From science to practice: Bringing innovations to agronomy and forestry

The challenge of the work presented here is to make innovative research output in the agronomy and forestry domain accessible to end-users, so that it can be practically applied. We have developed an approach that consists of three key-elements: an ontology with domain knowledge, a set of documents that have been annotated and meta-annotated, and a system (ask-Valerie) that is based on a dialogue to represent the interaction between end user and system.<br/> We show that the dialogue-metaphor is a good way of modelling the interaction between user and system. The system helps the user in formulating his question and in answering it in a useful way. Meta-annotations of key-paragraphs in the document-base turn out to be relevant in assessing in one glance what the content of a document is. <br/> End-users are very enthusiastic about the possibilities that ask-Valerie offers them in translating scientific results to their own situation

Blockchain for agriculture and food : Findings from the pilot study

This report documents experiences and findings from the public private partnership (PPP) project ‘Blockchain for Agrifood’ that was started in March 2017. The project aims to contribute to a better understanding of the blockchain technology (BCT) and its implications for agrifood, especially how it can impact specific aspects of supply chains and what is needed to apply BCT in agrifood chains. A second aim of this project is to conceptualise and develop a proof of concept in an application based on a use case concerning table grapes from South Africa where BCT could be applied. This has been done by building a demonstrator that keeps track of different certificates involved in the table grapes supply chain. The code of this demonstrator is published at Github. Furthermore, the project explored issues regarding the relevance, applicability and implications of BCT for the agrifood sector through literature study and stakeholder consultation

Identification of a Novel Genomic Island Associated with vanD-Type Vancomycin Resistance in Six Dutch Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Isolates

Genomic comparison of the first six Dutch vanD-type vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) isolates with four vanD gene clusters from other enterococcal species and anaerobic gut commensals revealed that the vanD gene cluster was located on a genomic island of variable size. Phylogenetic inferences revealed that the Dutch VRE isolates were genetically not closely related and that genetic variation of the vanD-containing genomic island was not species specific, suggesting that this island is transferred horizontally between enterococci and anaerobic gut commensals.Peer reviewe

Immunization in pregnancy clinical research in low- and middle-income countries - Study design, regulatory and safety considerations.

Immunization of pregnant women is a promising public health strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality among both the mothers and their infants. Establishing safety and efficacy of vaccines generally uses a hybrid design between a conventional interventional study and an observational study that requires enrolling thousands of study participants to detect an unknown number of uncommon events. Historically, enrollment of pregnant women in clinical research studies encountered many barriers based on risk aversion, lack of knowledge, and regulatory ambiguity. Conducting research enrolling pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries can have additional factors to address such as limited availability of baseline epidemiologic data on disease burden and maternal and neonatal outcomes during and after pregnancy; challenges in recruiting and retaining pregnant women in research studies, variability in applying and interpreting assessment methods, and variability in locally acceptable and available infrastructure. Some measures to address these challenges include adjustment of study design, tailoring recruitment, consent process, retention strategies, operational and logistical processes, and the use of definitions and data collection methods that will align with efforts globally

Metabolic profiles in five high-producing Swedish dairy herds with a history of abomasal displacement and ketosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Body condition score and blood profiles have been used to monitor management and herd health in dairy cows. The aim of this study was to examine BCS and extended metabolic profiles, reflecting both energy metabolism and liver status around calving in high-producing herds with a high incidence of abomasal displacement and ketosis and to evaluate if such profiles can be used at herd level to pinpoint specific herd problems.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Body condition score and metabolic profiles around calving in five high-producing herds with high incidences of abomasal displacement and ketosis were assessed using linear mixed models (94 cows, 326 examinations). Cows were examined and blood sampled every three weeks from four weeks ante partum (ap) to nine weeks postpartum (pp). Blood parameters studied were glucose, fructosamine, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), insulin, β-hydroxybutyrate, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, haptoglobin and cholesterol.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All herds had overconditioned dry cows that lost body condition substantially the first 4–6 weeks pp. Two herds had elevated levels of NEFA ap and three herds had elevated levels pp. One herd had low levels of insulin ap and low levels of cholesterol pp. Haptoglobin was detected pp in all herds and its usefulness is discussed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>NEFA was the parameter that most closely reflected the body condition losses while these losses were not seen in glucose and fructosamine levels. Insulin and cholesterol were potentially useful in herd profiles but need further investigation. Increased glutamate dehydrogenase suggested liver cell damage in all herds.</p