Potential Substitutes of Antibiotics for Swine and Poultry Production

Early of the last century, it was detected that antibiotics added to the animal feeds at low doses and for a long time can improve technical performances such as average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio. Since then, the antibiotics have been used worldwide as feed additives for many decades. At the end of the twentieth century, the consequences of the uses of antibiotics in animal feeds as growth promoters were informed. Since then, many research studies have been done to find other solutions to replace partly or fully to antibiotic as growth promoters (AGPs). Many achievements in finding alternatives to AGPs in which probiotics and direct-fed microorganism, prebiotics, organic acids and their salts, feed enzymes, bacteriophages, herbs, spices, and other plant extractives (phytogenics), mineral and essential oils are included

Acidifiers as Alternatives for Antibiotics Reduction and Gut Health Improvement for Poultry and Swine

Using antibiotics of low doses as feed additives could support to improve poultry and swine performances. However, these applications have caused resistance of bacteria and antibiotic residues in foods of animal origins. Therefore, efforts were focused on solutions to replace antibiotics as growth promoters (AGPs). There are many alternatives for AGPs, in which organic acids are one of the important alternatives. The aim of this chapter is to review publications on these acids and their other forms namely as acidifiers using as feed additives including their names and forms, mode of actions, spectrum against bacteria, combinations among them, and latest updates on their effects on swine and poultry production. The scientific findings show that acidifiers can inhibit pathogenic bacteria growth, improve nutrient digestibility, enhance immunity and overall gut health, consequently increase performances of poultry and swine. Several acids and their salts in both liquid and solid forms have been studied and applied as poultry and swine feed additives; however, the efficacy levels and the mode of actions are dependent on the single acidifiers, their salts, and combinations among them. The uses of acidifiers in their salts and derivative forms and mixtures of different acidifiers seem to be more favorable

DETERMINATION OF ILEAL AMINO ACID DIGESTIBILITIES OF SOME BY-PRODUCTS FOR CHICKENS

Nghiên cứu này được thực hiện nhằm xác định tỷ lệ tiêu hóa hồi tràng tiêu chuẩn các amino acid trong 6 loại thức ăn phụ phẩm cho gà (khô dầu dừa, khô dầu hạt cải, bột lông vũ, bột gia cầm thủy phân, bột thịt xương và bột đầu tôm). Thí nghiệm được tiến hành trên gà Lương Phượng 35 ngày tuổi. Trong tất cả các khẩu phần, thức ăn thí nghiệm là nguồn cung cấp protein duy nhất. Trong trường hợp thức ăn thí nghiệm thuộc nhóm nguyên liệu giàu protein, dextrose được trộn vào khẩu phần để điều chỉnh hàm lượng protein tổng số trong phẩu phần khoảng 20%. Tỷ lệ tiêu hóa hồi tràng tiêu chuẩn của amino acid được tính trên cơ sở hiệu chỉnh tỷ lệ tiêu hóa hồi tràng biểu kiến của amino acid bằng lượng amino acid nội sinh cơ bản. Kết quả nghiên cứ cho thấy không có sự biến động lớn về tỷ lệ tiêu hóa các amino acid trong khô dầu hạt cải. Ngược lại, tỷ lệ tiêu hóa hồi tràng tiêu chuẩn các amino acid biến động khá lớn ở khô dầu dừa. Đối với nhóm nguyên liệu protein động vật, khoảng biến động về tỷ lệ tiêu hóa giữa các amino acid trong bột đầu tôm là thấp nhất. Tỷ lệ tiêu hóa amino acid hồi tràng tiêu chuẩn đối với Arg, His, Leu + Ile, Thr, Trp, Val và Phe ở bột gia cầm thủy phân và bột đầu tôm rất cao. Trong khi đó, tỷ lệ tiêu hóa Lys, Thr và Trp trong bột lông vũ là rất thấp. Bột thịt xương và bột lông vũ là 2 loại nguyên liệu có tỷ lệ tiêu hóa amino acid thấp nhất

Which farming systems are efficient for Vietnamese coffee farmers?

This paper provides a comparative assessment of the productive efficiency of three common coffee growing systems in Vietnam: mono-cropping, synchronization and segregation. Results from an input distance function approach deliver several important findings. First, the average inefficiency level is estimated to be around 18% although inefficiency varies significantly between the three farming systems. Second, the synchronized system of growing coffee and the other industry crops is found to be the most efficient farming system. Third, coffee mono-cropping is less efficient than synchronized systems due to the presence of economies of scope between coffee and industrial crops. Fourth, the least efficient system is segregated cultivation of coffee and rice. Food insecurity is seen as a primary reason for coffee farmers diversifying into rice. These findings provide empirical evidence of agronomic benefits being derived from synchronized systems, and which are translated into higher productive efficiency. Policy options promoting synchronized farming systems may therefore enhance both economic and agronomic benefits

Eco-efficiency analysis of sustainability-certified coffee production in Vietnam

There is a belief that sustainability-certified coffee production helps increase economic benefits to farmers and reduces negative environmental impacts. However, the international empirical evidence is not conclusive. Also, there is a lack of empirical evidence for Vietnam - the world's second-largest coffee producing country. This paper provides the first empirical examination of the differences in eco-efficiency between conventional and sustainability-certified coffee-growing farms in Vietnam. Data of 726 farms in Vietnam over three crop years from 2012/13 to 2014/15 are analysed. Environmental pressures measured by the level of consumption of nitrogen, phosphorus, irrigation water, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and land are investigated in relation to the value-added of coffee production. Empirical results show that in each crop year, coffee farms could reduce environmental pressures by more than 50% while holding the value-added of outputs constant. On average, sustainability-certified farms are found to be more eco-efficient than conventional farms, but efficiency differences appear to converge over time. This convergence may be due to positive externalities of certification, less compliance to certification standards or the combination of these effects. Higher eco-efficiency levels are also correlated with farms located in higher elevation locations, having wind-break trees, and using drip or spray irrigation systems. These should be taken into account as policy options to sustain and improve the positive effects of certification in regard to both economic and environmental aspects, rather than rapid expansion of certified production. Further, one could incorporate ecological and environmental dimensions and welfare into eco-efficiency models and a stochastic production environment may be a useful modeling approach

Scale and scope economies in small household rice farming in Vietnam

The Vietnamese agricultural sector has experienced a dramatic structural change based on increased specialization in rice cultivation. However, small-scale rice-farmers have continued to grow multiple crops, especially in less developed provinces. While the literature advocates crop diversification for reasons of both economic and ecological sustainability, there lacks empirical evidence as to whether crop diversification brings efficiency and productivity gains to small farms. The present study is the first applications of the input-oriented stochastic distance function approach in estimating scale and scope economies using data of multi-crop farming households in Vietnam. We find strong evidence of product-specific economies of scale. Scope economies are also present for rice, vegetable, and other annual crop production. This suggests that crop diversification enhances efficiency and productivity. However, there still exists significant technical inefficiency in crop production, indicating opportunities to expand farm output at the existing level of inputs and technologies. More specifically, our empirical results indicate that it is desirable to expand vegetable and other annual crop production in mountainous areas while rice cultivation can be further expanded in delta and coastal regions.</p

THỰC TRẠNG QUẢN LÝ VÀ SỬ DỤNG ĐẤT NGHĨA TRANG, NGHĨA ĐỊA CỦA CÁC CỘNG ĐỒNG DÂN TỘC TRÊN ĐỊA BÀN HUYỆN MINH HÓA, TỈNH QUẢNG BÌNH

This study was conducted to evaluate the current status of land use and management of cemeteries and graveyards of ethnic communities in Minh Hoa district, Quang Binh province. A survey with 160 households from Kinh, Chut, and Bru – Van Kieu communities was carried out with the random selection method. The results show that the locals practise illegal burial without planning a land landmark for graveyard areas in many communes; Tombs and graves are scattered with other land-use types. The choice of construction model, tomb area, burial site selection, and burial customs is almost similar between the Kinh and the Chut communities, but very different with the Bru – Van Kieu community. From the current situation of land management in the district, this study proposes a number of solutions for managing and using cemetery and graveyard land in accordance with the practical situation of the ethnic communities in Minh Hoa district.Nghiên cứu này được thực hiện nhằm đánh giá thực trạng quản lý và sử dụng đất nghĩa trang, nghĩa địa (NTD) của các cộng đồng dân tộc trên địa bàn huyện Minh Hóa, tỉnh Quảng Bình. Nghiên cứu đã thực hiện tham vấn ý kiến của chính quyền địa phương về thực trạng quản lý và sử dụng đất NTD ở huyện Minh Hóa; phỏng vấn 160 hộ dân người dân tộc Kinh, Chứt và Bru – Vân Kiều theo phương pháp lựa chọn ngẫu nhiên. Kết quả cho thấy tình trạng chôn cất trái quy định vẫn còn xảy ra; việc cắm mốc đất NTD chưa được thực hiện trên địa bàn nhiều xã; việc quản lý và di dời, giải tỏa mồ mả xen lẫn trong các loại đất khác còn nhiều bất cập. Việc lựa chọn kiến trúc xây dựng, diện tích lăng mộ, lựa chọn địa điểm chôn cất và phong tục táng gần giống nhau giữa người Kinh với người Chứt nhưng lại rất khác với cộng đồng người Bru – Vân Kiều. Từ thực trạng quản lý đất NTD của các xã, chúng tôi đề xuất một số giải pháp quản lý và sử dụng đất NTD phù hợp với tình hình thực tiễn của huyện Minh Hóa

Transformation of rural landscapes in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta from 1990 to 2019: a spatio-temporal analysis

In this study, we aimed to explore the rural landscape transformation through the analysis of land use/land cover (LULC) spatio-temporal dynamics in the entire Vietnamese Mekong Delta over the three decades, using Landsat imageries and a supervised random forest classifier. Results indicated that in the 1990s, dominant LULC types were arable cropland, wetland, and permanent crops, which covered approximately half of the delta, 28% and 8%, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, the wetland area decreased from 28% to 5% due to the expansion of aquaculture and the arable cropland. The aquaculture, however, expanded more rapidly than other land use conversions, namely, from 2% to 19%. Although mangrove forests slightly recovered by 58 km2 from 2005 to 2019, the overall trend (1990-2019) showed an intense loss of 740 km2 due to widespread conversions into aquaculture. The paper unravels the complex dynamics between land-cover change, socio-economic development and associated land-use policies, which have significant implications for the change in rural landscapes

Engineering functionalized Zr-MOFs as facile removal of indole: Experimental studies and first-principles modeling

Zr-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) are emerging as potential adsorbents for removing nitrogen contaminants in fuel and wastewater. Functionalized Zr-MOFs exhibited superior indole (IND) adsorption capacity than the original MOF, but the activity of the multiple adsorption sites has not been discussed. Through experiment measurement and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, this research investigated the IND adsorption mechanism at various sites on Zr-BDC-NH2 and Zr-BDC-NO2. Based on the adsorption isotherm, the adhesion of IND with Zr-MOFs was determined via the Freundlich model. DFT results suggest that the IND adsorption occurred at highly active sites such as O-linker, μ3-O-cluster, N-amine, and O-nitro via hydrogen and π-hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the binding energy at each adsorption site in Zr-BDC-NH2 is higher than in Zr-BDC-NO2. In addition to the hydrogen acceptor bond, the π-hydrogen bond has also been analyzed through the electron density difference

Low-Grade Inflammation in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Its Correlation with Maternal Insulin Resistance and Fetal Growth Indices

Kien Xuan Nguyen,1,&ast; Tien Bui Minh,2,&ast; Hoa Trung Dinh,3,4 Tien Viet Tran,5 Tuan Dinh Le,5,&ast; Nga Phi Thi Nguyen,6 Thi Thanh Hoa Tran,3 Trinh Hien Vu,3 Lan Ho Thi Nguyen,3 Kien Trung Nguyen,2 Nguyen Huy Thong,6 Khanh Do,6 Trung Kien Nguyen,7 Hung Nguyen Dao,8 Son Tien Nguyen6,&ast; 1Department of Military Medical Command and Organization, Vietnam Medical Military University, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Binh, Vietnam; 3Department of Requested Treatment, National Hospital of Endocrinology, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 4National Hospital of Endocrinology, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 5Department of Infectious Diseases, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Medical Military University, Hanoi, Vietnam; 6Department of Rheumatology and Endocrinology, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 7Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 8Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Ha Noi, Vietnam&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Son Tien Nguyen, Department of Rheumatology and Endocrinology, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, 160 Phung Hung Street, Phuc La Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi City, Vietnam, Email [email protected]: Chronic low-grade inflammation (LGI) plays a role in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). LGI, on the one hand, promotes insulin resistance and at the same time, affects fetal development. The study aimed to use clinically feasible means to evaluate the association between maternal LGI and maternal insulin resistance and fetal growth indices by ultrasound in the third trimester.Methods: A crossectional and descriptive study on 248 first-time diagnosed GDM in Vietnam.Results: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) indices were significantly higher in GDM than in normal glucose-tolerant pregnancies (p = 0.048 and 0.016, respectively). GDM with LGI witnessed significantly higher systolic blood pressure, BMI, HbA1c, and significantly lower quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) than those without LGI. After adjusting for maternal BMI, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), age, and parity, C-reactive protein (CRP) was positively correlated with HOMA2-IR (B=0.13, p< 0.01) and Mathews index (B=0.29, p< 0.01). Regarding fetal characteristics, LGI was associated with fetal growth indices in the third trimester of GDM. NLR was negatively correlated with estimated fetal weight (EFW) (B=− 64.4, p< 0.05) after adjusting for maternal BMI and FPG. After adjusting for maternal BMI, FPG, age, and parity, PLR was negatively correlated with biparietal diameter (B=− 0.02, p< 0.01) and abdominal circumference (AC) (B=− 0.16, p< 0.05), and EFW (B=− 1.1, p< 0.01), and head circumference (HC) (B=− 0.06, p< 0.01); CRP was negatively correlated with AC (B=− 0.16, p< 0.001), EFW (B=− 85.3, p< 0.001), and HC (B=− 5.0, p< 0.001).Conclusion: In the third trimester, LGI was associated with maternal glucose and insulin resistance in GDM. Moreover, LGI was associated with fetal characteristics in ultrasonic images. There were negative correlations between LGI and fetal developmental characteristics.Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, low-grade inflammation, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, fetal ultrasound parameter