Journal articles on the topic 'Animal-free methodology'
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JONES, SHUNA A., ROBERT S. SALTER, TIM GOLDSMITH, JULIO QUINTANA, PAUL RAPNICKI, KAREN SHUCK, JIM E. WELLS, MARILYN J. SCHNEIDER, and DEE GRIFFIN. "Development and Model Testing of Antemortem Screening Methodology To Predict Required Drug Withholds in Heifers†." Journal of Food Protection 77, no. 2 (February 1, 2014): 292–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-13-267.
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A simple, cow-side test for the presence of drug residues in live animal fluids would provide useful information for tissue drug residue avoidance programs. This work describes adaptation and evaluation of rapid screening tests to detect drug residues in serum and urine. Medicated heifers had urine, serum, and tissue biopsy samples taken while on drug treatment. Samples were tested by rapid methods and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The adapted microbial inhibition method, kidney inhibition swab test, was useful in detecting sulfadimethoxine in serum, and its response correlated with the prescribed withdrawal time for the drug, 5 to 6 days posttreatment. The lateral flow screening method for flunixin and beta-lactams, adapted for urine, was useful in predicting flunixin in liver detected by HPLC, 96 h posttreatment. The same adapted methods were not useful to detect ceftiofur in serum or urine due to a lack of sensitivity at the levels of interest. These antemortem screening test studies demonstrated that the method selected, and the sampling matrix chosen (urine or serum), will depend on the drug used and should be based on animal treatment history if available. The live animal tests demonstrated the potential for verification that an individual animal is free of drug residues before sale for human consumption.
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Haggarty, Paul. "Quantifying the free living energy exchanges of Arctic ungulates with stable isotopes." Rangifer 20, no. 2-3 (March 1, 2000): 59. http://dx.doi.org/10.7557/2.20.2-3.1480.
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When natural diets meet an animal's requirement for energy, other essential nutrients will usually be supplied in amounts at least sufficient for survival. Knowledge of the energy requirements of free ranging species under typical conditions are important in assessing both their nutritional needs and their ecological impact. The doubly labelled water (DLW) method is currently the most promising objective field methodology for estimating free living energy expenditure but expenditure is only equal to the energy requirement when an animal is in energy balance. Reproduction and seasonal cycles of fat deposition and utilization represent significant components of the energy budget of arctic ungulates but the information gained in the course of a typical DLW study may be used to estimate processes such as milk output and fat storage and mobilization in order to predict requirements from expenditure. The DLW method has been exhaustively validated under highly controlled conditions and the introduction of innovations such as faecal sampling for the estimation of body water isotopic enrichment, the availability of appropriate correction factors and stoichiometrics for known sources of error, and iterative calculation of unknown parameters, have produced a methodology suitable for use in truly free ranging species. The few studies carried out so far in arctic ungulates indicate that previous predictions have generally underestimated the true level of expenditure, that there is considerable between animal variation in the level of expenditure and that this is largely determined by physical activity. The disadvantages of the DLW methodology are that it remains expensive and the isotope analysis is technically demanding. Furthermore, although DLW can provide an accurate value for free living energy expenditure, it is often important to have information on the individual components of expenditure, for example the relative contribution of physical activity and thermoregulatory thermogenesis, in order to interpret the values for overall expenditure. For these reasons the most valuable use of the DLW method in the field may be to validate factorial models and other approaches so that they may be used with confidence. Additional important information on the energy exchanges of free ranging animals may be obtained from other stable isotope methodologies. In addition to the use of the isotopes 2H and lsO in the DLW method, natural variations in the abundance of "C and 15N in the arctic environment may be exploited to study diet selection in truly free living arctic ungulates.
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Pettersson, Isabelle Claire, Claire Alexandra Weeks, Lorna Rachel Maven Wilson, and Christine Janet Nicol. "Consumer perceptions of free-range laying hen welfare." British Food Journal 118, no. 8 (August 1, 2016): 1999–2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/bfj-02-2016-0065.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand which factors and resources free-range egg consumers believe are important for hen welfare. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was distributed via the mailing list of a UK free-range egg brand receiving 6,378 responses. The survey was mostly five-point Likert-scale based. The same survey was also distributed to a group of animal welfare specialists receiving 34 responses. Findings – Respondents bought free-range eggs because hens are “happier” (74.2 per cent) and “healthier” (69.0 per cent) and because they believed such eggs to taste better (57.9 per cent). They rated all the suggested factors that might contribute to hen welfare as “important” or “very important” (on average) but believed outside access and fresh air to be most important. Respondents rated the suitability of resources relating to behavioural needs high (“suitable” or “very suitable”) indoors and shelter as the most suitable outdoors. Consumers differed from welfare specialists in their views on factors contributing to hen welfare, but their views on resource suitability were similar. Research limitations/implications – The sample was biased towards free-range egg consumers who had expressed an interest in a brand marketed as high welfare. Originality/value – This is the first study to ask consumers what they consider to be important for hen welfare and how they think hen welfare can be improved. Because consumers can affect on-farm welfare through their purchasing habits assessing the degree of agreement between consumers and animal welfare specialists is important.
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Isaev, Dmitry. "Hypothermic storage of sturgeon sperm: methodology and ongoing history." Rybovodstvo i rybnoe hozjajstvo (Fish Breeding and Fisheries), no. 8 (August 1, 2020): 64–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.33920/sel-09-2008-06.
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Hypothermic storage of sperm in a liquid state without freezing, without the use of either liquid nitrogen or dry ice as well as special cryological equipment is an interesting and attractive research line in reproductive biology in terms of practical application. Historically, hypothermia is the very first approach to the preservation of genetic material, but, despite this, the methods of hypothermic storage of gametes and embryos have not received proper development and application in animal husbandry, giving way to cryopreservation. One of the main reasons for this is the high species-specific resistance to cold storage. The technologies for hypothermic storage of sperm existing today and recommended for use in fish farming and in sturgeon breeding in particular are still not effective enough and require further improvement. This short review outlines the history of the development of technologies for the hypothermic storage of sturgeon sperm, considers a number of methodological approaches, concepts and ideas behind these developments. The male reproductive system in sturgeons, the structure and physiology of spermatozoa have a number of features that distance them from teleost fishes, but partly relate to amphibians and higher vertebrates. This made it possible to apply to sturgeons some successful approaches and achievements in the development of methods for hypothermic storage of mammalian (mouse and human) sperm. Thus, the most effective and possibly promising approach is partial or complete replacement of seminal plasma with salt-free isotonic solutions based on sugars (oligosaccharides) and albumin. The purpose of this review is to draw the attention of fish farmers and researchers to developments and advances in hypothermic sperm storage.
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Harvey, Andrea M., John M. Morton, David J. Mellor, Vibeke Russell, Rosalie S. Chapple, and Daniel Ramp. "Use of Remote Camera Traps to Evaluate Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Individual Free-Roaming Wild Horses." Animals 11, no. 7 (July 15, 2021): 2101. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11072101.
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We previously developed a Ten-Stage Protocol for scientifically assessing the welfare of individual free-roaming wild animals using the Five Domains Model. The protocol includes developing methods for measuring or observing welfare indices. In this study, we assessed the use of remote camera traps to evaluate an extensive range of welfare indicators in individual free-roaming wild horses. Still images and videos were collected and analysed to assess whether horses could be detected and identified individually, which welfare indicators could be reliably evaluated, and whether behaviour could be quantitatively assessed. Remote camera trapping was successful in detecting and identifying horses (75% on still images and 72% on video observation events), across a range of habitats including woodlands where horses could not be directly observed. Twelve indicators of welfare across the Five Domains were assessed with equal frequency on both still images and video, with those most frequently assessable being body condition score (73% and 79% of observation events, respectively), body posture (76% for both), coat condition (42% and 52%, respectively), and whether or not the horse was sweating excessively (42% and 45%, respectively). An additional five indicators could only be assessed on video; those most frequently observable being presence or absence of weakness (66%), qualitative behavioural assessment (60%), presence or absence of shivering (51%), and gait at walk (50%). Specific behaviours were identified in 93% of still images and 84% of video events, and proportions of time different behaviours were captured could be calculated. Most social behaviours were rarely observed, but close spatial proximity to other horses, as an indicator of social bonds, was recorded in 36% of still images, and 29% of video observation events. This is the first study that describes detailed methodology for these purposes. The results of this study can also form the basis of application to other species, which could contribute significantly to advancing the field of wild animal welfare.
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Haseeb Ansari, Abdul, and Sri Wartini. "Application of precautionary principle in international trade law and international environmental law." Journal of International Trade Law and Policy 13, no. 1 (March 11, 2014): 19–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jitlp-04-2013-0006.
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Purpose – The purpose of writing this paper is to present a comparative but critical assessment of the applicability of the precautionary principle (PP) under the SPS Agreement, which is a part of the WTO regime by implication, and under the Cartagena Protocol, which has been made under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents an analytical exposition of both the sets of laws, trade law and environmental law. The methodology adopted is library based. The approach is to bring about an amicable co-existence of both the laws so that they could serve the dual purpose, i.e. promotion of trade and protection of “human, animal and plant life and health” and conservation of the environment. Findings – The DSB of the WTO should give due importance to the PP and should apply it liberally, keeping also in view the environmental aspects, so that along with free trade human, animal and plant health and life, and conservation of the environment are also protected. Practical implications – It will change the present paradigm and will bring both the sets of laws together. Originality/value – It focuses on the life and heath of poor people around the world. It, thus, pleads for application of strong PP.
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Grajfoner, D., F. Wemelsfelder, and E. Austin. "The qualitative assessment of pig behaviour using Repertory Grid Technique." Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science 2002 (2002): 67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1752756200007237.
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Most studies which provide qualitative assessments of animal behaviour use prefixed lists of adjectives (e.g. shy, bold, interested). However,Wemelsfelder et al. (2000, 2001), using Free-Choice-Profiling (FCP) methodology, allowed observers to develop their own descriptors for scoring pigs, and found this method to be highly reliable and repeatable. Repertory grid technique (RGT) is a frequently used method in human psychology and resembles FCP. Recently RTG has also been applied to assess personality in chimpanzees (Dutton et al., 1997). The purpose of the present study was to apply RGT to pigs and to correlate obtained pig scores with those previously obtained through FCP.
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Karásek, Matěj, Mustafa Percin, Torbjørn Cunis, Bas W. van Oudheusden, Christophe De Wagter, Bart DW Remes, and Guido CHE de Croon. "Accurate position control of a flapping-wing robot enabling free-flight flow visualisation in a wind tunnel." International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles 11 (January 2019): 175682931983368. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1756829319833683.
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Flow visualisations are essential to better understand the unsteady aerodynamics of flapping wing flight. The issues inherent to animal experiments, such as poor controllability and unnatural flapping when tethered, can be avoided by using robotic flyers that promise for a more systematic and repeatable methodology. Here, we present a new flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FWMAV)-specific control approach that, by employing an external motion tracking system, achieved autonomous wind tunnel flight with a maximum root-mean-square position error of 28 mm at low speeds (0.8–1.2 m/s) and 75 mm at high speeds (2–2.4 m/s). This allowed the first free-flight flow visualisation experiments to be conducted with an FWMAV. Time-resolved stereoscopic particle image velocimetry was used to reconstruct the three-dimensional flow patterns of the FWMAV wake. A good qualitative match was found in comparison to a tethered configuration at similar conditions, suggesting that the obtained free-flight measurements are reliable and meaningful.
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Robson, B. J., L. A. Barmuta, and P. G. Fairweather. "Methodological and conceptual issues in the search for a relationship between animal body-size distributions and benthic habitat architecture." Marine and Freshwater Research 56, no. 1 (2005): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf04210.
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Benthic ecologists have studied the distribution of animal body sizes because it is a form of ‘taxon-free’ classification that may be a useful metric for describing variation within and between ecological communities. In particular, the idea that the allometry of physiological and life-history traits may control species composition and relative abundances implies a functional link between body-size distributions and communities. The physical structure of aquatic habitats has often been cited as the mechanism by which habitat may determine body-size distributions in communities. However, further progress is hindered by a lack of theoretical clarity regarding the mechanisms that connect body size to the characteristics of ecological communities, leading to methods that may obscure interesting trends in body-size data. This review examines the methodological and conceptual issues hindering progress in the search for a relationship between animal body size and habitat architecture and suggests ways to resolve these issues. Problems are identified with current methods for the measurement of animal body size, the data and measures used to quantify body-size distributions and the methods used to identify patterns therein. Fundamentally, renewed emphasis on the mechanisms by which animal body sizes are influenced by habitat architecture is required to refine methodology and synthesise results from pattern-seeking and mechanistic studies.
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Intiquilla, Arturo, Karim Jiménez-Aliaga, Amparo Iris Zavaleta, and Blanca Hernández-Ledesma. "Production of Antioxidant Hydrolyzates from a Lupinus mutabilis (Tarwi) Protein Concentrate with Alcalase: Optimization by Response Surface Methodology." Natural Product Communications 13, no. 6 (June 2018): 1934578X1801300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1934578x1801300626.
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Lupinus mutabilis (tarwi) is a cultivated legume used principally as a protein source in human and animal nutrition. In this study, protein concentrate was obtained from debittered and defatted tarwi seed flour. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed the presence of highly intense bands ranged between 35 and 60 kDa. Tarwi protein concentrate was subjected to the action of alcalase to produce hydrolyzates with antioxidant activity. A central composite design was employed to study the effect of the experimental variables, enzyme/substrate ratio and incubation time, on the degree of hydrolysis and the radical scavenging capacity. The influence of both variables on the variable responses was demonstrated. The optimal conditions to obtain the highest degree of hydrolysis were enzyme/substrate ratio of 1.72% and 133 min of incubation. The highest radical scavenging activity (TEAC value of 2.7 ± 0.1 μmol Trolox equivalents/mg protein and ORAC value of 3.8 ± 0.1 μmol Trolox equivalents/mg protein) was found in hydrolyzates with alcalase after 138 min and an enzyme/substrate ratio of 1.87%. Peptides released by the action of alcalase and containing hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids could contribute to the antioxidant effects observed. Tarwi proteins could be a new alternative as a food additive with antioxidant properties or as an ingredient of functional foods for health promotion and prevention of free radical-induced chronic diseases.
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Zhang, Hongna, Xiaonan Zhao, Xuepeng Wang, and Weishan Chang. "Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli isolated from free-range pigs." Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 11, no. 08 (September 5, 2017): 652–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.9269.
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Introduction: Numerous studies about antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) of animal origins have been conducted around the world, most of them focus on bacteria from animals raised in intensive breeding farms, but systematic studies on antimicrobial resistance in E. coli of free range animals are still lacking.
Methodology: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of E. coli from free-range pigs in Laiwu mountainous areas, eastern China.
Results: Among 123 fecal samples, 123 non-duplicate E. coli were obtained with an isolation rate of 100.0％ (123/123). These E. coli showed the highest resistance rate to tetracycline (77/123, 62.6％), but all were sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Thirty-eight E. coli (38/123, 30.9％) showed multidrug resistance (MDR). Among 123 E. coli isolates, only 39 carried antimicrobial resistant genes detected in this study. Of these 39 isolates, blaTEM-1, blaCTX-M-14, blaCTX-M-15, qnrB, qnrD, qnrS1, floR and cfr genes were detected in 13, 9, 4, 7, 10, 7, 20, and 7 isolates, respectively. blaTEM-1 and blaCTX-M-14 genes were concomitantly detected in 6 isolates, and blaTEM, qnrB, qnrS and qnrD genes were concomitantly detected in 7 isolates.
Conclusions: Free-ranging pigs may be regarded as a potential reservoir for antibiotic resistant genes.
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Reithmayer, Corrina, Oliver Mußhoff, and Michael Danne. "Alternatives to culling male chicks – the consumer perspective." British Food Journal 122, no. 3 (December 23, 2019): 753–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/bfj-05-2019-0356.
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer preferences for boxes of eggs which are produced without the culling of male layer-type chicks in layer hen production and, furthermore, to investigate consumer preferences for labels from different certifying bodies.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey including a discrete choice experiment was conducted among 526 German consumers in 2018 and early 2019. Mixed logit models in preference and willingness to pay (WTP) space were estimated.FindingsThe preferred alternative is gender determination of incubated eggs, but also dual-use (DU) poultry with free-range rearing of cockerels was approved. Labels from public authorities and the Animal Protection Organisation were highly approved. In contrast, retailers were not considered suitable for the certification of production claims.Research limitations/implicationsA hypothetical setting was employed. A revealed preferences approach is suggested for future research.Practical implicationsEvidence for a wide approval of in ovo gender determination was found. Free-range rearing of cockerels was the most promising for the marketing of DU poultry products. Furthermore, public authorities and well-established third parties should engage in the field of animal welfare labelling.Originality/valueThis is the first study focussing on preferences and WTP for alternatives to chick culling, which will soon be available on the market, and for institutions certifying production claims. Findings help political decision makers, when looking for alternatives to the culling of day-old chicks, which are considered more acceptable by the public.
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Curvo, Lucimar Rodrigues Vieira, Milena Wolff Ferreira, Celso Soares Costa, Guilherme Ribeiro Capibaribe Barbosa, Sandra Adriana Uhry, Ulisses Simon da Silveira, Alanderson Rodrigues da Silva, and Gisele Braziliano de Andrade. "Techniques using ImageJ for histomorphometric studies." Research, Society and Development 9, no. 11 (November 11, 2020): e1459119586. http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9586.
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Computational histomorphometry is an available and easy tool that has been used in the assessment of morphophysiological tissue changes, offering greater scientific reliability to the data, as well as facilitating the automation process. The present work aimed to describe the application of the methodology of the free software ImageJ for morphological evaluation of fish tissues. For this, micrographs of histological sections of the intestinal tract of fish stained with Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) were used as a model. The images were analyzed for variables of length, width, and tissue area and, number of cells or molecules. The application of computational histomorphometry demonstrated efficiency in the evaluation of histological structures of the intestine of fish supplemented with probiotics, contributing to the improvement of image analysis techniques in animal tissue models.
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Silva, Gustavo Rafael de Oliveira, Marcos Aurélio Lopes, André Luís Ribeiro Lima, Geraldo Márcio da Costa, Flávio Alves Damasceno, Vitor Pires Barros, and Matteo Barbari. "Profitability analysis of compost barn and free stall milk-production systems: a comparison." Semina: Ciências Agrárias 40, no. 3 (May 21, 2019): 1165. http://dx.doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2019v40n3p1165.
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The objective of this study was to comparatively analyse the profitability of compost barn and free stall milk-production systems as a means of helping producers and technicians choose the type of facility most suitable for each farm. Data collected from four farms from January to December 2016 were analysed; the data were distributed equally among compost barn and free stall systems. The cost of milk production was estimated according to the operating cost methodology and considering the milk production cost centre, which involved both lactating and dry cows. Additionally, gross and net margins were estimated as indicators of profitability. The results showed that the average gross and net margins were not influenced by the type of facility; they were positive in both of the production systems analysed. Among the components of the net operating cost, the proportion of the "medications" item was lower in the compost barn properties, while the cost of bedding for the cows was lower in the free stall farms. Depreciation and total operating cost were similar in the two systems. Milk sales made up a higher percentage of the revenue in the free stall farms, despite the high standard deviation, while the expectations of revenues from wastes were similar in the two production systems. Given that there were no significant economic differences between the types of facility, it is concluded that ease in management, productivity, reproductive performance, animal health (hoof injuries and mastitis), environmental issues, and availability of water and bedding material should be the motivators for choosing one system over the other.
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Patel, Freisha, Françoise Wemelsfelder, and Samantha J. Ward. "Using Qualitative Behaviour Assessment to Investigate Human-Animal Relationships in Zoo-Housed Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)." Animals 9, no. 6 (June 21, 2019): 381. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9060381.
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Human-Animal Relationships (HAR) in zoos develop from repeated interactions between animals and their caretakers. HAR have been shown to affect health and welfare in farm animals, but limited zoo-based studies exist. This study investigates the association between the qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) of emotional expression in giraffes and keeper action score in four types of keeper-animal interaction (KAI). Three giraffes generating 38 clips. QBA, using a free-choice profiling methodology, was applied instructing 18 observers to assess giraffe expressions shown in these clips. QBA scores were analysed using Generalized Procrustes Analysis. Keeper actions during each KAI event were rated by an independent marker, resulting in cumulative scores for keeper action quality. The association between QBA and the keeper action was analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlations. Two main QBA dimensions were identified explaining 59% of the variation between clips. There were significant effects of giraffe and KAI type on QBA dimension 2 (inquisitive/impatient—calm/distracted), and significant positive associations between keeper action quality rating and QBA dimensions 1 and 2, indicating that positive keeper actions resulted in calm and confident giraffes with a willingness to interact. This is the first successful application of QBA for empirically addressing HARs in zoos, however given the small sample size of giraffes in this study, it can be regarded as a pilot study only, and further research is needed to validate the use of QBA in this context.
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Akhigbe, Bernard Ijesunor, Kamran Munir, Olugbenga Akinade, Lukman Akanbi, and Lukumon O. Oyedele. "IoT Technologies for Livestock Management: A Review of Present Status, Opportunities, and Future Trends." Big Data and Cognitive Computing 5, no. 1 (February 26, 2021): 10. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/bdcc5010010.
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The world population currently stands at about 7 billion amidst an expected increase in 2030 from 9.4 billion to around 10 billion in 2050. This burgeoning population has continued to influence the upward demand for animal food. Moreover, the management of finite resources such as land, the need to reduce livestock contribution to greenhouse gases, and the need to manage inherent complex, highly contextual, and repetitive day-to-day livestock management (LsM) routines are some examples of challenges to overcome in livestock production. The Internet of Things (IoT)’s usefulness in other vertical industries (OVI) shows that its role will be significant in LsM. This work uses the systematic review methodology of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to guide a review of existing literature on IoT in OVI. The goal is to identify the IoT’s ecosystem, architecture, and its technicalities—present status, opportunities, and expected future trends—regarding its role in LsM. Among identified IoT roles in LsM, the authors found that data will be its main contributor. The traditional approach of reactive data processing will give way to the proactive approach of augmented analytics to provide insights about animal processes. This will undoubtedly free LsM from the drudgery of repetitive tasks with opportunities for improved productivity.
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Quiñones Ruiz, Xiomara Fernanda, and Marianne Penker. "Understanding values-based food labeling as rural development strategy in Colombia. Comparative analysis: Fair trade, geographical indications and organic labels in the coffee region and the Buenaventura rural area (Phase 1)." Revista Bioetnia 7, no. 2 (December 30, 2020): 111–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.51641/bioetnia.v7i2.28.
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Poverty in many rural areas of developing countries is not a new story. Rural farmers face many financial and market barriers. Furthermore, conventional farming practices are afflicted by free market pressure to produce more food for less income, resulting in destruction of the environment and neglecting human and animal welfare. Value based labeling offers alternatives to conventional food markets as they provide ethical principles to counter unsustainable trends within the capitalism system as stated by Elizabeth Barham. Hence, a planned study is aimed at evaluating selected labels such as fair trade, geographical indication/denomination of origin and organic certification in the context of the Buenaventura rural area, taking into account the lessons learned and experiences from the coffee region. Thus the labels will be explained as well as the objectives and methodology of the doctoral thesis. Finally, the findings and conclusions of the initial exploratory research draw useful insights of the current situation.
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Zou, Wen, Sufian F. Al-Khaldi, William S. Branham, Tao Han, James C. Fuscoe, Jing Han, Steven L. Foley, et al. "Microarray analysis of virulence gene profiles in Salmonella serovars from food/food animal environment." Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 5, no. 02 (September 15, 2010): 94–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.1396.
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Introduction: Rapid, accurate and inexpensive analysis of the disease-causing potential of foodborne pathogens is an important consideration in food safety and biodefense, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the use of a robust and inexpensive microarray platform to assay the virulence gene profiles in Salmonella from food and/or the food animal environment, and then use ArrayTrackTM for data analysis. Methodology: The spotted array consisted of 69 selected Salmonella-specific virulence gene probes (65bp each). These probes were printed on poly-L-lysine-coated slides. Genomic DNA was digested with Sau3AI, labeled with Cy3 dye, hybridized to the gene probes, and the images were captured and analyzed by GenePix 4000B and ArrayTrackTM, a free software developed by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) researchers. Results: Nearly 58% of the virulence-associated genes tested were present in all Salmonella strains tested. In general, genes belonging to inv, pip, prg, sic, sip, spa or ttr families were detected in more than 90% of the isolates, while the iacP, avrA, invH, rhuM, sirA, sopB, sopE or sugR genes were detected in 40 to 80% of the isolates. The gene variability was independent of the Salmonella serotype. Conclusions: This hybridization array presents an accurate and cost-effective method for evaluating the disease-causing potential of Salmonella in outbreak investigations by targeting a selective set of Salmonella-associated virulence genes.
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Siqueira, Amanda Keller, Vanessa Gomes da Silva, Isabelle Dangui Ferro, Ricardo Antonio Freitas, and Alexandre Giesel. "Absence of Trichinella spiralis in swine carcasses slaughtered in the midwestern Region of Paraná State, Brazil." Semina: Ciências Agrárias 41, no. 3 (April 7, 2020): 1073. http://dx.doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2020v41n3p1073.
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Trichinella spiralis causes severe infections in humans, resulting in various clinical symptoms and even death, in several countries worldwide. Human trichinellosis has been reported in 55 countries, and mainly affects certain ethnic groups and tourists. It is caused by the ingestion of raw, undercooked meat or pork, or their by-products containing parasitic larvae. Infections in swine especially occur due to the parasitic contamination of food containing animal products, predation by rodents and other animals infected with T. spiralis, and due to the frequent habit of cannibalism in intensive production systems. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of T. spiralis in pig carcasses from a slaughterhouse located in the midwestern region of Paraná State, Brazil. Pools of 100 g of diaphragm, containing at least 1 g of tissue from each test animal, were collected, ground, and subjected to acid digestion with pepsin (1:10,000) and 25% hydrochloric acid. Sampling was performed in accordance to the methodology recommended by the European Union. All the 735,902 samples collected between 2010 and 2013, and in 2018, were negative for Trichinella spp. larvae. The pigs came from 483 farms from 90 municipalities from the three states of southern Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul). The absence of the parasite in different animal species, reported by surveys conducted in Brazil, could confirm the country as free from trichinellosis. Although T. spiralis is not endemic to Brazil, it is necessary to subject the meat of adult pigs slaughtered here and exported to other countries to inspections and parasitological examinations. It is therefore necessary to continually inspect pig carcasses for T. spiralis in slaughterhouses worldwide.
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Abbasi, Palwasha, Abdul Rahim Memon, Sadia Tabassum Abbasi, Sadia Kazi, and Shomail Siddiqui. "HYPERGLYCEMIA." Professional Medical Journal 22, no. 08 (August 10, 2015): 1048–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.29309/tpmj/2015.22.08.1154.
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Objectives: To investigate blood glucose regulaitng effects of CatharanthusRoseus (C.roseus) and Nigella sativa (N.sativa) in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Study Design:Experimental study. Place and Duration: Animal house Isra University Hyderabad. From Aprilto Novermber 2013. Methodology: 50 male rats were housed at normal température, 12 hourdark - light cycle with free access to chow and water. A single intraperitoneal bolus of alloxan(120 mg/kg) was given to induce diabetes mellitus. Glimepiride, C. roseus and N. Sativa wereadministered at doses of 0.1 mg/kg, 125 mg/kg and 50 g/kg respectively. Data was analyzed onSPSS version 21.0. Significant P - value was defined at ≤ 0.05. Results: C.roseus ad N.sativashowed blood glucose lowering potential but the effect was less when compared to glimepiride(P = 0.001). However, C. roseus was more effective compared to N.sativa (P = 0.001) inreducing blood glucose. Findings suggest that both C. roseus and N. sativa possess glucoseregulating potential. Conclusion: It is concluded that the C. roseus and N. sativa exert bloodglucose regulating effects in alloxan induced diabetic rat model.
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Pacelli, Consiglia, Alessandro Di Cerbo, Lucia Lecce, Claudia Piccoli, Sergio Canello, Gianandrea Guidetti, and Nazzareno Capitanio. "Effect of Chicken Bone Extracts on Metabolic and Mitochondrial Functions of K562 Cell Line." Pharmaceuticals 13, no. 6 (June 2, 2020): 114. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ph13060114.
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Background: Tetracyclines’ use in intensive animal farming has raised some concerns regarding the biosafety for humans. Increasing evidences have revealed the presence of these drugs in processed animal by-products, such as bone, throughout the food chain. A potential off-target of tetracyclines is the bacterial-like mitochondrial translational machinery, thereby causing proteostatic alterations in mitochondrial DNA-encoded components of the oxidative phosphorylation system. Methods: The Seahorse methodology, confocal microscopy imaging of mitochondrial potential and reactive oxygen species, and q-RT-PCR analysis of the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy were carried out on human lymphoblast derived K562 cell line challenged with bone powder derived from chicken treated with or without oxytetracycline and pure oxytetracycline. Results: A complex dose-dependent profile was attained with a low dosage of bone powder extracts causing a metabolic adaptation hallmarked by stimulation of the mitochondrial respiration and enhanced expression of mitochondriogenic factors in particular in cells challenged with oxytetracycline-free bone extract. Conversely, a higher dosage of bone powder extracts, regardless of their source, caused a progressive inhibition of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis, ultimately leading to cell death. No significant effects of the pure oxytetracycline were observed. Conclusion: Bone powder, regardless of chicken treatment, contains and releases factors/chemicals responsible for the observed effects on energy metabolism. Quantitative differential effects appear to depend on biochemical alterations in the bone matrix caused by antibiotics rather than antibiotics themselves.
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Dmitrieva, O. Yu, A. S. Buchnev, A. A. Drobyshev, and G. P. Itkin. "Hemolysis research of implantable axial flow pump for two -step heart transplantation in children." Russian Journal of Transplantology and Artificial Organs 19, no. 1 (April 14, 2017): 22–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.15825/1995-1191-2017-1-22-27.
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Introduction.One of the main indicators characterizing mechanical circulatory support devices (artificial valve, implantable pumps, etc.) is trauma of blood cells. Therefore, while developing new pumps, one of the key studies in vitro is to evaluate blood hemolysis. For an objective hemolysis analysis of pump it is required to create a standardized methodology of hemolysis studies. The object of the study in this paper is implantable axial pump DON for two-step heart transplantation in children.The aimof study is to develop a standardized methodology of hemolysis studies of blood pumps and to conduct research of pediatric axial pump DON.Materials and methods.To conduct hemolysis research we created a mock circulatory system consisting of a reservoir placed in water bath maintaining a constant working fluid (blood) temperature, hydrodynamic resistance, connecting tubes, ports for blood sampling and pressure and flow measurement systems, and research pump. Test method is to estimate levels of free hemoglobin pHb obtained by blood samples during pump working in operating mode (for pediatric pump: blood flow 2.5 l/min, pressure difference 80 mmHg). Using the data obtained the standardized indices of hemolysis NIH and MIH are calculated based on pHb values, hematocrit, total hemoglobin, blood flow and working pump time.Results.We developed and realized a standardized methodology of hemolysis research by which we evaluated hemolysis of pediatric axial pump. The results of hemolysis tests allowed us to optimize the design of DON. Obtained values of hemolysis of the latest version of pediatric pump DON-3 have shown that they do conform to the requirements of minimum blood injury and it allows us to proceed to the next step of pediatric pump research – animal experiments.Conclusion.Developed methods and evaluation tools of hemolysis allow us to provide objective information on one of the most important indicators of developing implantable pediatric axial pump and they could be recommended for hemolysis research of others pumps.
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Steinmetz, Fabian P., James C. Wakefield, and Ray M. Boughton. "Fractions of Concern: Challenges and Strategies for the Safety Assessment of Biological Matter in Cosmetics." Cosmetics 8, no. 2 (May 4, 2021): 34. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics8020034.
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Cosmetic ingredients based on more or less refined biological matter (plants, fungi, bacteria, etc.) are gaining popularity. Advances in green chemistry and biotechnology are supporting this general trend further. Following numerous bans on the use of newly generated animal testing data in cosmetic safety assessments, and the worldwide demand for “cruelty-free” products, many alternative methods have been developed to assess the toxicity of ingredients. Whilst great strides have been, and continue to be, made, the area of systemic toxicity is one where international harmonisation and regulatory acceptance is still evolving. A strategy for the fractional assessment of biological matter is suggested to make approaches, such as threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) methodology, fit for purpose. Within this strategy, analytical data are used to generate compound classes which are quantified and assessed separately. Whilst this strategy opens new windows for assessing the safety of complex mixtures with a lack of toxicological data, it also raises awareness of the increasing complexity of cosmetic formulations and the general problem of additivity/synergy being rarely addressed. Extremely complex mixtures are and will be a growing challenge for safety assessors.
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Andrus, P., and R. Rae. "Development ofPhasmarhabditis hermaphrodita(and members of thePhasmarhabditisgenus) as new genetic model nematodes to study the genetic basis of parasitism." Journal of Helminthology 93, no. 3 (April 2, 2018): 319–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022149x18000305.
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AbstractThe genetic mechanisms of how free-living nematodes evolved into parasites are unknown. Current genetic model nematodes (e.g.Caenorhabditis elegans) are not well suited to provide the answer, and mammalian parasites are expensive and logistically difficult to maintain. Here we propose the terrestrial gastropod parasitePhasmarhabditis hermaphroditaas a new alternative to study the evolution of parasitism, and outline the methodology of how to keepP. hermaphroditain the lab for genetic experiments. We show thatP. hermaphrodita(and several otherPhasmarhabditisspecies) are easy to isolate and identify from slugs and snails from around the UK. We outline how to make isogenic lines using ‘semi-natural’ conditions to reduce in-lab evolution, and how to optimize growth using nematode growth media (NGM) agar and naturally isolated bacteria. We show thatP. hermaphroditais amenable to forward genetics and thatuncandsmamutants can be generated using formaldehyde mutagenesis. We also detail the procedures needed to carry out genetic crosses. Furthermore, we show natural variation within ourPhasmarhabditiscollection, with isolates displaying differences in survival when exposed to high temperatures and pH, which facilitates micro and macro evolutionary studies. In summary, we believe that this genetically amenable parasite that shares many attributes withC. elegansas well as being in Clade 5, which contains many animal, plant and arthropod parasites, could be an excellent model to understand the genetic basis of parasitism in the Nematoda.
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Lujan, Heidi L., Hussein Janbaih, Han-Zhong Feng, Jian-Ping Jin, and Stephen E. DiCarlo. "Myocardial ischemia, reperfusion, and infarction in chronically instrumented, intact, conscious, and unrestrained mice." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 302, no. 12 (June 15, 2012): R1384—R1400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00095.2012.
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In the United States alone, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has invested several hundred million dollars in pursuit of myocardial infarct-sparing therapies. However, due largely to methodological limitations, this investment has not produced any notable clinical application or cardioprotective therapy. Among the major methodological limitations is the reliance on animal models that do not mimic the clinical situation. In this context, the limited use of conscious animal models is of major concern. In fact, whenever possible, studies of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology should be conducted in conscious, complex models to avoid the complications associated with the use of anesthesia and surgical trauma. The mouse has significant advantages over other experimental models for the investigation of infarct-sparing therapies. The mouse is inexpensive, has a high throughput, and presents the ability of one to create genetically modified models. However, successful infarct-sparing therapies in anesthetized mice or isolated mouse hearts may not be successful in more complex models, including conscious mice. Accordingly, a conscious mouse model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion has the potential to be of major importance for advancing the concepts and methods that drive the development of infarct-sparing therapies. Therefore, we describe, for the first time, the use of an intact, conscious, and unrestrained mouse model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion and infarction. The conscious mouse model permits occlusion and reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery in an intact, complex model free of the confounding influences of anesthetics and surgical trauma. This methodology may be adopted for advancing the concepts and ideas that drive cardiovascular research.
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Zhulkov, Maksim, Alexander Golovin, Alexander Grenaderov, Vitaliy Tsirikhov, Azat Sabetov, Hava Agaeva, Sergey Alsov, and Alexander Chernyavskiy. "Test Procedure for a New Type of a Ventricular Assist Device Based on a Viscous Friction Pump." Journal of Experimental and Clinical Surgery 13, no. 3 (September 28, 2020): 256–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.18499/2070-478x-2020-13-3-256-261.
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Introduction. Currently, the possibility of effective correction of multiple organ failure and increasing the life expectancy of patients with critical heart failure using the ventricular assist devices (VAD) is absolutely evidenced. The development of alternative analogues of such devices produced within the country has been an urgent problem for many decades. The design of this machine requires the development of a protocol for carrying out complex biomedical studies on the biocompatibility and safety of the new device.The aim of the study was to develop a protocol for testing and conducting comprehensive biomedical biocompatibility studies of a new ventricular assist device in an acute animal experiment.Materials and methods. The study to develop a technique for implanting a left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) in an acute experiment included female mini-pigs, weighed 40-60 kg. In a series of acute experiments, 5 implantations of a disk pump as a LVAD were performed with a maximum observation period equal 6 hours.Results. In the series of acute experiments, an implantation technique was developed and the fundamental possibility of a viscous friction pump application as a ventricular assist device was evidenced. In all experiments (n = 5), the average level of free hemoglobin did not exceed 2.6 mg%, which supports safety of performance of the viscous friction pump regarding blood erythrocytes. None of the experiments recorded episodes of pump shut-off or breakdown.Conclusions. The series of acute experiments on mini-pigs helped reveal a number of anatomical and physiological features of this animal species that significantly complicated implementation of persistent observation. However, the developed experimental LVAD test methodology can be recommended for use in further chronic experiments on large laboratory animals (calves).
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Sharma, Rekha, Sonika Ahlawat, Himani Sharma, R. A. K. Aggarwal, Vivek Sharma, and M. S. Tantia. "Variable sialic acid content in milk of Indian cattle and buffalo across different stages of lactation." Journal of Dairy Research 86, no. 1 (December 6, 2018): 98–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s002202991800081x.
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AbstractThe aim of this Research Communication was to contribute to the knowledge of milk sialic acid concentration of bovines with specific focus on India. Sialic acids (SA) are important constituents of mammalian milks. Buffaloes are the main milk producing species in India, therefore, our research focused on both cow and buffalo. Two Indian cattle (Bos indicus) breeds (Sahiwal, Tharparkar), one cross bred cattle – Karan Fries (Tharparkar × Holstein Friesian) and a buffalo breed (Murrah) were selected. Systematic comparisons of the total, free and bound form of SA and also its distribution over the course of lactation- colostrums and mature milk (120–140 d) was generated. Animal management, sample collection and methodology of SA estimation were identical for the different groups. Colostrum had the highest concentration of SA, which declined with the progress of lactation in all the groups. Majority of the SA existed in bound form. No significant (P < 0.05) difference was recorded in the total, bound or free SA across all the groups. However, differences were obvious in the total and bound SA level in the mature milk. Indian cattle, Sahiwal and Tharparkar were equivalent, but had higher concentration of total and bound SA than crossbred cattle. Milk of buffalo had SA equivalent to that of crossbred cattle. The mean (se) levels of total SA was 23.4 (0.8), 25.8 (2.4), 20.3 (0.6) and 20.2 (1.2) in Sahiwal, Tharparkar, cross bred and Murrah buffalo, respectively. The findings suggested that milk of indigenous cattle may be a potential source of SA, a bioactive compound with beneficial effect on human health and a potential functional ingredient in foods. Results add value to the currently declining indigenous cattle of India.
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Couce, María Luz, María José de Castro, Carmela de Lamas, and Rosaura Leis. "Effects of LC-PUFA Supplementation in Patients with Phenylketonuria: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials." Nutrients 11, no. 7 (July 6, 2019): 1537. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu11071537.
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Evidence suggests a role of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), in which animal foods are especially rich, in optimal neural development. The LC-PUFAs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid, found in high concentrations in the brain and retina, have potential beneficial effects on cognition, and motor and visual functions. Phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common inborn error of amino acid metabolism. The treatment of PKU consists of a phenylalanine-free diet, which limits the intake of natural proteins of high biological value. In this systematic review, we summarize the available evidence supporting a role for LC-PUFA supplementation as an effective means of increasing LC-PUFA levels and improving visual and neurocognitive functions in PKU patients. Data from controlled trials of children and adults (up to 47 years of age) were obtained by searching the MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. For each selected study, the risk of bias was assessed applying the methodology of the Cochrane Collaboration. The findings indicate that DHA supplementation in PKU patients from 2 weeks to 47 years of age improves DHA status and decreases visual evoked potential P100 wave latency in PKU children from 1 to 11 years old. Neurocognitive data are inconclusive.
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Campbell, Hamish A., Matthew Hewitt, Matthew E. Watts, Stirling Peverell, and Craig E. Franklin. "Short- and long-term movement patterns in the freshwater whipray (Himantura dalyensis) determined by the signal processing of passive acoustic telemetry data." Marine and Freshwater Research 63, no. 4 (2012): 341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf11229.
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Patterns of movement in aquatic animals reflect ecologically important behaviours. Cyclical changes in the abiotic environment influence these movements, but when multiple processes occur simultaneously, identifying which is responsible for the observed movement can be complex. Here we used acoustic telemetry and signal processing to define the abiotic processes responsible for movement patterns in freshwater whiprays (Himantura dalyensis). Acoustic transmitters were implanted into the whiprays and their movements detected over 12 months by an array of passive acoustic receivers, deployed throughout 64 km of the Wenlock River, Qld, Australia. The time of an individual’s arrival and departure from each receiver detection field was used to estimate whipray location continuously throughout the study. This created a linear-movement-waveform for each whipray and signal processing revealed periodic components within the waveform. Correlation of movement periodograms with those from abiotic processes categorically illustrated that the diel cycle dominated the pattern of whipray movement during the wet season, whereas tidal and lunar cycles dominated during the dry season. The study methodology represents a valuable tool for objectively defining the relationship between abiotic processes and the movement patterns of free-ranging aquatic animals and is particularly expedient when periods of no detection exist within the animal location data.
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Li, Lanqing, Mingxing Sun, Hui Zhou, Yun Zhou, Ping Chen, Hong Min, and Guoqing Shen. "Response Surface Optimization of a Rapid Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Method for Simultaneous Determination of Tetracycline Antibiotics in Manure." Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry 2015 (2015): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/290903.
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A rapid and cleanup-free ultrasound-assisted extraction method is proposed for the simultaneous extraction of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and doxycycline in manure. The analytes were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detector. The influence of several variables on the efficiency of the extraction procedure was investigated by single-factor experiments. The temperature, pH, and amount of extraction solution were selected for optimization experiment using response surface methodology. The calibration curves showed good linearity (R2>0.99) for all analytes in the range of 0.1–20 μg/mL. The four antibiotics were successfully extracted from manure with recoveries ranging from 81.89 to 92.42% and good reproducibility (RSD, <4.06%) under optimal conditions, which include 50 mL of McIlvaine buffer extraction solution (pH 7.15) mixed with 1 g of manure sample, extraction temperature of 40°C, extraction time of 10 min, and three extraction cycles. Method quantification limits of 1.75–2.32 mg/kg were obtained for the studied compounds. The proposed procedure demonstrated clear reductions in extraction time and elimination of cleanup steps. Finally, the applicability to tetracyclines antibiotics determination in real samples was evaluated through the successful determination of four target analytes in swine, cow manure, and mixture of animal manure with inorganic fertilizer.
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Isaac, Joanne L., Christopher N. Johnson, Peter J. Grabau, and Andrew K. Krockenberger. "Automated feeders: new technology for food supplementation experiments with mammals." Wildlife Research 31, no. 4 (2004): 437. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr03092.
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Experimental manipulations of food supply in wild populations are often confounded by a number of factors, such as induced immigration to local populations receiving food supplements and intraspecific competition for access to feed stations. Here, we describe newly developed automated feeding stations, designed to dispense weighed food supplements to specific experimental animals. The feeders incorporate a data logger that records the identification and weight of each animal and the time of the visit to the feeder.Using the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) as a model medium-sized mammal, we present results of an 18-month field trial. Each free-ranging experimental possum was fitted with a collar containing a transponder chip, allowing them access to a feeder. During the field trial, experimental possums were found to show a significant increase in body mass compared with control animals, which showed a slight decrease in mass. Body masses recorded by the feeders for experimental possums did not differ from mass data recorded during live-trapping sessions.The automated feeding stations represent an advance over previous methodology and the first time supplementary food has been delivered in a controlled automated fashion in a wild mammal population. The implications of the feeders to future studies of resource supplementation in mammals are discussed.
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Radeva, Dora, and Hristina Petrova. "CHILDREN LEARN TO PROTECT ANIMALS – AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROJECT RUN BY "FOUR PAWS" – PRACTICAL CASE." CBU International Conference Proceedings 5 (September 23, 2017): 795–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.12955/cbup.v5.1027.
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The introduction of the FOUR PAWS educational project "Children Learn to Protect Animals" to the Bulgarian school system was prompted by a disturbing trend of a considerable increase of violence among children, including cases of cruelty toward animals. As a response to the social request for proper reaction and relevant decisions, FOUR PAWS offers a flexible educational program that includes an interactive textbook for children "Close to Animals", a complete teachers’ methodology and a new university teachers' program. All textbooks and qualification trainings for teachers are provided by FOUR PAWS animal welfare charity free of charge. The approach offered is focusing on the specific welfare of and love for animals to address the general issue – teach children to be tolerant and show empathy towards both animals and humans, and thus prevent aggression.The program is directed to pre-school and primary school children and teachers. It is promoted closely with Bulgarian educational institutions and local authorities.Results: over 6000 kids included, 130 teachers trained; programme is well-accepted in all sorts of schools: of high and not so high reputation. It helps facilitate socialization and integration of children from marginalized minority groups.The social acceptance shown proves the programme's potential and the need for expansion via new educational tools and measures.
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Yan, Qi, John A. Treffalls, Lucas Ferrer, and Mark G. Davies. "A Review of Current Noninvasive Imaging Surveillance Practices for Deep Venous Arterialization Procedures." Journal for Vascular Ultrasound 45, no. 2 (March 3, 2021): 59–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1544316721996944.
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Venous arterialization is an increasingly common procedure performed in patients with critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) where there are no open or percutaneous revascularization options. This study aims to review the imaging follow-up for venous arterialization described in the literature. A systematic review was performed on venous arterialization studies for CLTI using the PRISMA methodology. A literature search was performed on 5 databases from inception. We included all original studies, case reports, and reviews regarding venous arterialization for all pathologies. We excluded free standing abstracts, animal studies, other than lower extremity, and foreign language studies. Our search strategy yielded 23 studies that met inclusion criteria, with 16 studies reporting a specific value from at least one surveillance imaging methodology. Most studies used Duplex imaging (16 studies) and TCPo2 (9 studies). Only 9 studies provided any detail regarding the Duplex findings. One study used focal peak systolic velocity (PSV) gradient (PSV at the lesion in the graft divided by PSV in a proximal segment of the graft) above 2.5 as an indicator for flow-inhibiting venous valves or stenosis in the graft. Another study reported a turbulent flow pattern in the graft, elevating peak velocities to 100 to 200 cm/s throughout the bypass. Four studies reported flow volume measurement through the bypass or in pedal vein ranging from 40 to 437 mL/min. Seven studies reported a mean increase of 18.7 mmHg in TCPo2. Eighty-two percent of patients saw an improvement of TCPo2 in 2 studies. To date, no criteria have been identified that are predictive of the success or failure of deep vein arterialization. Venous arterialization is an increasingly common procedure in the “no-option” diabetic patient. Duplex imaging with TCPo2 offers the most appropriate means of surveillance; however, the literature is sparse with no guidance on normal or critical values.
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Sahlu, T., N. Jacquemet, H. Carneiro, S. P. Hart, and P. D. Klein. "Application of 13CO2 measurements to the estimation of energy expenditure in goats." Canadian Journal of Animal Science 72, no. 2 (June 1, 1992): 245–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/cjas92-031.
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The use and limitations of 13C stable isotopes as tracers in animal experimentation was investigated using 13C-labeled bicarbonate to estimate CO2 production and energetic requirement of free-ranging goats. Goats were fed wheat hay (Triticum aestivum; C3) or Old World Bluestem hay (Bothriochloa caucasica; C4; OWBS) ad libitum for 21 d. Parotid salivary ducts were cannulated for saliva collection. Isotopic bicarbonate (13C) was infused at a constant rate into the peritoneal cavity. In exp. 1, saliva samples were obtained at successive 2-h periods for 20 h to establish the time to achieve equilibrium. The half-life of bicarbonate was 2.9 h for animals consuming the wheat diet and 4.1 h (P < 0.06) for animals consuming OWBS diet. The time required to reach equilibrium was 12 h for animals on the wheat diet and 16 h for animals on OWBS diet. The error in the technique arising from animals consuming C3 vs. C4 species (which have different endogenous 13C contents) was studied in exp. 2. If species composition (C3 vs. C4) of the diet remains constant within 10%, the error is negligible. In exp. 3, estimation of CO2 production from continuous saliva samples had a lower coefficient of variation (6.3 vs. 10.0%) than measurements based on spot serum samples. Energy expenditure of goats in stalls consuming hay ad libitum was similar to that of ad-libitum-fed sheep at similar body weights. The 13C methodology appears to be a promising method for measuring energy expenditure of grazing animals. Key words: Energy requirement, stable isotopes, carbon dioxide, sodium bicarbonate
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Peace, Robert W., and G. Sarwar Gilani. "Chromatographic Determination of Amino Acids in Foods." Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL 88, no. 3 (May 1, 2005): 877–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jaoac/88.3.877.
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Abstract Amino acids in foods exist in a free form or bound in peptides, proteins, or nonpeptide bonded polymers. Naturally occurring L-amino acids are required for protein synthesis and are precursors for essential molecules, such as co-enzymes and nucleic acids. Nonprotein amino acids may also occur in animal tissues as metabolic intermediates or have other important functions. The development of bacterially derived food proteins, genetically modified foods, and new methods of food processing; the production of amino acids for food fortification; and the introduction of new plant food sources have meant that protein amino acids and amino acid enantiomers in foods can have both nutritional and safety implications for humans. There is, therefore, a need for the rapid and accurate determination of amino acids in foods. Determination of the total amino acid content of foods requires protein hydrolysis by various means that must take into account variations in stability of individual amino acids and resistance of different peptide bonds to the hydrolysis procedures. Modern methods for separation and quantitation of free amino acids either before or after protein hydrolysis include ion exchange chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis. Chemical derivatization of amino acids may be required to change them into forms amenable to separation by the various chromatographic methods or to create derivatives with properties, such as fluorescence, that improve their detection. Official methods for hydrolysis and analysis of amino acids in foods for nutritional purposes have been established. LC is currently the most widely used analytical technique, although there is a need for collaborative testing of methods available. Newer developments in chromatographic methodology and detector technology have reduced sample and reagent requirements and improved identification, resolution, and sensitivity of amino acid analyses of food samples.
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Cowton, Jake, Ilias Kyriazakis, Thomas Plötz, and Jaume Bacardit. "A Combined Deep Learning GRU-Autoencoder for the Early Detection of Respiratory Disease in Pigs Using Multiple Environmental Sensors." Sensors 18, no. 8 (August 2, 2018): 2521. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s18082521.
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We designed and evaluated an assumption-free, deep learning-based methodology for animal health monitoring, specifically for the early detection of respiratory disease in growing pigs based on environmental sensor data. Two recurrent neural networks (RNNs), each comprising gated recurrent units (GRUs), were used to create an autoencoder (GRU-AE) into which environmental data, collected from a variety of sensors, was processed to detect anomalies. An autoencoder is a type of network trained to reconstruct the patterns it is fed as input. By training the GRU-AE using environmental data that did not lead to an occurrence of respiratory disease, data that did not fit the pattern of “healthy environmental data” had a greater reconstruction error. All reconstruction errors were labelled as either normal or anomalous using threshold-based anomaly detection optimised with particle swarm optimisation (PSO), from which alerts are raised. The results from the GRU-AE method outperformed state-of-the-art techniques, raising alerts when such predictions deviated from the actual observations. The results show that a change in the environment can result in occurrences of pigs showing symptoms of respiratory disease within 1–7 days, meaning that there is a period of time during which their keepers can act to mitigate the negative effect of respiratory diseases, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a common and destructive disease endemic in pigs.
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Lolli, Veronica, Pablo G. Toral, Augusta Caligiani, and Pilar Gómez-Cortés. "Determination of Cyclopropenoid Fatty Acids in Ewe Milk Fat by GC-MS after Intravenous Administration of Sterculic Acid." Foods 9, no. 7 (July 8, 2020): 901. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/foods9070901.
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Cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPEFA), found in oilseeds from Malvaceae and Sterculiaceae, have been shown to interfere with the endogenous synthesis of several bioactive lipids of dairy fat, such as cis-9, trans-11 18:2 and cis-9 18:1, by inhibiting Δ9-desaturase. No previous study has reported the presence of sterculic acid in animal fat and its incorporation in tissues after its administration, due to the lack of a proper methodology. In the present research, a GC-MS method based on cold base derivatization to fatty acids methylesters was developed to determine CPEFA in ewe milk triglycerides, after infusing sterculic acid (0.5 g/day) to six lactating ewes. An alternative derivatization based on silanyzation followed by GC-MS analysis was also tested, showing its possible applicability when CPEFA are present in the form of free fatty acids. Sterculic acid was detected in ewe milk triglycerides, demonstrating its incorporation from the bloodstream into milk by the mammary gland. The mean transfer rate represented 8.0 ± 1.0% of the daily dose. This study provides, for the first time, the presence of sterculic acid in milk fat, supporting the importance of understanding its occurrence in vivo and encouraging further research to determine whether it can be present in foods, such as dairy products, obtained under practical farming conditions.
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Wakte, Dr Mitesh Santosh, and Aditya Dilipkumar Patil. "A review on preclinical studies conducted with Homeopathic medicine Cephalandra indica as an Anti-hyperglycemic agent." International Journal of High Dilution Research - ISSN 1982-6206 18, no. 3-4 (April 2, 2021): 35–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.51910/ijhdr.v18i3-4.970.
Full textAbstract:
Background –
Diabetes Mellitus a metabolic disorder affects the secretion of insulin from pancreas leading to hyperglycemia, if uncontrolled leads to complications triggered by free radical formed after oxidative stress. Homeopathic medicine Cephalandra Indica has shown antidiabetic activity in various potencies performed on preclinical studies on diabetic rat model. The present review highlights the pharmacological profile of homeopathic preparations Cephalandra Indica on preclinical studies and calculating the probable human equivalent dosage from preclinical studies for the pilot studies.
Method –
Articles published between January 1988 and December 2018 was included in review. Databases like PubMed – Medline, Google scholar were used for collecting the articles. Keywords like ‘Homeopathy’ or ‘Homoeopathy’, ‘Invitro’, ‘Invivo’ and ‘Cephalandra Indica’ were used. SABEH criteria were implemented for assessing methodology quality of articles.
Results –
Seven full text articles were included in review which had six Invivo studies and one Invitro study. This review article provided the scientific validation of high diluted homeopathic medicines pharmacological activity of Cephalandra Indica and probable mechanism of action confirmed through preclinical studies. Conversion of dosage from animal model to human dosage for pilot studies has been hypothetically proposed.
Conclusion –
Homeopathic medicine Cephalandra Indica has a therapeutic and safety profile with no toxicity observed in preclinical studies. The proposed hypothesis of conversion of dosage needs to be validated for further studies.
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Rowe, Suzanne J., Melanie Hess, Larissa Zetouni, Sharon Hickey, Rudiger Brauning, Hannah Henry, Holly Flay, et al. "Breeding Low Emitting Ruminants: Predicting Methane from Microbes." Proceedings 36, no. 1 (April 7, 2020): 177. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2019036177.
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The greatest source of global anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions is from ruminant livestock. Multiple mitigation strategies in livestock are currently being explored. Of these breeding for lower CH4 emitting ruminants has the advantage of being permanent and cumulative and universally applicable to all classes of livestock. Here, we show that methane emissions can be predicted by the complex community of microbiota sampled from rumens enabling evaluation of systems and individuals. Furthermore, there is evidence that the microbial community is controlled not only be the feed substrate but also by the host itself and that selecting hosts that favour a microbial fermentation with lowered methane emissions changes the energy source to the animal, and in turn both rumen physiology and body composition. Current methods for obtaining microbial DNA and subsequent sequencing of an animal’s microbiome, however, are too expensive to implement in commercial selection programs. A methodology that offers fast, low-cost, high throughput profiling of rumen microbiomes using Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) has been developed using an unbiased reference free approach to group microbiota. To date, this has been applied to over 4000 sheep samples and validated in cattle. Results show that microbial profiles are heritable and correlated with methane emissions and feed intake. This research is part of a flagship program funded by the global research alliance to disseminate global access to technologies that lower greenhouse gas emissions in ruminant livestock.
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Savitri, Savitri, Agung Setia Nugraha, and Isalmi Aziz. "Pembuatan Katalis Asam (Ni/γ-Al2O3) dan Katalis Basa (Mg/γ-Al2O3) untuk Aplikasi Pembuatan Biodiesel dari Bahan Baku Minyak Jelantah." Jurnal Kimia VALENSI 2, no. 1 (May 29, 2016): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/jkv.v2i1.3104.
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Biodiesel is an alternative energy fuel a substitute for diesel oil produced from vegetable oil or animal fat which have the advantage easily used, they are biodegradable, not toxic and sulfur free. This research aims to do process of prosucing biodiesel using acid catalysts (Ni/γ-Al2O3) for a esterification process and base catalyst (Mg/γ-Al2O3) for transesterification process with the variation of catalyst concentration Ni/γ-Al2O3 (0.5%; 0.75%; 1% and 2%) and the time (60 minutes, 120 minutes, and 180 minutes). Research of methodology starting to the process impregnation Ni and Mg metal into a buffer γ-Al2O3, characterization a catalyst with XRD, FTIR, and the SAA, and the esterification process to lower levels of FFA and transesterification process for making it biodiesel. The characterization with X-RD does not appear a new peak, only just occurred a shift peak, and declines intensity of Ni/γ-Al2O3 and Mg/γ-Al2O3. The analysis result of the SAA, a decline in the surface area (the decline in active side of catalyst) suspected the process impregnation not run perfect because Ni and Mg metal only distributed on the surface of buffer pore. The results of the FTIR analysis does not occur the addition of acidity and alkalinity. The steady of catalyst concentration from esterification process is 1% within 120 minutes produce levels of FFA 6.85%. Keywords: Biodiesel, esterification, impregnation, used cooking oil, transesterificationDOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/jkv.v2i1.3104
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Ardiansyah, Wahyudi David, Dody Dwi Handoko, Bram Kusbiantoro, Slamet Budijanto, and Hitoshi Shirakawa. "Fermented rice bran extract improves blood pressure and glucose in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats." Nutrition & Food Science 49, no. 5 (September 9, 2019): 844–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/nfs-12-2018-0340.
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PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate thein vitroandin vivoeffects of three varieties of Indonesian fermented rice bran (RB) (Inpari 6, Inpari 30 and Inpara 1).Design/methodology/approachThree types of RB were fermented usingRhizopus oligosporus. The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteau method, and antioxidant activity was analyzed by measuring the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity (RSA). Forin vivoanalyses, one week after acclimatization, stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (n= 4, 12 weeks of age) were divided into two groups and orally administered fermented RB (40 mg/kg body weight) or distilled water as a control after 16 h of fasting. Blood pressure (BP) was measured before and 2, 4 and 6 h after administration with a BP monitor without warming. Six days later, the rats were subject to the same procedure and sacrificed after 6 h of oral administration. Blood was collected and the plasma was separated to measure nitric oxide, glucose and insulin levels.FindingsThe highest TPC and RSA of fermented RB were obtained from Inpari 30 after incubation for 72 h (260.33 ± 0.39 mg GAE/100 g dry basis and 83.71 ± 0.61 per cent), respectively. Furthermore, single oral administration of fermented RB improved BP (p< 0.05) and glucose metabolism after 6 h of administration (p< 0.05).Originality/valueThis is the first study to evaluate the effects of fermented RB on improving high BP and glucose profiles by using a spontaneously hypertensive animal model.
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Barton, Brian, and Alyssa A. Brewer. "fMRI of the rod scotoma elucidates cortical rod pathways and implications for lesion measurements." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, no. 16 (April 6, 2015): 5201–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1423673112.
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Are silencing, ectopic shifts, and receptive field (RF) scaling in cortical scotoma projection zones (SPZs) the result of long-term reorganization (plasticity) or short-term adaptation? Electrophysiological studies of SPZs after retinal lesions in animal models remain controversial, because they are unable to conclusively answer this question because of limitations of the methodology. Here, we used functional MRI (fMRI) visual field mapping through population RF (pRF) modeling with moving bar stimuli under photopic and scotopic conditions to measure the effects of the rod scotoma in human early visual cortex. As a naturally occurring central scotoma, it has a large cortical representation, is free of traumatic lesion complications, is completely reversible, and has not reorganized under normal conditions (but can as seen in rod monochromats). We found that the pRFs overlapping the SPZ in V1, V2, V3, hV4, and VO-1 generally (i) reduced their blood oxygen level-dependent signal coherence and (ii) shifted their pRFs more eccentric but (iii) scaled their pRF sizes in variable ways. Thus, silencing, ectopic shifts, and pRF scaling in SPZs are not unique identifiers of cortical reorganization; rather, they can be the expected result of short-term adaptation. However, are there differences between rod and cone signals in V1, V2, V3, hV4, and VO-1? We did not find differences for all five maps in more peripheral eccentricities outside of rod scotoma influence in coherence, eccentricity representation, or pRF size. Thus, rod and cone signals seem to be processed similarly in cortex.
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Singh, Bhoj Raj, Meenu Agarwal, Mudit Chandra, Meena Verma, Gautam Sharma, Jagdish Chandra Verma, and Vijay Pratap Singh. "Plasmid profile and drug resistance pattern of zoonotic Salmonella isolates from Indian buffaloes." Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 4, no. 08 (May 4, 2010): 477–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.713.
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Background: Buffalo is the major source of animal protein in south-east Asia, including India; therefore, the presence of multiple drug resistance in Salmonella strains of buffalo meat and milk products is of immense public health concern. Methodology: Forty-six strains of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica belonging to eight serovars (S. Anatum, 13; S. Weltevreden, 13; S. Rostock, 6; S. Typhimurium, 5; S. Gallinarum, 5; S. Stockholm, 1; S. Dublin, 1; and S. Orion, 2), isolated from buffalo meat and diseased buffaloes were studied for their antibiotic sensitivity and plasmid profile. Results: All except six strains of Salmonella had one or more plasmids. Virulence plasmid of ~35MdA was present in 39 isolates while 19 strains had one to six additional plasmids with molecular weight ranging from 1 Mda > 35 Mda. A plasmid-free S. Anatum strain was resistant to seven drugs including fluoroquinolones, while strains having six to seven plasmids were resistant to fewer antimicrobial drugs. One S. Anatum isolate, resistant to 11 antibiotics, had only one plasmid. Eight serovars of Salmonella could be divided into 28 resistotypes on the basis of antimicrobial sensitivity assay. Most strains were resistant to streptomycin (84.8%) followed by kanamycin (58.7%), gentamicin (52.2%), ampicillin (50%) and oxytetracycline (50%). Few strains were resistant to cefotaxime (2.2%), amoxycillin (2.2%) and newer fluoroquinolones (6.5%). Conclusion: Multiple drug resistance was common among Salmonella isolates of buffalo origin, particularly against aminoglycosides, oxytetracycin, ampicillin and cephalexin. Presence of plasmids is not mandatory for occurrence of multiple drug resistance in S. enterica strains.
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Macrina, Francis L., Mark T. Dertzbaugh, Madelon C. Halula, E. Regis Krah, and Kevin R. Jones. "Genetic Approaches to The Study of Oral Microflora: A Review." Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine 1, no. 3 (July 1990): 207–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10454411900010030401.
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As the study of oral microorganisms intensified almost 2 decades ago, the application of genetic techniques resulted in important contributions to the understanding of this clinically and ecologically important group of bacteria. The isolation and characterization of mutants of cariogenic streptococci helped to focus attention on traits that were important in colonization and virulence. Such classic genetic approaches gave way to molecular genetic techniques, including recombinant DNA methodology in the late 1970s. Gene cloning systems and methods to move DNA into cells have been developed for oral streptococci. Many streptococcal genes thought to be important in colonization and virulence have since been cloned and their nucleotide sequence determined. Mutant strains have been constructed using defective copies of cloned genes in order to create specific genetic lesions on the bacterial chromosome. By testing such mutants in animal models, a picture of the cellular and molecular basis of dental caries is beginning to emerge. These modem genetic methodologies also are being employed to develop novel and efficacious cell-free or whole cell vaccines against this infection. Genetic approaches and analyses are now being used to dissect microorganisms important in periodontal disease as well. Such systems should be able to exploit advances made in genetically manipulating related anaerobes, such as the intestinal Bacteroides. Gene cloning techniques in oral anaerobes, Actinomyces and Actinobacillus, are already beginning to pay dividends in helping understand gene structure and expression. Additional effort is needed to develop facile systems for genetic manipulation of these important groups of microorganisms.
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Tsakiridou, Efthimia, Christina Boutsouki, Yorgos Zotos, and Kostantinos Mattas. "Attitudes and behaviour towards organic products: an exploratory study." International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management 36, no. 2 (February 15, 2008): 158–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09590550810853093.
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PurposeThe aim of this paper is to identify consumers' attitudes and behaviour towards organic products in Greece.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on a non‐probability quota sample of 660 respondents to explore the attitudes and behaviour of Greek consumers towards organic food products.FindingsGreek consumers seem to be informed about environmental and health issues. They seek information about the nutritional value of food and demand more products free from chemical residues. The results show that most consumers associate organic consumption mainly with fruit and vegetables. Although demographics seem to affect attitudes towards organics, their value in explaining actual behaviour is minimal.Research limitations/implicationsIt is recognized that the data gathered in this study focus on the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki, Greece. The specific area though, is considered to be representative of the total Greek population. The results confirm that health, concern for the environment, animal welfare and support of the local economy are drivers of organic consumption. However, there is an indication that the importance of motives and barriers may vary for different product categories and perhaps future research should focus on product segmentation.Practical implicationsAlthough certain similarities in consumers' attitudes towards organic food products have been identified, this paper records the variation in behaviour towards organics among the various consumer groups examined in Greece, and highlights the gap between attitudes and actual behaviour. Given the complexity of consumer decision making, future research should explore the other value trade‐offs that consumers make.Originality/valueThis paper attempts to provide evidence on the relatively under researched area of organics attitudes and behaviour in Greece.
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Groothuis, Dennis R., Gregory D. Lapin, Francine J. Vriesendorp, Michael A. Mikhael, and Clifford S. Patlak. "A Method to Quantitatively Measure Transcapillary Transport of Iodinated Compounds in Canine Brain Tumors with Computed Tomography." Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism 11, no. 6 (November 1991): 939–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.1991.159.
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We present a quantitative method for determining a blood-to-tissue influx constant ( K1), a tissue-to-blood efflux constant ( k2), and tissue plasma vascular space ( Vp) that uses a computed tomographic (CT) scanner to make tissue and plasma measurements of the concentration of an iodinated compound. Meglumine iothalamate was infused intravenously over time periods of 0.5–5 min, up to 49 CT scans were obtained at one brain level, and arterial plasma was sampled over a 30- to 40-min period. K1, k2, and Vp were calculated for each voxel of the 320 × 320 matrix, using a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model and nonlinear least-squares regression. The method was used in dogs with avian sarcoma virus–induced brain tumors. As many as four studies on different days were done in the same animal. In tumor-free cortex, K1 of meglumine iothalamate was 2.4 ± 1.7 μl g−1 min−1 (mean ± SD) and Vp was 3.4 ± 0.5 ml 100 g−1. Mean whole-brain tumor K1 values ranged from 3.3 to 97.9 μl g−1 min−1; k2 ranged from 0.032 to 0.27 min−1; and Vp ranged from 1.1 to 11.4 ml 100 g−1. These values were reproducible in serial experiments in single animals. Independent verification of K1 values was obtained with quantitative autoradiographic measurements of α-aminoisobutyric acid, which has similar physicochemical properties to meglumine iothalamate. The CT methodology is capable of demonstrating regional variation of trans-capillary transport in brain tumors and may be of value in the study of human brain tumors.
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Ouled Belgacem, Azaiez, Farah Ben Salem, Mouldi Gamoun, Roukaya Chibani, and Mounir Louhaichi. "Revival of traditional best practices for rangeland restoration under climate change in the dry areas." International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management 11, no. 5 (November 18, 2019): 643–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijccsm-02-2018-0019.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the benefits of reintroducing traditional grazing systems practices for improving arid rangelands. Grazing is the most extensive land use in southern Tunisia, but the rangelands have suffered many decades of severe degradation due to profound socioeconomic changes and the emergence of an agro-pastoral society in place of the former pastoral one. Traditional grazing systems (gdel and herd mobility), which had historically allowed for grazing deferment and control of grazing livestock were abandoned. Yet grazing management strategies are important tools to sustain integrated livestock rangeland production systems in dry areas in the face of ongoing climate change and human pressure. Design/methodology/approach This study assesses the revival of traditional best practices of rangeland resting in a representative community. Total plant cover, species composition, flora richness and range production were determined in six rangeland sites subjected respectively to one, two and three years of rest; one and two years of light grazing after rest; and free grazing (control). Findings Results showed that dry rangelands keep their resilience to the negative effects of climate change once human pressure is controlled. A maximum of two years of rest is enough to sustainably manage the rangelands in southern Tunisia, as this protection showed considerable and positive effects on the parameters scored. Originality/value The revival of the traditional best practices under new arrangements adapted to current biophysical and socioeconomic conditions would be an excellent tool to mitigate the negative effects of frequent droughts and reduce the animal feed costs that poor farmers face.
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ALI, H. A. M., R. W. MAYES, C. S. LAMB, B. L. HECTOR, A. K. VERMA, and E. R. ØRSKOV. "The potential of long-chain fatty alcohols and long-chain fatty acids as diet composition markers: development of methods for quantitative analysis and faecal recoveries of these compounds in sheep fed mixed diets." Journal of Agricultural Science 142, no. 1 (February 2004): 71–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859604004034.
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Previous investigations have shown that the long-chain fatty alcohols and long-chain fatty acids of plant waxes have potential as diet composition markers. This study was conducted to measure faecal recoveries of long-chain fatty alcohols (C20–C30) and long-chain fatty acids (C20–C32) in sheep fed mixed diets. Methodology for quantitative analysis of these compounds in feed and faeces is also presented. The method was an extension of the original n-alkane method of Mayes et al. (1986) in which separate hydrocarbon (n-alkanes, n-alkenes and branched-chain alkanes), alcohol (free+esterified) and acid (free+esterified) fractions could be obtained from a single sample. A fraction containing alcohols and sterols was eluted from the silica gel column after removal of the hydrocarbons. Sterols were removed from alcohols using aminopropyl solid-phase extraction columns. Alcohols were converted to their trimethylsilyl (TMS) ethers and run on a gas chromatograph (GC). Acids were extracted from the aqueous phase of saponification products after removal of hydrocarbons, alcohols and sterols, purified through silica gel columns and were converted into their methyl esters (FAMES) prior to analysis on a GC. Tests were carried out to evaluate the reproducibility of the results obtained from the analytical method developed for quantifying alcohols and acids. Twelve sheep, in metabolism crates, were offered (0·8 kg DM/animal/day) four different mixtures of hill grass (Agrostis capillaris), birch (Betula pendula) leaves and current season's growth of heather (Calluna vulgaris) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) for 17 days. Total daily faeces and feed refusals collections were carried out over the last 7 days. Faeces collections were bulked for each animal. Representative samples of feed, refusals and faeces were analysed for alcohols and acids using the described method. Faecal recoveries of alcohols and acids were calculated from the ratio of output and input of each marker. The results showed high, though incomplete, faecal recoveries for both alcohols and acids. Alcohols had consistently higher faecal recoveries compared with acids. Mean (±S.E.) faecal recovery values for alcohols C20, C22, C24, C26, C28 and C30 were 0·58±0·04, 0·67±0·01, 0·72±0·008, 0·80±0·007, 0·94±0·005 and 1·01±0·02, respectively, whereas those of acids C20, C22, C24, C26, C28, C30and C32 were 0·47±0·02, 0·57±0·02, 0·61±0·02, 0·77±0·017, 0·84±0·01, 0·79±0·015 and 0·84±0·013, respectively. Increasing chain-length had a significant effect (P<0·05) on the recoveries of both alcohols and acids (R2=0·808, 0·741, respectively). Different dietary plant mixtures had no effect (P>0·05) on the recoveries of alcohols and acids in faeces.
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Akulenko, L., N. Bolotnik, D. Leshchenko, and E. Palii. "ON INERTIAL MOTION OF AN ABSOLUTELY RIGID BODY ON A THREE-DEGREE SUSPENSION WITH LINKS OF FINITE LENGTH." Mechanics And Mathematical Methods 2, no. 2 (December 2020): 6–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.31650/2618-0650-2020-2-2-6-17.
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Papers on the dynamics of an absolutely rigid body with a fixed point generally assume that the mechanical system has three degrees of freedom. This is the situation when the body is attached to a fixed base by a ball-and-socket joint. On engineering systems one often encounters rigid bodies attached to a base by a two-degrees-of-freedom joint, consisting of a fixed axis and a movable one, which are mutually perpendicular. Such systems have two degrees of freedom, but the set of kinematically possible motions is quite rich. Dynamic analysis of the motion of a rigid body with a two-degree hinge in a force field is an integral part of the description of the action of mechanical actions of robotic systems. In recent decades, an increasingly closed role in the dynamics of rigid body systems has been played by manipulation robots consisting of a sequential chain of rigid links and controlled by means of torque drives in articulated joints. The same class of objects can be attributed to many biological systems that imitate, for example, the movements of a person or animal (walking, running, jumping). Two-link systems have a variety of practical applications and an almost equally wide range of areas of theoretical research. We note, in particular, the analysis of free and forced plane-parallel motion of a bundle of two rigid bodies connected by an ideal cylindrical hinge and simulating a composite satellite in outer space, a two-link manipulator, and an element of a crushing machine. The dynamic behavior of a rigid body in the gimbal suspension is a system, which can be interpreted as two-degree manipulator and used an element of more complex robotic structures. The linear mathematical model of two-link manipulator free oscillations with viscous friction in both its joints is a system, which reduces to the calculation scheme of double pendulum and allows the construction of exact analytical solution in the partial case. According to the research methodology, the proposed paper is close to works, where the motion by inertia of a plane two–rigid body hinged system was studied and devoted to the study of the motion of an absolutely rigid body on a power-to-power joint.
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Aranha, José, Teresa Enes, Ana Calvão, and Hélder Viana. "Shrub Biomass Estimates in Former Burnt Areas Using Sentinel 2 Images Processing and Classification." Forests 11, no. 5 (May 14, 2020): 555. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f11050555.
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Shrubs growing in former burnt areas play two diametrically opposed roles. On the one hand, they protect the soil against erosion, promote rainwater infiltration, carbon sequestration and support animal life. On the other hand, after the shrubs’ density reaches a particular size for the canopy to touch and the shrubs’ biomass accumulates more than 10 Mg ha−1, they create the necessary conditions for severe wild fires to occur and spread. The creation of a methodology suitable to identify former burnt areas and to track shrubs’ regrowth within these areas in a regular and a multi temporal basis would be beneficial. The combined use of geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) supported by dedicated land survey and field work for data collection has been identified as a suitable method to manage these tasks. The free access to Sentinel images constitutes a valuable tool for updating the GIS project and for the monitoring of regular shrubs’ accumulated biomass. Sentinel 2 VIS-NIR images are suitable to classify rural areas (overall accuracy = 79.6% and Cohen’s K = 0.754) and to create normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images to be used in association to allometric equations for the shrubs’ biomass estimation (R2 = 0.8984, p-value < 0.05 and RMSE = 4.46 Mg ha−1). Five to six years after a forest fire occurrence, almost all the former burnt area is covered by shrubs. Up to 10 years after a fire, the accumulated shrubs’ biomass surpasses 14 Mg ha−1. The results described in this paper demonstrate that Northwest Portugal presents larger shrubland areas and greater shrub biomass accumulation (average 18.3 Mg ha−1) than the Northeast (average 7.7 Mg ha−1) of the country.