstacle to agricultural development and a concern regarding food and environmental security. Therefore, a study was carried out for two consecutive years to see how lime and organic manure (OM) amendments affect yield and nutrient absorption in the Transplanted (T.) Aman–Mustard–Boro cropping pattern in an acidic terrace soil. With nine treatments and three replications, the experiment was set in a randomized complete block design. The treatments were applied to the first crop, T. Aman, with different dosages of lime (dololime at the rate of 1 and 2 t ha−1), OM (cow dung at 5 t ha−1, poultry manure at 3 t ha−1) and lime–OM combination, and their residual effects were studied in the following mustard and boro rice crops. Results demonstrate that the effect of lime and manure was more pronounced in the case of the second and third crops in the first year and of all crops in the pattern in the second year. In the first year, grain and straw yield of T. Aman as well as the overall system productivity were not influenced significantly by the application of lime and manure, but significant increases were obtained in the second year. As an average of both years, the highest grain yield of 5.2 t ha−1 (12% over control) was recorded for T. Aman, 1.7 t ha−1 (41% over control) for mustard and 5.9 t ha−1 (47% over control, 3.9 t ha−1) for boro rice when dololime was applied in combination with poultry manure. In both years, N, P, K and S uptake were significantly increased compared to the control in all the crops due to the combined application of lime and cow dung or poultry manure. Combined application of lime and manure amendment significantly improved nutrient availability and soil quality. Therefore, applying lime in combination with manure can be practiced to uplift crop productivity in acidic terrace soils.
Determinants of Farmers’ Confidence in Agricultural Production Recovery during the Early Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic in China
Authors: Xie Yanqi , Sarkar Apurbo , Hossain Md. Shakhawat , Hasan Ahmed Khairul , Xia Xianli
Published: November 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the agricultural supply chain, export of agricultural products, and overall food security. However, minimal exploration has been attempted of farmers’ confidence in agricultural production recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study intends to explore the determinants of farmers’ confidence in agricultural production recovery in China during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, we analyzed the relationship between risk expectation and social support on the farmers’ confidence in agricultural production recovery by using the ordered probit model. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from February to March 2020 from 458 farm households in the 7 provinces of China to produce the findings. We found that the risk expectation of farmers had a significant negative impact on farmers’ confidence in agricultural production recovery. Social support seemingly had a significant positive impact on the farmers’ confidence in agricultural production recovery, and could play a supportive role in moderating the relationship between risk expectation and farmers’ confidence in recovery. However, social support alleviates the adverse effect of risk expectation on farmers’ confidence in agricultural production recovery to a certain extent. In addition, there were intergenerational differences in the effects of risk expectation and social support on farmers’ confidence in agricultural production recovery. These results imply that policies establishing the risk early warning mechanisms for agricultural production and strengthening the social support from governments and financial institutions are likely to significantly impact agricultural development in the post-COVID-19 era. The formal and informal risk minimization mechanisms should extend their support to vulnerable sectors such as agribusiness.
Effect of Drip Fertigation with Nitrogen Application on Bioactive Compounds and the Nutritional Value of Potato Tubers before and after Their Long-Term Storage
Authors: Wichrowska Dorota , Rolbiecki Roman , Rolbiecki Stanisław , Sadan Hicran A. , Figas Anna , Jagosz Barbara , Atilgan Atilgan , Pal-Fam Ferenc
Published: November 2021

The nutritional value and the content of bioactive compounds in potato tubers are influenced by many soil, climate and agrotechnical factors. This study investigated the effect of drip irrigation and nitrogen fertilization by broadcasting and fertigation on the content of dry matter, starch, monosaccharides, total sugars, vitamin C, polyphenolic compounds, chlorogenic acid and antioxidant activity in tubers of “Augusta” potatoes. Additionally, the magnitude of the changes in the tested components during their long-term storage (6 months) was also assessed. Drip irrigation had a significant positive effect on the content of dry matter, starch, vitamin C, monosaccharides, sucrose, total sugars, total polyphenols, chlorogenic acid and antioxidant capacity. Compared to broadcasting fertilization, fertigation significantly increased the content of vitamin C, total polyphenols and chlorogenic acid, as well as the antioxidant activity of potato tubers. Long-term storage contributed to a decrease in the tested components. The exception was the content of monosaccharides, where a more than twofold increase was noted, especially in the case of irrigated tubers. The results of the research showed a beneficial effect of drip irrigation and fertigation on the content of bioactive compounds and the nutritional value of “Augusta” potato tubers.
Cold Storage Period of Bulbs Influences Their Sugar Contents and Post-Storage Growth and Flowering in Lilium Oriental Hybrids
Authors: Kim Jiseon , Oh Wook
Published: November 2021

This study was carried out to investigate the changes in internal shoot growth, total and reducing sugar content, plant growth, and flowering characteristics after cold-stored bulbs of Lilium Oriental Hybrids are planted. Bulbs of Lilium Oriental Hybrids ‘Le Reve’, ‘Sorbonne’, and ‘Siberia’ were harvested at the end of November, cleaned, treated with fungicides, conditioned for 30 days at 4 °C, and cold-stored for 30 to 120 days at 0 °C. Plant height, fresh and dry weights, leaf numbers and area, chlorophyll content (SPAD index), days to flowering, number of flower buds, and flower diameter were measured when the cut flowers were harvested. In all cultivars, the shoot lengths in the bulbs increased as the storage period increased. As the storage period was extended, the fructose and glucose contents increased, whereas sucrose content decreased. The total sugar content increased during the early storage period and decreased subsequently. Plant height, fresh and dry weights of cut flowers showed a decreasing trend as the storage period increased. Flower diameter generally decreased with increasing storage period but varied among cultivars. These results indicated that more storage carbohydrates in bulbs were consumed as the storage period increased, and thus, the subsequent plant growth and flowering were negatively affected.
Summer Pruning, an Eco-Friendly Approach to Controlling Bitter Pit and Preserving Sensory Quality in Highly Vigorous Apple cv. ‘Reinette du Canada’
Authors: Guerra Marcos , Sanz Miguel Ángel , Rodríguez-González Álvaro , Casquero Pedro Antonio
Published: November 2021

Summer pruning reduces vegetative growth in apple trees, but it could have an impact on fruit quality. This study analyzed the effects of summer pruning as an eco-friendly pre-harvest alternative to chemical growth regulation inputs on instrumental and sensory quality of highly vigorous apple cv. ‘Reinette du Canada’, which has been awarded with a Protected Designation of Origin label in two environments. The results showed that summer pruning affected the mineral content of the fruit. Summer pruning reduced bitter pit, but it did not negatively affect fruit weight nor any other instrumental characteristic during storage. Moreover, sensory quality or degree of liking were not affected by summer pruning. Thus, summer pruning could be an eco-friendly pre-harvest alternative to chemical treatments to improve quality in global terms of ‘Reinette du Canada’ apple cultivar, regardless of the location. This technique contributed to the decrease of bitter pit incidence, but did not decrease sensory quality nor degree of liking.
Stability and Adaptability of Maize Hybrids for Precision Crop Production in a Long-Term Field Experiment in Hungary
Authors: Bojtor Csaba , Mousavi Seyed Mohammad Nasir , Illés Árpád , Széles Adrienn , Nagy János , Marton Csaba L.
Published: October 2021

Sustainability is one of the main components of precision farming that will lead to food security and production resources for current and future generations. The selection of suitable hybrids and fertilizers is among the methods that can directly influence sustainable agriculture and economic efficiency at the farm level, providing accurate site-specific nutrient management strategies for yield maximization. This experiment included two fertilizer sources in ten maize hybrids in four replications for three consecutive years (2018–2020). The experiment was carried out at the Látókép Crop Production Experimental Site of the University of Debrecen, Hungary. The results of the ANOVA showed that genotype, year, and fertilizer levels had various effects on grain yield, oil, protein, and starch content. FAO340 had maximum grain yield on different fertilizers (NPK and N), and FAO350 had maximum protein content. To gain the best performance and maximum yield of maize on protein and oil, FAO350 is recommended for protein and FAO340 for oil content. The parameters of grain yield, oil content, protein content, and starch content affected by NPK fertilizer provide the stability of grain yield parameters. FAO360, FAO420, and FAO320 hybrids had their maximum desirable N fertilizer doses and NPK fertilizer stability in this research. These results indicate that FAO360, FAO420, and FAO330 hybrids had their maximum potential yield in different fertilizer and environmental conditions. Based on this multi-year study, the complete NPK fertilizer with 150 kg/ha nitrogen, 115 kg/ha potassium, 135 kg/ha phosphorus is recommended to be used on maize hybrids.
How Maize Seed Systems Can Contribute to the Control of Mycotoxigenic Fungal Infection: A Perspective
Authors: Biemond P. Christiaan , Stomph Tjeerd Jan , Kumar P. Lava , Struik Paul C.
Published: October 2021

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi on agricultural produce. Mycotoxins can be cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and teratogenic, and they are persistent threats to human and animal health. Consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated maize can cause cancer and even sudden death. Health hazards can also occur from consuming products from animals fed with mycotoxin-contaminated feed or forage. The main mode of spread of mycotoxigenic fungi is through air-borne spores originating from soil or plant debris, although some fungi can also spread through infected seed-to-seedling transmission, ultimately followed by contamination of the harvestable product. This perspective assesses opportunities to prevent mycotoxigenic fungal infection in maize seeds produced for sowing as an important starting point of crop contamination. A case study of Nigeria showed infection in all tested farmer-produced, seed company, and foundation seed samples. A schematic overview of the formal and informal seed systems is presented to analyze their contribution to fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination in the maize value chain, as well as to set criteria for successful control. We recommend an integrated approach to control mycotoxigenic fungal infection, including resistant varieties and other control methods during seed production, grain production, and grain storage, with an important role in maintaining seed health.
The Role of Laccase from Zygomycetous Fungus Mortierella elasson in Humic Acids Degradation
Authors: Lisov Alexander , Belova Oksana , Zavarzina Anna , Konstantinov Andrey , Leontievsky Alexey
Published: October 2021

Biochemical stability of soil humus is an important factor affecting soil quality. Fungi are among the most efficient decomposers of humic matter due to presence of oxidative enzymes, including phenoloxidase laccase. Production of laccase by zygomycetes, a group of cellulolytic fungi widespread in soil, is poorly studied. The potential role of laccase from zygomycetes in humus turnover is unknown. Here, we show for the first time that laccase of zygomycetous fungus Mortierella elasson can effectively depolymerize humic acids in vitro. The fungus produced laccase extracellularly in a liquid culture medium. Unlike in case of laccases in ligninolytic basidiomycetes, attempts to increase enzyme activity using inductors, changes in the source of nitrogen and carbon failed to lead to any increase in laccase production. Laccase was purified using ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The molecular weight of the laccase was 51.75 kDa. The laccase catalyzed the oxidation of ABTS and K4[Fe(CN)6], phenolic compounds, but not tyrosine. The laccase activity was inhibited by NaN3 and NaF. The pH optimum of the laccase activity was 3.0 for ABTS and 5.0 for 2,6-dimethoxy phenol. The enzyme had moderate thermal stability and was rapidly inactivated at 70 °C. Purified laccase depolymerized humic acids from retisol, compost and peat more effectively than culture liquid containing laccase. The results of the study extend our knowledge of the role of laccases from different producers in the transformation of natural organic matter.
Maceration Time Affects the Efficacy of Borage Extracts as Potential Biostimulant on Rocket Salad
Authors: Franzoni Giulia , Bulgari Roberta , Ferrante Antonio
Published: October 2021

The efficacy of plant-based biostimulants lays on the extraction of bioactive compounds that can trigger positive biological responses in plants. Their use has been increasing for lowering the production costs, enhance the yield and the stress tolerance, and improve the cropping systems’ sustainability. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of maceration time on borage extracts, subsequently sprayed on rocket plants hydroponically grown. A preliminary test was also assessed to evaluate the extracts’ effect on seeds germination. Borage leaves and flowers were separated and macerated in the same conditions for different times. The obtained borage extracts were applied two times during the cultivation of rocket plants. The yield was not affected by the treatments, while the quality of leafy vegetables was improved. The results indicated that the flower extracts (FE) were more active than leaf extracts (LE) in stimulating the crop response. Promising results were observed on the nitrate assimilation, with reduced accumulation in the edible and commercial parts. Non-destructive analysis revealed that electron transport rates were significantly higher in treated plants. Biostimulant effects were also confirmed by the lowering of sucrose and sugars content in the treated plants and by a general increment of secondary metabolites.
Marker-Assisted Evaluation of Two Powdery Mildew Resistance Candidate Genes in Korean Cucumber Inbred Lines
Authors: Badri Anarjan Mahdi , Bae Ikhyun , Lee Sanghyeob
Published: November 2021

Two genes, CsLRR-RPK2 (CsGy5G015660) and CsaMLO8 (Csa5G623470), have been considered as powdery mildew (PM) resistance genes in cucumbers. In this study, we evaluated the involvement of the alleles of these two genes in PM resistance in 100 commercial Korean cucumber inbred lines. To achieve this, we developed cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) and InDel markers from CsLRR-RPK2 and CsaMLO8. Genotyping analysis indicated that the CsLRR-RPK2-CAPS marker showed a stronger correlation with the PM-resistant phenotype, with an 84% consistency compared to the CsaMLO8-InDel marker. The use of the CsaMLO8-InDel marker showed a 70% consistency between phenotype and genotype results. It was proposed that the CsLRR-RPK2-CAPS marker successfully eliminated PM-susceptible inbred lines, since both genotype and phenotype results were 100% identical. Furthermore, the present study revealed that the introduction of one of these alleles is probably enough to confer PM resistance in cucumbers. However, seven PM-resistant inbred lines harbored either CsaMLO8 or CsLRR-RPK2 alleles, indicating that there is another PM-resistant resource(s) besides CsaMLO8- and CsLRR-RPK2–originated resistance in the commercial Korean inbred lines. Our results provide reliable evidence confirming two PM-resistant candidate genes for the detection of PM resistance resources in cucumber inbred lines.
Factors Determining Rice Farm Households’ Adoption of Organic Farming in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Min-Han , Chang Yun-Cih , Yang Ting-Ya , Luh Yir-Hueih
Published: November 2021

The adoption of environmentally friendly farming practices, such as organic farming, is promoted as a promising option for meeting the sustainable development goals in Taiwan. Taking the paddy rice as an example, this study examines the determining factors of organic farming adoption with an emphasis on farm households’ socio-economic characteristics. Based on data drawn from the 2015 Census of Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery and Animal Husbandry, rice farm households’ adoption of organic farming is defined as allocating part of the farmland to rice plantation without using any chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In line with previous research, farm operators’ age, educational level and on-farm workdays are found to be significant determinants of organic farming adoption. Socio-economic characteristics of the farm household are also found to be relevant to the adoption decision. The results suggest that household-level human capital such as proportion of middle-aged or elder members, and proportion of members with college degree, have significantly positive effect on the adoption probability. Since organic farming is more labor-demanding than conventional farming, this study performs a further analysis to examine the differences in the determining factors between full-time and part-time households. Relative to the young operators, middle-aged operators in the full-time households are found to be less likely to adopt organic farming, whereas the elder operators in the part-time households have a higher adoption probability. Additionally, share of members with a college degree is found to be another significant driving factor of adoption, which is however only true for the part-time households. Exploring the diverse impacts of socio-economic factors for the two groups of households contributes to the extant literature by narrowing the gap in understanding the relation between farm management strategy and organic farming adoption.
Use of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Combination with Chitosan on Maize Crop: Promising Prospects for Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and against Abiotic Stress
Authors: Agbodjato Nadège , Mikpon Toussaint , Babalola Olubukola , Dah-Nouvlessounon Durand , Amogou Olaréwadjou , Lehmane Halfane , Adoko Marcel , Adjanohoun Adolphe , Baba-Moussa Lamine
Published: November 2021

Faced with the problems posed by the abusive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, it is important to find other alternatives that can guarantee a sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of a PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria) Pseudomonas putida strain to different abiotic stress in in vitro conditions and the synergistic effect of this rhizobacterium in combination with chitosan extracted from crab exoskeletons on the growth of maize in greenhouse conditions. The strain of P. putida was put in culture at different temperatures, pH, and NaCl concentrations to determine its growth. Then, this strain in combination with chitosan extracts were tested for their ability to improve maize growth for 30 days. The results showed that the P. putida strain showed excellent resistance capacities to different salt concentrations, pH, and temperature variations. Moreover, an improvement in plant growth and biomass yield parameters was observed. The highest values of height, diameter, and leaf area were obtained with the plants treated with the combination of chitosan extracted from Cardisoma armatum and P. putida, with increases of 26.8%, 31%, and 55.7%, respectively, compared to the control. This study shows the possibility of using chitosan and rhizobacteria as biostimulants to improve productivity and increase maize yield in a sustainable manner.
Carbohydrate Assimilation and Translocation Regulate Grain Yield Formation in Wheat Crops (Triticum aestivum L.) under Post-Flowering Waterlogging
Authors: Ma Shangyu , Gai Panpan , Wang Yanyan , Ullah Najeeb , Zhang Wenjing , Fan Yonghui , Shan Yajing , Huang Zhenglai , Hu Xia
Published: November 2021

In a two-year field study, we quantified the impact of post-flowering soil waterlogging on carbon assimilation and grain yield formation in wheat crops. At anthesis, wheat cultivars YangMai 18 (YM18) and YanNong 19 (YN19) were waterlogged for different durations, i.e., 0 (W0), 3 (W3), 6 (W6) and 9 (W9) days using artificial structures. Changes in leaf physiology, carbon assimilation and biomass production were quantified at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days after anthesis under all treatments. Short-term (W3) waterlogging had no significant effect on wheat crops but W6 and W9 significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), leaf SPAD value, and grain weight of the tested cultivars. Increasing waterlogging duration significantly increased dry matter accumulation in the spike-axis + glumes but reduced dry matter accumulation in grain. Further, the tested cultivars responded significantly variably to W6 and W9. Averaged across two years, YM 18 performed relatively superior to YN19 in response to long-term waterlogging. For example, at 14 days after anthesis, W9 plants of YM18 and YN19 experienced a 17.4% and 23.2% reduction in SPAD and 25.3% and 30.8% reduction in Pn, respectively, compared with their W0 plants. Consequently, YM18 suffered a relatively smaller grain yield loss (i.e., 16.0%) than YN19 (23.4%) under W9. Our study suggests that wheat cultivar YM18 could protect grain development from waterlogging injury by sustaining assimilates supplies to grain under waterlogged environments.
Alternative Strategies for Controlling the Brown Locust, Locustana pardalina (Walker)
Authors: Price Roger
Published: November 2021

Regular and often intense outbreaks of the brown locust, Locustana pardalina (Walker), in the semi-arid Nama Karoo region of South Africa present a formidable pest control problem. Outbreak patterns over a 64-year period (1941–2005) were reviewed indicating a very high frequency of outbreak years with regular ‘plague’ periods being experienced, while a more detailed analysis of the numbers of locust targets controlled during a 22-year period (1983–2005) described the intensity and scale of the outbreaks. The operational constraints associated with the traditional ground-based control strategy employed against the thousands of individual roosting brown locust hopper band and swarm targets in the Karoo are discussed. A brief review of laboratory and field trials of alternative methods of controlling the brown locust, such as insecticide baits, barrier treatments and the Green Muscle® myco-insecticide, as an alternative to broad-spectrum pyrethroid insecticides are described. In addition, alternative control strategies to the current ‘Commando’ system of ground-based control operations are discussed. The recommendation is for a modernised and technology-equipped integrated brown locust management strategy (IPM), combining ground and aerial tactics that will have the flexibility and the capacity to deal effectively with outbreaks. The integrated management strategy should focus on ground-based control of hopper bands and fledgling swarms in the Upper and eastern Karoo, while outbreaks over most of the Central Karoo and arid Bushmanland areas should be left to fledge and coalesce into large-sized swarms that could then be targeted by spray aircraft as they migrate along their known swarm flight paths. The introduction of electronic reporting and GIS mapping technologies for brown locust campaign management is essential.
Emerging Research Topic Detection Using Filtered-LDA
Authors: Alattar Fuad , Shaalan Khaled
Published: November 2021

Comparing two sets of documents to identify new topics is useful in many applications, like discovering trending topics from sets of scientific papers, emerging topic detection in microblogs, and interpreting sentiment variations in Twitter. In this paper, the main topic-modeling-based approaches to address this task are examined to identify limitations and necessary enhancements. To overcome these limitations, we introduce two separate frameworks to discover emerging topics through a filtered latent Dirichlet allocation (filtered-LDA) model. The model acts as a filter that identifies old topics from a timestamped set of documents, removes all documents that focus on old topics, and keeps documents that discuss new topics. Filtered-LDA also genuinely reduces the chance of using keywords from old topics to represent emerging topics. The final stage of the filter uses multiple topic visualization formats to improve human interpretability of the filtered topics, and it presents the most-representative document for each topic.
Deer Rescue in Tuscany: Retrospective Analysis and Assessment of Radiography Diagnoses
Authors: Nocera Irene , Puccinelli Caterina , Sgorbini Micaela , Scoccianti Simone , Aloisi Marco , Biliotti Claudia , Citi Simonetta
Published: November 2021

Animal-vehicle collisions are the major cause of rescue and need for hospitalization in wildlife referral centers. Clinicians need easy-to-use tools to make rapid decisions about whether to euthanize or treat injured animals. The aim of the study was to evaluate the data (reasons for rescue, diagnosed lesions, and outcome) from a hospitalized population of wildlife ungulates and investigate the benefits of using radiography as a diagnostic tool. Data were collected from three wildlife referral centers in Tuscany (Italy). The following information was collected for each animal: reason for hospitalization, clinical examination, radiographic examination, definitive diagnosis, and outcome. A chi-squared test was used to assess the benefits of radiography in detecting different traumatic lesions. Prevalence was reported according to the reason for hospitalization, definitive diagnosis, radiographic diagnosis, and outcome. The main reason for hospitalization was traumatic lesions due to vehicle collisions and 71.1% of the animals did not survive. Radiography was more useful in patients with traumatic axial skeletal lesions and/or multiple traumas with respect to traumatic appendicular skeleton lesions. Our results show that radiography is a useful diagnostic technique for assessing wildlife emergencies and it could help the clinician in making medical decisions.
Systematic Analysis of Breed, Methodological, and Geographical Impact on Equine Sperm Progressive Motility
Authors: Perrett Jodie , Harris Imogen Thea , Maddock Christy , Farnworth Mark , Pyatt Alison Z. , Sumner Rebecca Nicole
Published: November 2021

Over the past five decades, there has been increasing evidence to indicate global declines in human semen quality. Parallel adverse trends measured in male animals indicate a potential environmental aetiology. This study evaluated the progressive motility (PM) of stallion ejaculate through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 696 estimates of equine PM from 280 studies, which collected semen samples between the years 1990 and 2018, were collated for meta-analysis. The method of motility analysis, breed, season of collection, and geographical location were extracted. Simple linear regression determined temporal trends in stallion PM. Studies using microscopy estimated PM to be significantly greater compared to computer-automated methods (p ≤ 0.001). For Arabian breeds, PM was consistently higher than other breeds. Over time, there was a significant decline in PM for studies from Europe (n = 267) but a significant increase for studies from North America (n = 259). Temporal trends indicate the fertilising capacity of equine ejaculate has remained consistently high in the last three decades. That being so, variations observed suggest methodological, geographical, and individual stallion differences may significantly influence actual and reported stallion fertility potential.
Deep-Learning-Based Automatic Monitoring of Pigs’ Physico-Temporal Activities at Different Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
Authors: Bhujel Anil , Arulmozhi Elanchezhian , Moon Byeong-Eun , Kim Hyeon-Tae
Published: November 2021

Pig behavior is an integral part of health and welfare management, as pigs usually reflect their inner emotions through behavior change. The livestock environment plays a key role in pigs’ health and wellbeing. A poor farm environment increases the toxic GHGs, which might deteriorate pigs’ health and welfare. In this study a computer-vision-based automatic monitoring and tracking model was proposed to detect pigs’ short-term physical activities in the compromised environment. The ventilators of the livestock barn were closed for an hour, three times in a day (07:00–08:00, 13:00–14:00, and 20:00–21:00) to create a compromised environment, which increases the GHGs level significantly. The corresponding pig activities were observed before, during, and after an hour of the treatment. Two widely used object detection models (YOLOv4 and Faster R-CNN) were trained and compared their performances in terms of pig localization and posture detection. The YOLOv4, which outperformed the Faster R-CNN model, was coupled with a Deep-SORT tracking algorithm to detect and track the pig activities. The results revealed that the pigs became more inactive with the increase in GHG concentration, reducing their standing and walking activities. Moreover, the pigs shortened their sternal-lying posture, increasing the lateral lying posture duration at higher GHG concentration. The high detection accuracy (mAP: 98.67%) and tracking accuracy (MOTA: 93.86% and MOTP: 82.41%) signify the models’ efficacy in the monitoring and tracking of pigs’ physical activities non-invasively.
PK/PD Analysis by Nonlinear Mixed-Effects Modeling of a Marbofloxacin Dose Regimen for Treatment of Goat Mastitis Produced by Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci
Authors: Lorenzutti Augusto Matías , Vico Juan Pablo , Serrano-Rodríguez Juan Manuel , Himelfarb Martín Alejandro , Andrés-Larrea Manuel Ignacio San , Lucas-Burneo José Julio de , Litterio Nicolás Javier
Published: November 2021

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are main pathogens that produce goat mastitis. Marbofloxacin is a third-generation fluoroquinolone approved for treat mastitis in animals. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine the pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin (10 mg/kg/24 h) in serum and milk administered intramuscularly for five days in goats with mastitis induced by coagulase-negative staphylococci; (ii) to characterize the concentration–effect relationship of marbofloxacin against coagulase-negative staphylococci in Mueller Hinton broth and goat milk; (iii) to determine AUC/MIC cutoff values of marbofloxacin, and (iv) to perform a PK/PD analysis to evaluate the efficacy of the dose regimen for the treatment of goat mastitis produced by coagulase-negative staphylococci. Marbofloxacin presented context-sensitive pharmacokinetics, influenced by the evolution of the disease, which decreased marbofloxacin disposition in serum and milk. Marbofloxacin showed a median (95% CI) fAUC/MIC values for MIC of 0.4 and 0.8 µg/mL of 26.66 (22.26–36.64) and 32.28 (26.57–48.35) related with −2 log10CFU/mL reduction; and 32.26 (24.81–81.50) and 41.39 (29.38–128.01) for −3 log10CFU/mL reduction in Mueller Hinton broth. For milk, −2 log10CFU/mL reduction was achieved with 41.48 (35.29–58.73) and 51.91 (39.09–131.63), and −3 log10CFU/mL reduction with 51.04 (41.6–82.1) and 65.65 (46.68–210.16). The proposed dose regimen was adequate for the treatment of goat mastitis produced by coagulase-negative staphylococci, resulting in microbiological and clinical cure of all animals. The animal model used in this study provided important pharmacokinetic information about the effect of the infection on the pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin. Pharmacodynamic modeling showed that fAUC/MIC cutoff values were higher in goat milk compared with Mueller Hinton broth.
The Impact of Zn, Cu and Fe Chelates on the Fatty-Acid Profile and Dietary Value of Broiler-Chicken Thigh Meat
Authors: Winiarska-Mieczan Anna , Jachimowicz Karolina , Kwiecień Małgorzata , Kislova Svitlana , Baranowska-Wójcik Ewa , Zasadna Zvenyslava , Yanovych Dmytro , Kowalczuk-Vasilev Edyta
Published: November 2021

This study aimed to compare the effect of Zn, Cu and Fe glycine chelates on the proximate composition, cholesterol levels, fatty-acid profile and dietary value of the thigh meat of broiler chickens. The experiment involved three hundred and fifty Ross 308 chickens divided into seven groups. The chickens were administered Zn, Cu and Fe glycine chelates in an amount corresponding to 50% of the requirement or 25% of the requirement for 42 days. It was found that the use of Zn, Cu and Fe glycine chelates did affect the fatty acid profile and dietary value of meat. A positive impact was most frequently (p < 0.05) noted in chickens receiving Zn chelate in an amount covering 50% of the requirement: the lowest levels of SFA and atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, the highest content of PUFA n−3 and PUFA/SFA ratios and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic indices. Positive effects were more often recorded for chickens receiving Zn in an amount corresponding to 50% of the requirement. The results did not show that the use of Cu and Fe glycine chelates can reduce the dietary value of thigh meat in broiler chickens since, generally, the outcomes were not worse than those in the control group. It should be highlighted that due to ambiguous results, it is impossible to determine a dose of Cu and Fe glycine chelate which would be more efficient for broiler chickens. However, chickens receiving chelates in amounts corresponding to 25% of the requirement showed far better results.
The Distribution, Expression Patterns and Functional Analysis of NR1D1 and NR4A2 in the Reproductive Axis Tissues of the Male Tianzhu White Yak
Authors: Dai Lijun , Zhang Quanwei , Shi Jun , Bai Xu , An Xiaoxiao , Zhang Bohao , Zhang Yong , Zhao Xingxu
Published: November 2021

Nuclear hormone receptors NR1D1 and NR4A2 play important roles in the synthesis and metabolism of hormones that are thought to be strictly regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis (HPG) tissues via gene expression. However, in the yak, the function and regulatory mechanisms of NR1D1 and NR4A2 are not clearly understood. The current study is aimed to investigate the expression patterns, distribution and functions of these two receptors in HPG tissues in male Tianzhu white yaks. Immunohistochemical staining showed NR1D1 and NR4A2 proteins were present in all yak HPG tissues with differential expression patterns and degrees of staining, particularly in Leydig cells that were strongly positive in accordance with the immunofluorescence results. qRT-PCR and Western blot results suggested that the highest expression levels of NR1D1 and NR4A2 mRNA were present in the hypothalamus, while the expression levels of NR1D1 and NR4A2 proteins were higher in the testis and epididymis than in the hypothalamus or pituitary gland. In addition, expression levels of NR1D1 and NR4A2 mRNA and protein in testicular tissues differed by age. Expression levels were significantly higher at 6 years of age. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis enrichment revealed that NR1D1 may directly regulate the synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones via interaction with different targets, while NR4A2 may indirectly regulate the synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones. These results showed that NR1D1 and NR4A2, as important mediators, are involved in the regulation of male yak reproduction, and especially of steroid hormones and androgen metabolism. These results will be helpful for the further understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of NR1D1 and NR4A2 in yak reproduction.
Growth Performance, Growth-Related Genes, Digestibility, Digestive Enzyme Activity, Immune and Stress Responses of de novo Camelina Meal in Diets of Red Seabream (Pagrus major)
Authors: Mzengereza Kumbukani , Ishikawa Manabu , Koshio Shunsuke , Yokoyama Saichiro , Yukun Zhang , Shadrack Ronick S. , Seo Seok , Kotani Tomonari , Dossou Serge , Basuini Mohammed F. El , Dawood Mahmoud A. O.
Published: November 2021

A 60-day experiment was designed to assess the effect of different ratios of fish meal (FM): camelina meal plant protein (CM) on growth response and relative gene expression of growth-promoting factors, feed utilization potency, digestive enzymes activities, apparent digestibility (ADC), stress response, non-specific immunity of Pagrus major. Four isonitrogenous (490.7 g/kg of crude protein) and isolipidic (91.5 g/kg total lipid) experimental diets were formulated and designated as camelina meal (CM0), soyabean meal (SBM20.5), CM20.5, and CM33 based on protein contents. At the end of the feed trial, significantly higher (p < 0.05) weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed intake but lower feed conversion ratio were recorded in fish fed CM0, SBM20.5, and CM20.5 than fish fed CM33. The lowest growth, feed utilization, enzyme activity, and digestibility were recorded in fish fed CM33. Significantly higher pepsin, amylase, and protease activities were observed in fish fed CM0, SBM20.5, and CM20.5 diets than fish fed CM33. The highest ADC of protein was recorded in fish fed CM0, SBM20.5, and CM20.5 diets. Hematocrit levels were depressed CM33 while total serum protein, total cholesterol, triglyceride, blood urea nitrogen, total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were not significantly changed by the inclusion of CM. Non-specific immune variables (lysozyme activity, peroxidase activity in serum and nitro blue tetrazolium) in fish fed CM0, SBM20.5, and CM20.5 were significantly higher than in fish fed CM33 diet. The superoxide dismutase of fish fed CM20.5 was not significantly different from CM0 and SBM20.5 (p > 0.05). Catalase and low salinity stress test show that CM0, SBM20.5, and CM20.5 were not significantly (p > 0.05) different, while CM33 was significantly lower than the rest of the diets. TBARs show that CM20.5 and CM33 diets were significantly different (p < 0.05), but CM20.5 was not significantly different from SBM20.5. Significantly higher hepatic IGF-1 and IGF-2 mRNA expression was found in fish-fed diet groups CM0, SBM20.5, and CM20.5 than fish fed CM33. The present study indicated that the addition of CM up 205 kg/kg to diet maintains growth, digestive enzymes, nutrient digestibility, immunity, stress resistance, and feed utilization efficiency of red sea bream.
Presence of Tetracycline and Sulfonamide Resistance Genes in Salmonella spp.: Literature Review
Authors: Pavelquesi Sabrina Lunara Santos , de Oliveira Ferreira Ana Carolina Almeida , Rodrigues Angeislenie Ricelle Magalhães , de Souza Silva Calliandra Maria , Orsi Daniela Castilho , da Silva Izabel Cristina Rodrigues
Published: October 2021

Tetracyclines and sulfonamides are broad-spectrum antibacterial agents which have been used to treat bacterial infections for over half a century. The widespread use of tetracyclines and sulfonamides led to the emergence of resistance in a diverse group of bacteria. This resistance can be studied by searching for resistance genes present in the bacteria responsible for different resistance mechanisms. Salmonella is one of the leading bacteria causing foodborne diseases worldwide, and its resistance to tetracyclines and sulfonamides has been widely reported. The literature review searched the Virtual Health Library for articles with specific data in the studied samples: the resistance genes found, the primers used in PCR, and the thermocycler conditions. The results revealed that Salmonella presented high rates of resistance to tetracycline and sulfonamide, and the most frequent samples used to isolate Salmonella were poultry and pork. The tetracycline resistance genes most frequently detected from Salmonella spp. were tetA followed by tetB. The gene sul1 followed by sul2 were the most frequently sulfonamide resistance genes present in Salmonella. These genes are associated with plasmids, transposons, or both, and are often conjugative, highlighting the transference potential of these genes to other bacteria, environments, animals, and humans.
Antimicrobially Active Semen Extenders Allow the Reduction of Antibiotic Use in Pig Insemination
Authors: Luther Anne-Marie , Nguyen Thu Quynh , Verspohl Jutta , Waberski Dagmar
Published: November 2021

Antibiotic use in semen extenders for livestock may contribute to the development and spreading of multi-drug resistance. Antimicrobial control in semen doses for artificial insemination of pigs is indispensable due to the relatively high storage temperature (17 °C). The objectives of this study were first, to examine whether the antimicrobial capacity differs between antibiotic-free extenders and second, to determine whether an antimicrobial active extender provides the possibility to reduce antibiotics. Antibiotic-free semen extenders Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS) and Androstar Premium were inoculated at 103 to 104 CFU/mL with four pure bacterial strains isolated from boar ejaculates or a mixture thereof, and then stored for 144 h at 17 °C. Bacterial counts after aerobic culture decreased in BTS up to one log level and decreased in Androstar Premium by 2 to 3.5 log levels (p < 0.05). In semen samples from nine boars stored in the inoculated Androstar Premium extender containing half of the standard concentration of gentamicin, bacteria counts were below 101 CFU/mL. Likewise, half of the standard dose of apramycin and ampicillin was fully antimicrobially active and sperm quality was maintained. In conclusion, semen extenders with intrinsic antimicrobial activity allow a reduction in antibiotic use in pig insemination.
Poly(lactic acid)/Zinc/Alginate Complex Material: Preparation and Antimicrobial Properties
Authors: Kudzin Marcin H. , Giełdowska Małgorzata , Mrozińska Zdzisława , Boguń Maciej
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate an antimicrobial and degradable composite material consisting of melt-blown poly(lactic acid) nonwoven fabrics, alginate, and zinc. This paper describes the method of preparation and the characterization of the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of the new fibrous composite material. The procedure consists of fabrication of nonwoven fabric and two steps of dip-coating modification: (1) impregnation of nonwoven samples in the solution of alginic sodium salt and (2) immersion in a solution of zinc (II) chloride. The characterization and analysis of new material included scanning electron microscopy (SEM), specific surface area (SSA), and total/average pore volume (BET). The polylactide/alginate/Zn fibrous composite were subjected to microbial activity tests against colonies of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacterial strains, and the following fungal strains: Aspergillus niger van Tieghem and Chaetomium globosum. These results lay a technical foundation for the development and potential application of new composite as an antibacterial/antifungal material in biomedical areas.