Using bacterial inoculants to control the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in maize silages under anaerobic and aerobic conditions.

The aim was to determine if bacterial inoculants could eliminate E. coli O157:H7 (ECOL) in contaminated corn silages and if inoculants transferred antibacterial activity to silages. Chopped corn forage was ensiled in triplicate after treatment with:1) distilled water (control); 2) 5 x 105 cfu/g of ECOL (EC); 3) EC and 1 x 106 cfu/g of Pediococcus pentosaceus and Propionibacterium freudenreichii (EC+BII); 4) EC and 1 x 106 cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri (LB; EC+LB); 5) EC and 1 x 106 cfu/g of LB and P. pentosaceus (EC+B500). Silos were opened after 3, 7, 31, and 82 d and analyzed for pH and ECOL counts as well as VFA, lactate, and aerobic stability on d 82. By d 3, all silages had pH was <4 (SE=0.33; p=1) and pH did not increase subsequently; therefore ECOL was not detected in any silage. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test showed that all pure cultures of inoculants had pH-independent antibacterial activity against ECOL but inoculated silages did not, suggesting that ECOL elimination was mediated by pH reduction. Inoculation with LB resulted in less lactate (SE=0.31; p<0.05), more acetate (SE=0.35; p<0.05), and greater aerobic stability (SE=7.1; p<0.05) versus control. Day-82 silages were reinoculated with EC at silo opening (immediate) or after 144 h of exposure (delay) and ECOL were enumerated 24 h later. All immediately reinoculated silages had low pH values (<4) and no ECOL 24 h later. Control, EC, and EC+BII silages reinoculated after the delay had relatively high pH values (4.71, 5.67, and 6.03) (SE=0.74; p<0.05) and ECOL counts (2.87, 6.73, and 6.87 log cfu/g) (SE=1.4; p<0.05), whereas those treated with LB had low pH values (<4) and undetectable (EC+B500) or low ECOL counts (1.96, cfu/g; EC+LB). Inoculants did not enhance elimination of ECOL during ensiling, but L. buchneri inoculants increased stability and eliminated or inhibited ECOL in aerobically exposed silages

Implications of new technologies for future food supply systems

The combination of advances in knowledge, technology, changes in consumer preference and low cost of manufacturing is accelerating the next technology revolution in crop, livestock and fish production systems. This will have major implications for how, where and by whom food will be produced in the future. This next technology revolution could benefit the producer through substantial improvements in resource use and profitability, but also the environment through reduced externalities. The consumer will ultimately benefit through more nutritious, safe and affordable food diversity, which in turn will also contribute to the acceleration of the next technology. It will create new opportunities in achieving progress towards many of the Sustainable Development Goals, but it will require early recognition of trends and impact, public research and policy guidance to avoid negative trade-offs. Unfortunately, the quantitative predictability of future impacts will remain low and uncertain, while new chocks with unexpected consequences will continue to interrupt current and future outcomes. However, there is a continuing need for improving the predictability of shocks to future food systems especially for ex-ante assessment for policy and planning

ENGINEERING PRACTICES FOR FUNCTIONALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Engineering as a profession is a call to service by the society. Perhaps next to soldiers, engineers are the most patriotic professionals. However unlike soldiers they remain servants of society at all times and in all circumstances. Despite her role to the society, engineering profession seems not to be enjoying the respect that is due to it probably because of the failures associated with some engineering projects. This paper discusses the potentials of engineering education and practices in the country to provide functional and sustainable services to the society. The major identified factors to achieve this quality have been as the teaching materials and equipment; staff capabilities and Industrial exposure. Though student recruitment was not a prominent factor for both students and employers, but was the main factor for staff. It is therefore important that it is not ignored. Engineering Services in the Country depends on a number of factors, some of which are not determined by Engineers themselves. However, there is no doubt that the future will be bright or dim depending on whether or not there exists a right relationship between the engineer and the Public or Institution which he serves

Control of E. coli O157:H7 in corn silage with inoculants under anaerobic and aerobic conditions.

Previous research in our laboratory demonstrated hormones known to respond to changing day length can influence fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle. Continuing with this research, we examined the effect of serum prolactin concentrations on fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 and cellular immune response. 2?Bromo???ergocryptine methanesulfonate salt (BROMO) a dopamine agonist and sulpiride a D?2 dopamine receptor blocker were administered to decrease and increase prolactin levels, respectively. Fifteen Holstein steers experimentally infected with E. coli O157:H7 were randomly assigned to receive BROMO (0.05 mg/ kg BW), sulpiride (0.05 mg/kg BW) or control (ethanol) via s.c. injection, twice daily. Fecal samples were collected daily and shedding of E. coli O157:H7 was determined via an immunomagnetic separation technique. Blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture for analysis of serum prolactin concentrations and circulating neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood on d 7 and 14 and degranulation and oxidative burst (OB) assays conducted. When examined over the 14-d experimental period, BROMO decreased (P = 0.0001) the percentage of cattle shedding E. coli O157:H7 (56% vs. 25.33% for control and BROMO treatments, respectively) while sulpiride had no effect (P > 0.10). BROMO decreased (P 0.10). Oxidative burst by neutrophils for BROMO vs. control showed no significant difference on d 7, however, on d 14 OB by neutrophils tended to be higher for BROMO vs. controls (P = 0.08). Serum prolactin concentrations tended to be negatively correlated with OB (P = 0.09). No significant differences were observed for degranulation in BROMO vs. control on either d 7 or14. These results support our hypothesis that hormones influenced by day length are responsible for the seasonality of E. coli O157:H7

Synergies of feed, management trainings, and genetics on milk production of dairy cows in the tropics: The case of Ethiopian smallholder farmers

Efforts made so far to increase milk production of indigenous cattle by upgrading with exotic genotypes through crossbreeding under smallholder farmer conditions in Ethiopia have resulted in limited improvement. This study was conducted to determine if combining improved feed and management-related trainings with Holstein genetics will synergistically increase the milk production of dairy cows, and to examine the degree to which the increase or improvement is related to the level of exotic genetics involved. A total of 96 smallholder dairy farmers were purposively selected and allocated to one of three treatments reflecting differing degrees of capacity building support: (1) no training and no material support (Control); (2) training provided by another project (PAID) but without material support; (3) enhanced training plus material support (Feed-Mgt). Sixteen extension development agents and eight livestock experts were selected to provide training and weekly on-farm data collection, monitoring, technical support, and messaging reinforcement visits. Enhanced training addressed a broad range of topics related to feed and feeding, improved forage production, milk production and handling, construction and use of improved dairy housing, disease control, and dairy farm record keeping. Material support was in the form of formulated dairy concentrate feed and improved forage planting materials (seeds/seedlings). Data collection included variables describing animal performance, management practice adoption, and milk and butter quality. Tail hair samples for genetic profiling of breed makeup were also collected from all cows in the study. Results showed that there was a very significant effect of treatment (P &lt; 0.001) on milk production, as well as treatment by week interaction (P = 0.034), with the effect of treatment markedly increasing over time (P = 0.032). That is, cows in Feed-Mgt group had up to 26.6% greater milk production compared to those in the Control group. Region and region by treatment interaction have no effects. Cows used in the experiment had varying proportions of Holstein-Friesian genome that ranged between 0 and 100%, suggesting prevalence of indiscriminate crossbreeding. Cows with a high proportion of Holstein genetics in treatment 3 produced more milk as compared to those in control group. Besides, supplemental feed improved body condition, reduced number of services per conception and resulted in higher lactation length of cows on treatment 3 compared with those on treatments 1 and 2 (P &lt; 0.001). Overall, our findings suggest that an integrated approach of improved feed, feeding practices, and management training for smallholder dairy that goes beyond the improvement of genetics will increase milk production, improve milk quality and body condition, and resulted in higher length of lactation

Effects of feeding corn silage inoculated with microbial additives on the ruminal fermentation, microbial protein yield, and growth performance of lambs

This study aimed to examine the effects of feeding corn silage inoculated without or with either Lactobacillus buchneri (LB) alone or a combination of LB and Lactobacillus plantarum (LBLP) on the apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and growth performance of lambs. Thirty Santa Ines x Dorper crossbred intact males lambs weighing 20.4 +/- 3.8 kg were blocked by weight into 10 groups. Lambs in each group were randomly assigned to 1 of the following 3 dietary treatments: untreated (Control), LB, and LBLP silage. Lambs were fed experimental diets for 61 d. The apparent digestibility was indirectly estimated from indigestible NDF measured on d 57 to 59. Spot urine samples were collected from all animals on d 59 to estimate microbial protein synthesis. Lambs were slaughtered for carcass evaluation on d 61 when they weighed 32.4 +/- 5.2 kg. Six additional ruminally cannulated Santa Ines x Dorper crossbred wethers weighing 40.5 +/- 1.8 kg were used to examine dietary effects on ruminal fermentation. Average daily gain was increased when lambs were fed LBLP silage (P < 0.05) but not LB silage. The LBLP silage had the highest (P < 0.05) lactic acid concentration and both inoculated silages had greater acetic acid concentrations than the Control silage (P < 0.05). Inoculation of corn silage increased intakes of DM, OM, CP, NDF, total carbohydrate (CHO), and GE by the lambs but decreased digestibility of DM, OM, CP, total and nonstructural carbohydrates, and concentration of GE and ME. (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, lambs fed inoculated silages had greater microbial N supply than those on the Control treatment (P < 0.05). The acetate to propionate ratio was lower in ruminal fluid of wethers in LBLP treatment than LB and Control treatment (P < 0.05) and ruminal pH tended to be greater in LB lambs than in LBLP and Control wethers (P < 0.10). Finally, the inoculation with both bacteria combined enhanced the silage fermentation. The intakes of DM, OM, CP, NDF, and GE were improved in the lambs fed corn silage inoculated with L. buchneri alone or combined with L. plantarum. The microbial N supply was enhanced in the lambs fed corn silage inoculated with L. buchneri. The inoculation of L. buchneri combined with L. plantarum reduced the acetate to propionate ratio in ruminal fluid and improved the ADG of lambs.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP