Organic Livestock Production- A Bibliometric Review

Due to the increasing interest in organic farming, an overview of this research area is provided through a bibliometric analysis conducted between April and May 2019. A total of 320 documents were published up until 2018 on organic livestock farming, with an annual growth rate of 9.33% and a clear increase since 2005; 268 documents have been published in 111 journals. Germany is the country with the largest number of published papers (56 documents). Authors\u2019 top keywords (excluding keywords used for running the search) included: animal welfare (29 times), animal health (22 times), cattle (15 times), grazing (10 times), and sheep (10 times). This could indicate that more research has been done on cattle because of the importance of this species in Germany. Moreover, the prevalence of the terms \u2018animal welfare\u2019 and \u2018animal health\u2019 may indicate that the research on organic livestock production has been focused on these two areas. The bibliometric analysis indicates that: i) countries focused the organic livestock production research on their main production, and ii) more research in species other than cattle and sheep is needed

The use of visible/near-infrared spectroscopy to predict fibre fractions, fibre-bound nitrogen and total-tract apparent nutrients digestibility in beef cattle diets and faeces

Data about diet and digestion process of cattle are important for the fine-tuning of the diet and from an environmental point of view. Given the capacity of the near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to provide easily, quickly and cheap data its ability in predicting dietary and faecal chemical composition, fibre-bound N and total-tract apparent digestibility (ttaD) of beef cattle were tested. The ttaD was estimated using the dietary and faecal undigestible neutral detergent fibre (uNDF) as an internal marker. A total of 172 pool faecal samples and 164 total mixed ration (TMR) samples were randomly collected 24 h post-feeding across the fattening groups of young males and females Charolaise beef cattle. Both TMR and faeces were analysed chemically and through visible/NIRS instrument. Calibration models were developed using a modified partial least squares (mPLS) regression analysis and tested by a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure and the best calibrations were selected based on various parameters including the coefficient of determination of calibration (R2CrV) and the residual predictive deviation (RPD). The overall composition of TMR and faeces were similar to that reported in literature and the coefficient of variation was higher than 12% for most of the parameters studied. The NIRS was able to accurately predict the ADF, nitrogen (N), and ash content in the TMR, whereas in faeces only the ADF prediction was acceptable. The ttaD and total-tract true digestibility of N using the uNDF as an internal marker were inaccurately predicted both in TMR and in faeces (R2CrV ≤0.66; RPD ≤ 1.71).Highlights Near-infrared spectroscopy was not a suitable technology to predict total tract apparent digestibility. NIRS was able to accurately predict the ADF, nitrogen and ash content in the TMR. NIRS was able to accurately predict the ADF in faeces

Benign TdT-positive cells in pediatric and adult lymph nodes: a potential diagnostic pitfall

Benign TdT-positive cells have been documented in a variety of non-hematopoietic tissues. Scant data are however available on their presence in non-neoplastic lymph nodes. This study is aimed to: (i) characterize the presence/distribution of benign TdT-positive cells in pediatric and adult reactive lymph nodes; (ii) define the phenotype and nature of such elements. This retrospective study considered 141 reactive lymph nodes from pediatric and adult patients without history of neoplastic disease. TdT-positive cells were characterized by immunohistochemical and morphometric analyses and their presence was correlated with the clinical-pathological features. The nature of TdT-positive cells was investigated by: (i) double immunostaining for early lymphoid cell markers; and (ii) assessment of TdT expression in fetal lymph nodes. Sparse TdT-positive cells were documented in all pediatric cases and in most (76%) adult lymph nodes. TdT-positive cell density was higher in children than adults (15.9/mm2 versus 8.6/mm2; P<.05). TdT positivity did not correlate with any clinical and histological parameter and double immunostaining disclosed a phenotype compatible with early lymphoid precursors (positivity for CD34, CD10 and variable expression of CD7). A very high TdT-positive cell density (802.4/mm2) was reported in all fetal lymph nodes. In conclusion, TdT-positive cells are a common finding in pediatric and adult lymph nodes. The interstitial distribution and low number of such cells allows for the differential diagnosis with precursor lymphoid neoplasms. The high density in fetal lymph nodes and the phenotype of such cells suggest their belonging to an immature lymphoid subset gradually decreasing with age

Application of a handheld near-infrared spectrometer to predict gelatinized starch, fiber fractions, and mineral content of ground and intact extruded dry dog food

The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of a handheld near-infrared spectrometer to predict total and gelatinized starch, insoluble fibrous fractions, and mineral content inextruded dry dog food. Intact and ground samples were compared to determine if the homogenization could improve the prediction performance of the instrument. Reference analyses were performed on 81 samples for starch and 99 for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergentlignin (ADL), and minerals, and reflectance infrared spectra (740 to 1070 nm) were recorded with aSCiO™near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer. Prediction models were developed using modified partial least squares regression and both internal (leave-one-out cross-validation) and external validation.The best prediction models in cross-validation using ground samples were obtained for gelatinized starch (residual predictive deviation, RPD = 2.54) and total starch (RPD = 2.33), and S (RPD = 1.92), while the best using intact samples were obtained for gelatinized starch (RPD = 2.45), total starch (RPD = 2.08), and K (RPD = 1.98). Through external validation, the best statistics were obtained for gelatinized starch, with an RPD of 2.55 and 2.03 in ground and intact samples, respectively. Overall, there was no difference in prediction models accuracy using ground or intact samples. In conclusion, the miniaturized NIR instrument offers the potential for screening purposes only for total and gelatinized starch, S, and K, whereas the results do not support its applicability for the other traits

Blocking the NGF-TrkA Interaction Rescues the Developmental Loss of LTP in the Rat Visual Cortex Role of the Cholinergic System

AbstractAlthough nerve growth factor (NGF) is a crucial factor in the activity-dependent development and plasticity of visual cortex, its role in synaptic efficacy changes is largely undefined. We demonstrate that the maintenance phase of long-term potentiation (LTP) is blocked by local application of exogenous NGF in rat visual cortex at an early stage of postnatal development. Long-term depression (LTD) and bidirectional plasticity are unaffected. At later postnatal ages, blockade of either endogenous NGF by immunoadhesin (TrkA-IgG) or TrkA receptors by monoclonal antibody rescues LTP. Muscarinic receptor activation/inhibition suggests that LTP dependence on NGF is mediated by the cholinergic system. These results indicate that NGF regulates synaptic strength in well-characterized cortical circuitries

Extended “orbital molecules” and magnetic phase separation in Bi0.68Ca0.32MnO3

The low-temperature structure of Bi0.68Ca0.32MnO3 has been solved from electron and neutron diffraction data. The quantitative simultaneous refinement indicates an ordering of the Mn cations in a “stripe/chess”-like pattern. The ordering is accompanied by the formation of short Mn—Mn distances and the rearrangement of the Mn—O bonds indicating the development of complex extended “orbital molecules.” The primary order parameter breaks inversion symmetry and allows the generation of a spontaneous electrical polarization as the secondary order parameter. The neutron data at low temperature indicate the coexistence of a pseudo-CE long-range-ordered structure with a strongly reduced moment and short-range ferromagnetic correlations. These results indicate an intricate competition between the charge, orbital, and magnetic degrees of freedom and the Bi3+ stereoactivity in this manganite system

Long-Term administration of a commercial supplement enriched with bioactive compounds does not affect feed intake, health status, and growth performances in beef cattle

Feed additives including natural bioactive compounds (BCs) in combination with vitamin E (VitE) and organic Se could mitigate animal stress associated with intensive livestock farming due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Yeast and yeast derivate are included in feed additives as probiotic products and digestion promoters. Scutellaria baicalensis is a source of bioactive compounds and has been tested in monogastrics, exhibiting many immunostimulating and hepato-protective activities. However, the literature lacks information regarding S. baicalensis effects on beef cattle performance and health status. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact on beef cattle's feed intake, health and oxidative status, and growth performances of the inclusion of a commercial supplement (CS) containing VitE, organic Se, yeast derivate, and S. baicalensis extract during the fattening and finishing period. A total of 143 Charolaise male cattle were allotted into 12 pens of 11-12 animals each and assigned to a control ( 463.9 ± 21.48 body weight - BW) or a treated ( 469.8 ± 17.91 BW) group. Each group included two replicates of three pens. The treated groups were supplemented with 20 g CS animal - 1 d - 1 . Feed intake was measured monthly on a pen base during two consecutive days. Total mixed ration and fecal samples were collected at three time points (monthly, from November to February) and pooled by replicate for the analyses to monitor digestibility. Blood samples were individually collected at the beginning and at the end of the trial for oxidative status and metabolic profile determination. Final BW and carcass weight were individually recorded to calculate average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, and carcass yield. Similar feed digestibility between groups were observed during the whole experiment. Feed intake, growth performances, final body weight, average daily gain, feed conversion rate, oxidative status, and metabolic profile were not affected by the dietary inclusion of the tested CS indicating no detrimental effect of the treatment. Different doses of this product should be tested in the future in order to provide a more complete report on the product efficacy

Impact of Pre-Analytical Time on the Recovery of Pathogens from Blood Cultures: Results from a Large Retrospective Survey

Prompt identification of bloodstream pathogens is essential for optimal management of patients. Significant changes in analytical methods have improved the turnaround time for laboratory diagnosis. Less attention has been paid to the time elapsing from blood collection to incubation and to its potential effect on recovery of pathogens. We evaluated the performance of blood cultures collected under typical hospital conditions in relation to the length of their pre-analytical time. We carried out a large retrospective study including 50,955 blood cultures collected, over a 30-month period, from 7,035 adult septic patients. Cultures were accepted by the laboratory only during opening time (Mon-Fri: 8am\ub14pm; Sat: 8am\ub12pm). Samples collected outside laboratory hours were stored at room temperature at clinical wards. All cultures were processed by automated culture systems. Day and time of blood collection and of culture incubation were known for all samples. A maximum pre-analytical interval of 2 hours is recommended by guidelines. When the laboratory was open, 57% of cultures were processed within 2 h. When the laboratory was closed, 4.9% of cultures were processed within 2 h (P<0.001). Samples collected when the laboratory was closed showed pre-analytical times significantly longer than those collected when laboratory was open (median time: 13 h and 1 h, respectively, P<0.001). The prevalence of positive cultures was significantly lower for samples collected when the laboratory was closed compared to open (11% vs 13%, P<0.001). The probability of a positive result decreased of 16% when the laboratory was closed (OR:0.84; 95%CI:0.80\ub10.89, P<0.001). Further, each hour elapsed from blood collection to incubation resulted associated with a decrease of 0.3% (OR:0.997; 95%CI:0.994\ub10.999, P<0.001) in the probability of a positive result. Delayed insertions of cultures into automated systems was associated with lower detection rates, with potentially important consequences for patients. In each hospital setting the logistic factors able to shorten pre-analytical time should be carefully investigated and specifically targeted