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Topic Review
Diabrotica Species
The genus Diabrotica has over 400 described species, the majority of them neotropical. However, only three species of neotropical Diabrotica are considered agricultural pests, D. speciosa, D. balteata, and D. viridula. D. speciosa and D. balteata are polyphagous both as adults and during the larval stage. D. viridula are stenophagous during the larval stage, feeding essentially on maize roots, and polyphagous as adults. The larvae of the three species are pests on maize, but D. speciosa larvae also feed on potatoes and peanuts, while D. balteata larvae feed on beans and peanuts. None of these species express a winter/dry season egg diapause, like several North American species. Instead they have several continuous, latitude-mediated generations per year. This hinders the use of crop rotation as a management tool, although early planting can help in the temperate regions of the distribution of D. speciosa. Their know parasitoids do not exert much control on Diabrotica populations, or show potential for inundative biocontrol plans. Management options are limited to insecticide applications and Bt GM maize. Other techniques that show promise are products using Beauveria bassiana and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, semiochemical attractants for monitoring purposes or as toxic baits, and plant resistance.
  • 2.2K
  • 30 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Cape Fox
The Cape Fox, scientifically known as Vulpes chama, is a small canid species native to southern Africa, particularly the arid regions of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. Characterized by its distinctive sandy-colored fur, large ears, and bushy tail, the Cape Fox is well-adapted to its desert habitat, where it primarily preys on small mammals, birds, and insects. Despite its diminutive size, the Cape Fox plays a significant ecological role as a predator and scavenger, contributing to the balance of its arid ecosystem.
  • 2.2K
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Wearable Optical Sensor
Miniaturization advances have led to several wearable sensors that are now being employed in a variety of biomedical applications. Some of these have been ingrained in people’s daily lives. Smart bands and smartwatches with pulse monitors, pulse oximeters, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and other sensors are one example.
  • 2.2K
  • 28 Jan 2022
Topic Review
LCA of Edible Flower Production
The globalization of the floricultural sector creates more competition, challenging the innovation and reorganization of some ornamental and horticultural nurseries, which started to look at flowers as food products. This research aims to quantify the environmental impact of the emerging productive process of edible flowers through the LCA – Life Cycle Analysis method, due to the higher awareness towards sustainability. Two model species and two types of final products were chosen, using a “cradle to gate” approach.
  • 2.2K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Enzymatic Activity
Enzymatic Activity is a sensitive indicator of changes in soil environment, and it changes depending on the farming system. 
  • 2.2K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
African Wild Dog
The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is a highly social and charismatic carnivore native to sub-Saharan Africa. Recognized by its distinctive mottled coat pattern and large rounded ears, it is one of Africa's most endangered predators. Living in cohesive packs, African wild dogs exhibit complex social behaviors and cooperative hunting strategies, making them both fascinating and ecologically important species in African ecosystems.
  • 2.1K
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Alien Insect Species for Food and Feed
While the use of alien insect species for food and feed can help to alleviate protein shortage and provide for a more sustainable feed production, their invasive potential should be considered.
  • 2.1K
  • 05 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Donkey Milk Properties and Mammary Gland Morphological Characteristics
Donkey milk (DM) is produced by the female animals of the house donkey (Equus asinus). DM is known for their nutritional and nutraceutical properties for human consumption. DM compared to milk from other dairy animals such cow, buffalo, goat and sheep is most likely to resemble human breast milk. The average daily milk yield of a female donkey over the entire lactation season is 1.57 kg/day and fluctuated between 0.20 and 6.00 kg/day. Furthermore, the average milk concentration of fat, protein, lactose, total solids and ash in DM are 0.63%, 1.71%, 6.34%, 9.11% and 0.39%, respectively. It is noteworthy that DM is rich in whey proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid C18:2 and linolenic acid C18:3 and vitamin C. In addition, the average lysozyme concentration of DM is approximately 1.07 g/L, similar to human milk (0.30-1.10 g/L). The high lysozyme content may be the cause of low bactarial count of DM and also makes this milk useful for preventing intestinal infections in infants. Due to the significantly lower casein content, many people with a cows milk protein allergy can tolerate DM, as they find DM do not trigger an allergy reaction.
  • 2.1K
  • 15 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Structure of the North American Beef Industry
North America is a large producer of beef and contains approximately 12% of the world’s cattle inventory. Feedlots are an integral part of modern cattle production in North America, producing a high-quality, wholesome protein food for humans. 
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of Mint Oils
The objectives of the study were to test the biological activities of peppermint and spearmint oils via (i) measuring in vitro anti-inflammatory effects with porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), (ii) determining the barrier integrity of IPEC-J2 by analyzing transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), (iii) testing their antioxidant activities, and (iv) investigating the antimicrobial activity against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) F18+. Briefly, (i) macrophages were seeded at 106 cells/mL and treated (24 h) with mint oils and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The treatments were 2 (0 or 1 μg/mL of LPS) × 5 (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 µg/mL of mint oils). The supernatants were collected for TNF-α and IL-1β measurement by ELISA; (ii) IPEC-J2 cells were seeded at 5 × 10 5 cells/mL and treated with mint oils (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL). TEER (Ωcm2) was measured at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h; (iii) the antioxidant activity was assessed (0, 1, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 600 mg/mL) using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and reducing power assays; (iv) overnight-grown ETEC F18+ were quantified (CFU/mL) after supplementing with peppermint and spearmint oils (0, 1.44, 2.87, 5.75, 11.50, and 23.00 mg/mL). All data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure. Both mint oils significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) IL-1β and TNF-α secretion from LPS-stimulated PAMs. Mint oil treatments did not affect TEER in IPEC-J2. Spearmint and peppermint oils exhibited (p < 0.05) strong antioxidant activities in DPPH and reducing power assays. Both mint oils also dose-dependently inhibited (p < 0.05) the growth of ETEC F18+ in vitro. The results of the study indicated that both mint oils are great candidate feed additives due to their in vitro anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects. Further research is needed to evaluate their efficacy in vivo.
  • 2.1K
  • 15 Oct 2021
Topic Review
AWS Architecture for Smart Livestock
In the ecological future of the planet, intelligent agriculture relies on CPS and IoT to free up human resources and increase production efficiency. Due to the growing number of connected IoT devices, the maximum scalability capacity, and available computing power of the existing architectural frameworks will be reached. This necessitates finding a solution that meets the continuously growing demands in smart farming. Cloud-based IoT solutions are achieving increasingly high popularity. The aim of this study was to design a scalable cloud-based architecture for a smart livestock monitoring system following Agile methodology and featuring environmental monitoring, health, growth, behaviour, reproduction, emotional state, and stress levels of animals. The AWS services used, and their specific tasks related to the proposed architecture are explained in detail. A stress test was performed to prove the data ingesting and processing capability of the proposed architecture. Experimental results proved that the proposed architecture using AWS automated scaling mechanisms and IoT devices are fully capable of processing the growing amount of data, which in turn allow for meeting the required needs of the constantly expanding number of CPS systems. 
  • 2.1K
  • 17 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Poultry Parasitic Diseases
Parasitic infections are a major public health concern affecting millions of people universally. The medicinal importance of natural herbs depends upon their bioactive ingredients, which are originated from crude plants, consequently leading to the specific action on the body. Due to the limited availability of effective drugs and high cost, the development of drug resistance in several harmful parasites and microbes leads to huge economic losses in the poultry industry.
  • 2.1K
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Bovine β-Casein Variants and Human Health
Bovine beta-casein has been a subject of increasing scientific interest because its genetic A1 variant during gastrointestinal digestion releases opioid-like peptide β-casomorphin-7 (β-CM-7). Since β-CM-7 is involved in the dysregulation of many physiological processes, there is a growing discussion of whether the consumption of the β-casein A1 variant has an influence on human health. The clinical studies on humans showed a negative effect of variant A1 on serum glutathione level, digestive well-being, cognitive performance score in children, and mood score in women.
  • 2.1K
  • 22 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Beneficial Microorganisms in Soil Quality and Plant Health
The practice of agriculture has always been a source of food production. The increase in the global population leads to improvements in agriculture, increasing crop quality and yield. Plant growth results from the interaction between roots and their environment, which is the soil or planting medium that provides structural support as well as water and nutrients to the plant. Therefore, good soil management is necessary to prevent problems that will directly affect plant health. Integrated crop management is a pragmatic approach to crop production, which includes integrated pest management focusing on crop protection. Currently, there is an extended idea that many microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria, are useful in agriculture since they are attractive eco-friendly alternatives to mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The microbes that interact with the plants supply nutrients to crops, control phytopathogens and stimulate plant growth. These actions have beneficial implications in agriculture.
  • 2.1K
  • 23 May 2022
Topic Review
Agro-Waste Management
It is urgent that we increase global food production to support population growth. Food production requires significant resources, amongst them water and energy. Therefore, any losses of food or other agricultural products also means a waste of water and energy resources. A significant amount of these losses occurs during the postharvest stage, primarily during processing and storage. This is considered avoidable food waste. The water-energy-waste nexus (WEW), and its relationship to food production, needs to be investigated from a circular bioeconomy lens. Furthermore, alternative uses of the wastes should be investigated. 
  • 2.1K
  • 06 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Spectacled Bear
The Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is a distinctive and elusive species native to the Andean region of South America. Renowned for the distinctive facial markings resembling spectacles, this bear is the only surviving bear species in South America and is well-adapted to the diverse habitats of its range, including montane forests, cloud forests, and páramo grasslands. Despite being the smallest bear species in South America, the Spectacled Bear holds significant cultural and ecological importance as a top predator and seed disperser in its high-altitude habitats.
  • 2.1K
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Chitosan Biopolymer on Plant Growth
The chitosan (CHT) biopolymer is a de-acetylated chitin derivative derived from the outer shell of shrimp, shellfish, lobster, or crabs, as well as the cell wall of fungi. Because of its biodegradability, environmental non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, it is an ideal resource for sustainable agriculture. The CHT emerged as a promising agent used as a plant growth promoter. It induces plant growth by influencing plant physiological processes like nutrient uptake, cell division, cell elongation, enzymatic activation, and synthesis of protein that can eventually lead to increased yield. It also alters plant defense responses by triggering multiple useful metabolic pathways. Depending on the structures, chitosan is useful for industrial and agricultural applications.
  • 2.1K
  • 21 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Bio-Preservation of Bread: Adopting Wholesome Strategies
Bread is a food that is commonly recognized as a very convenient type of food, but it is also easily prone to microbial attack. As a result of bread spoilage, a significant economic loss occurs to both consumers and producers. The bakery industry has sought to identify treatments that make bread safe and with an extended shelf-life to address this economic and safety concern, including replacing harmful chemical preservatives. New frontiers, on the other hand, have recently been explored. Alternative methods of bread preservation, such as microbial fermentation, utilization of plant and animal derivatives, nanofibers, and other innovative technologies, have yielded promising results. 
  • 2.1K
  • 01 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Chitin and Chitosan in Ruminant Diets
The slow progress in the development of the subsector, particularly of alternative feed sources such as agro-industrial byproducts and unconventional feed resources, has deepened the gap in the availability of and accessibility to animal feed. Production of animal feed is highly resource demanding. It has been shown that increasing climate change, land degradation, and the recurrence of droughts have worsened the feed gap. In the backdrop of these challenges, there has been attention to food-not-feed components, which have great potential to substitute human-edible components in livestock feeding. Chitosan, a non-toxic polyglucosamine, is widely distributed in nature and used as a feed additive. Chitosan is obtained from the de-acetylation process of the chitin and is mostly present in shrimp, crabs, and insect exoskeletons, and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, antitumor, and immune-stimulatory hypo-cholesterolemic properties.
  • 2.1K
  • 14 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Citrus-Processing Wastewater
Citrus processing industry, one of the most important agro-industry, produces large volumes of wastewater (CPWW). The large variability of these volume is coupled to physico-chemical characteristics of CPWW. The qualitative and quantitative variability of CPWW are discussed and the severe constraints for its disposal are presented. 
  • 2.1K
  • 31 Jul 2020
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