Nutrient flows in crop-livestock systems of the North-West Highlands of Vietnam

In Son La province, Mai Son district, low soil fertility is one of the main constraints for agricultural production. We quantified nutrient balances and recycling using nitrogen (N) as modelling currency in smallholder crop-livestock farms. Six farmers with different levels of access to roads and markets were interviewed on their assets, agricultural production, and nutrient management practices. Nitrogen balances were positive in the high and middle access farms, with 35 to 177 kgN/ha. In contrast, the balances were negative in the most remote farms, with -18 kgN/ha in average. The application of mineral fertilizer was a key game changer, accounting for an average of 83% of the N inputs across the six farms. Burning of crop residues contributed strongly to nutrient losses, especially on remote farms. The nitrogen recycling intensity was 13% on average, expect for one farm which produced a lot of its own livestock feed and reached a nitrogen recycling intensity (NRI) of 64%. Farms with remote access would not apply nutrient management techniques like recycling of crop residues as feed or as mulch and using animal manure as fertilizer. The use of organic inputs should be encouraged and burning should be avoided, especially on slopping lands. Legume species should be better integrated in the system, for example as multipurpose forages. Constraints in adoption of these measures should be carefully studied, as well as the long-term cost-benefit ratio. Preliminary implementation of soil erosion control and soil fertility improvement techniques in the region are promising and should be supported by local authorities and extension services

Implementation of feed intervention strategies for improved livestock nutrition and productivity in Mai Son district, Son La province, Vietnam

Livestock production in Vietnam is critical in reducing poverty and increasing income particularly for ethnic minorities in the Northwest Highlands. Improved livestock management and productivity can be achieved through better feed management and increased cultivation of improved forages, to meet animal nutrition demand. This study aimed at assessing feed intervention strategies to address context-specific feed-related challenges, mainly winter-feed shortage, for improved animal nutrition and livestock productivity in Mai Son district, Son La province, Vietnam. These interventions included promoting the uptake of improved forage varieties (grasses and legumes) and capacity building on animal nutrition techniques including feed processing and preservation, feed mix and feeding regimes for cattle and pigs. Willing farmers selected various forage varieties, were provided with seeds and planting materials to grow on their farms and guided on forage planting, management, and utilization. Local partners and stakeholders supported various activities and ensured successful implementation amidst the restrictions arising from the Covid 19 pandemic. Farmers reported increased awareness on feed technologies, increased yield, and availability of high-quality feed for their livestock, as well as challenges encountered in applying different feed-related techniques. Initial results from this study show the potential of feed and forage technologies in improving livestock productivity and lays a foundation for scaling these interventions to other regions of Vietnam

ICT-based system to predict and prevent falls (iStoppFalls): results from an international multicenter randomized controlled trial

Background: Falls and fall-related injuries are a serious public health issue. Exercise programs can effectively reduce fall risk in older people. The iStoppFalls project developed an Information and Communication Technology-based system to deliver an unsupervised exercise program in older people’s homes. The primary aims of the iStoppFalls randomized controlled trial were to assess the feasibility (exercise adherence, acceptability and safety) of the intervention program and its effectiveness on common fall risk factors. Methods: A total of 153 community-dwelling people aged 65+ years took part in this international, multicentre, randomized controlled trial. Intervention group participants conducted the exercise program for 16 weeks, with a recommended duration of 120 min/week for balance exergames and 60 min/week for strength exercises. All intervention and control participants received educational material including advice on a healthy lifestyle and fall prevention. Assessments included physical and cognitive tests, and questionnaires for health, fear of falling, number of falls, quality of life and psychosocial outcomes. Results: The median total exercise duration was 11.7 h (IQR = 22.0) over the 16-week intervention period. There were no adverse events. Physiological fall risk (Physiological Profile Assessment, PPA) reduced significantly more in the intervention group compared to the control group (F1,127 = 4.54, p = 0.035). There was a significant three-way interaction for fall risk assessed by the PPA between the high-adherence (>90 min/week; n = 18, 25.4 %), low-adherence (n = 53, 74.6 %) and control group (F2,125 = 3.12, n = 75, p = 0.044). Post hoc analysis revealed a significantly larger effect in favour of the high-adherence group compared to the control group for fall risk (p = 0.031), postural sway (p = 0.046), stepping reaction time (p = 0.041), executive functioning (p = 0.044), and quality of life (p for trend = 0.052). Conclusions: The iStoppFalls exercise program reduced physiological fall risk in the study sample. Additional subgroup analyses revealed that intervention participants with better adherence also improved in postural sway, stepping reaction, and executive function

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Bibliographie Milet

Diese Bibliographie zu Milet erhebt keinen Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit und wird regelmäßig aktualisiert. Die ca. 120-jährige Grabungsgeschichte von Milet ist in drei Versionen sortiert: alphabetisch, chronologisch und thematisc

Bibliographie Milet

Diese Bibliographie zu Milet erhebt keinen Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit und wird regelmäßig aktualisiert. Die ca. 120-jährige Grabungsgeschichte von Milet ist in drei Versionen sortiert: alphabetisch, chronologisch und thematisc

Bibliographie Milet

Diese Bibliographie zu Milet erhebt keinen Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit und wird regelmäßig aktualisiert. Die ca. 120-jährige Grabungsgeschichte von Milet ist in drei Versionen sortiert: alphabetisch, chronologisch und thematisc

The landscape and networks of southwest Samos: new evidence from surface-survey ceramics

This article uses the assemblage of surface-survey ceramics collected in the 2021 and 2022 WASAP field seasons to discuss the landscape structure and networking patterns (internal and external to the island) of Archaic through Byzantine southwest Samos. Collected in the basin of Marathokampos with intensive field pedestrian methods, a subset of a dataset of 2,106 ceramics is discussed alongside the environmental context of their findspots. Spatial analysis is used to identify 15 ‘Areas of Interest’ in the landscape, densely populated by surface ceramics, while detailed typological analysis of the ceramics helps to assign dates of activity across the region. The ceramic assemblage is compared to material from the Heraion Sanctuary of Samos, to local Ionian ceramics, and to ceramics from the broader Aegean and Mediterranean, to evaluate the network of contacts sustained by southwest Samos gradually expanded between the Archaic and Byzantine periods.Leverhulme ECF-2022-015 BA Leverhulme SRG21\21119