USA Countries Research Articles

Genetic Population of Hypothenemus hampei Ferarri (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) from Coffee (Coffea spp.) in Sumatra, Indonesia Using The Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I Gene

Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari, 1867, is a globally significant pest of coffee (Coffea spp.). Genetic information about H. hampei from various locations, including countries in America, Africa, and Asia (Java, Indonesia), is available. However, the data has yet to be available for Sumatra. This research aims to study the genetic population of H. hampei in coffee plants in Sumatra. In this study, a total of 27 mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene sequences were used to estimate the population genetics of H. hampei in Sumatra, collected from C. arabica, C. canephora, and C. liberica at nine locations. The analysis of the COI gene sequences revealed that they contained 236 base pairs (53.76%) of conserved sites, 203 base pairs (46.24%) of variable sites, 153 base pairs (34.85%) of parsimony sites, and 50 base pairs (11.38%) of informative single sites out of a total of 439 base pairs. Haplotype analysis of the COI gene in H. hampei from Sumatra revealed 10 haplotypes, with a haplotype diversity (h) of 0.649 and nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.004. Genetic differentiation (Fst) of H. hampei is low among populations in Sumatra. Genetic variation within populations is higher, and between populations is low. The genetic distance of 0-0.28%, 27 H. hampei sequences from Sumatra are in the same branch, indicating low genetic variation. This information holds great potential for designing sustainable control strategies to manage this pest species in coffee plants, particularly in the Sumatra region.

Long-Term Prognosis of Coronary Aneurysms: Insights of CAAR, an International Registry

BackgroundLimited data are available to guide the management of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs). ObjectivesThe authors sought to define the clinical characteristics, identify variables that predict outcomes, and provide long-term data on CAAs. MethodsWe describe outcomes from 1,729 consecutive patients with CAAs included in an ambispective international registry (CAAR [Coronary Artery Aneurysm Registry]; NCT02563626) involving 33 hospitals across 9 countries in America and Europe. ResultsPatients were predominantly male (78.6%; 1,359/1,729) with a mean age of 66 years. Classic cardiovascular risk factors were common, as well as coronary artery disease (85.8%; 1,484/1,729), peripheral vascular disease (10.9%; 188/1,729), and chronic kidney disease (8.0%; 138/1,729). The median number of aneurysms per patient was 1.0 (Q1-Q3: 1.0-1.0), with the most affected territory being the left anterior descending artery (49.6%; 857/1,729). The majority underwent any revascularization procedure (68.5%; 1,184/1,729), mainly percutaneous coronary intervention (50.7%; 877/1,729), and were discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy (65.6%; 1,134/1,729). After a median follow-up of 44.8 months (Q1-Q3: 14.9-88.1), 379 died (21.9%), and 641 (37.1%) developed a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) (all-cause death, heart failure, unstable angina, and reinfarction). In a multivariable analysis, age (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.02-1.04; P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (HR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.23-1.75; P < 0.001), renal insufficiency (HR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.19-1.96; P = 0.010), peripheral vessel disease (HR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.13-1.82; P = 0.003), reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.98-0.99; P < 0.001), acute indication for the index coronary angiography (HR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.08-1.55; P = 0.005), and the number of coronary vessels presenting severe stenosis (HR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.02-1.20; P = 0.015) were independent predictors of MACEs. Remarkably, only 37 patients presented with local aneurysm complications during follow-up. ConclusionsThe long-term prognosis of CAAs is not favorable, with MACEs associated with the underlying risk factor profile for atherosclerotic heart disease.

Comparative studies "Effect of educational policy on artificial intelligence in the countries of America, Singapore and Iran

Artificial intelligence under the paradigm of the fourth industrial revolution has become one of the fateful trends of societies in such a way that university education methods, as one of the most important social constructions, have influenced the advancement of technology. Undoubtedly, educational policy has changed the speed, depth and extent of artificial intelligence technology Artificial intelligence is one of the most important emerging technologies, which today has caused huge changes in all areas, including educational policymaking, at a high speed. Among the important applications of artificial intelligence in educational policymaking, we can mention the prioritization of issues based on the real needs and demands of the society and the diagnosis of problems based on the existing conditions, which will lead to the design and formulation of macro-educational policies. The use of methods such as neural networks, natural language processing, and machine learning algorithms makes the process of policy making more intelligent and dynamic, and as a result, the role of policymakers in the application of this technology becomes more efficient. Today, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, sensor networks, blockchain are changing aspects of everyday life. The study of artificial intelligence began in the 1940s and in recent years it has overshadowed the government departments of a large number of countries, of which e-government is one of the examples. One of the topics that is analyzed in the discussion of educational policy is the effect of content on artificial intelligence. In other words, understanding the complexities of decision-making processes as well as the importance of the actors involved in such processes, has undoubtedly influenced artificial intelligence and is influenced by it. This article is designed as a review and library method and it examines the educational policies of Iran, America and Singapore in the field of artificial intelligence with an exploratory view.

World Heritage: features, composition, and tourist significance

It is proved that the idea of world heritage and its conceptual form of legal imple- mentation created a new institution of world heritage in international law. At the end of the 20th century for the first time, the term «world cultural and natural heritage» became widely used to define those natural and cultural objects that are of outstanding importance not only for the people of a certain country but also for all humanity as a whole. Among the main advantages of granting the status of a world heritage site are the following: additional guarantees of preservation and integrity of unique natural and cultural complexes; increasing the prestige of the territories and institutions that take care of them; promoting the promotion of objects included in the List and the development of alternative types of nature use (primarily, ecological tourism); ensuring priority in attracting financial funds for the support of objects of world cultural and natural heritage, first of all, from the World Heritage Fund; promoting the organization of monitoring and control over the state of preservation of natural and cultural objects. Currently, the World Heritage List consists of three categoriesof objects: cultural heritage, natural phenomena, and cultural-natural (mixed) objects. It is noted that every year the number of world heritage sites is steadily increasing, and by 2020 their number has already reached 1,121 sites, including 869 cultural sites, 213 natural sites, and 39 mixed sites. From 1978 until now, the number of nominated objects has constantly increased. However, in order to achieve representativeness, balance, and credibility of the UNESCO Heritage List, certain restrictions on the number of nominations per year have been introduced since 2018. Now their total number cannot exceed 45 nominations per year and only one nomination from the state. They are distributed very unevenly by regions of the world. More than 75% of the world’s cultural heritage is concentrated in Eurasian countries. The countries of America and Africa hold the leadership in the number of natural monuments in the world. The basis of the interest of the countries of the world in the inclusion of objects in the List of World Heritage is the possibility of obtaining profits from the visit of numerous tourists to this cultural or natural attraction. About 225 historic centers of cities around the world are included in the UNESCO Heritage List, including Paris, London, Istanbul, Vienna, Athens, Florence, Venice, St. Petersburg, Krakow, Riga, Jerusalem, Mecca, Mexico City, Quito, Quebec, Rio de Janeiro -Janeiro, etc. It was found that individual objects of cultural heritage are also very popular (the Great Wall of China, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the Colosseum, etc.).

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) as Game Changers in Tanzania Health Delivery System: Lessons Learnt from Fujita Bantane Hospital in Japan.

Shortage of physicians/doctors in the primary health care system has been evidenced in various countries. Among other things, these countries deployed nurse practitioners (NPs) in the health care delivery system to address this shortage. Countries in America, Europe, and Asia use NPs to address physicians/doctors shortage in the primary health care delivery systems. Various studies have shown that NPs have been deployed in primary health care facilities to curb these shortages.While in Tanzania shortage of physicians/doctors and other health professionals is evidenced in every sector of the health care system, nurses play a crucial role to cover this shortage by providing care and support for individuals and communities. Nurses work in various settings from being a nurse, counselor, laboratory technologist, social worker, educationist, and physician, to name a few. Nurses play a key role in preventing, diagnosing, and attending to common health problems. The question is, "When will the Tanzanian health delivery system recognize the pivotal role of these nurses and upgrade them to NPs?" This study suggests that deployment of NPs in Tanzania's health care systems could be a "game changer." As a fellow on Critical Care Nursing Course at Fujita Health University Bantane Hospital in Japan, witnessed deployment of NPs in health care delivery and the reaped benefits are enormous; increased access to health care services, reduction in health care costs, reduced hospital stays, and customer satisfaction through client empowerment and comfort. This is an observational study of tasks performed by NPs in Fujita Health University Bantane Hospital and their relevance as a positive innovation to curb physician shortages for effective health care delivery. The duration of the study at Bantane Hospital was 2 months from January 15 to March 16, 2024. One-to-one interviews with NPs on duty were conducted. Also, collected and reviewed information from Tanzanian government Web sites, published government documents, and academic literature. Results show that NPs perform a lot of procedures that physicians/doctors were supposed to do. In the wards, theater, laboratories, and clinics, they play a pivotal role to curb shortage of physicians/doctors in health settings. NPs are an effective addition to medical facilities. They perform various procedures in the absence of the doctors. The findings from this study have important implications for improving health care delivery in Tanzania. NPs could be "game changers" in the health care landscape in Tanzania. Investment on nurses' education, proper training, and policy changes in nurse practice regulations are key for this to succeed.

Characteristics of cardiologist training in Latin America: a survey of the Interamerican Society of Cardiology

Describe the characteristics of the different cardiology medical residencies in Latin America. Cross-sectional study that aims to evaluate the characteristics of cardiology residencies in Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, through self-administered electronic surveys. Three hundred seven residents of 147 residences were surveyed. Mean age was 31 years and 63% were male. Ninety eight percent carry out their training in the capital city. The average total training time is 4.8 years. Forty four percent complete their residency in internal medicine prior to starting cardiology, and 10% have no prior training. In cardiology training is 3 years in most countries. Fifty four percent present academic activities every day and 16% only once or less, consisting of theoretical classes (93%), clinical cases (85%), bibliographic workshops (69%), and writing scientific papers (68%). Supervision is carried out by the chief resident (45%), resident coordinator (44%), resident instructor (27%) or the department head (54%), while 2.6% do not present supervision. The main rotations were echocardiography (99%), hemodynamics (96%), coronary unit (93%), and electrophysiology (92%). Residents highlighted the need to improve academic activities (23%) and scientific production (12%). There are important differences in the academic and practical training between the residences of the different countries of America.

Isolation of Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors from the Panamanian Mangrove Plant Mora oleifera (Triana ex Hemsl.) Ducke.

Panama boasts an expansive mangrove area and stands as one of the most biodiverse countries in America. While mangrove plants have long been utilized in traditional medicine, there are still unstudied species whose potential medicinal applications remain unknown. This study aimed to extract bioactive compounds from Mora oleifera (Triana ex Hemsl.) Ducke, an understudied mangrove species. Through bioassay-guided fractionation of the crude extract, we isolated seven active compounds identified as lupenone (1), lupeol (2), α-amyrin (3), β-amyrin (4), palmitic acid (5), sitosterol (6), and stigmasterol (7). Compound structures were determined using spectroscopic analyses, including APCI-HR-MS and NMR. Compounds 1-7 displayed concentration-dependent inhibition of the alpha-glucosidase enzyme, with IC50 values of 0.72, 1.05, 2.13, 1.22, 240.20, 18.70, and 163.10 µM, respectively. Their inhibitory activity surpassed acarbose, the positive control (IC50 241.6 µM). Kinetic analysis revealed that all compounds acted as competitive inhibitors. Docking analysis predicted that all triterpenes bonded to the same site as acarbose in human intestinal alpha-glucosidase (PDB: 3TOP). A complementary metabolomic analysis of M. oleifera active fractions revealed the presence of 64 compounds, shedding new light on the plant's chemical composition. These findings suggest that M. oleifera holds promise as a valuable botanical source for developing compounds for managing blood sugar levels in individuals with diabetes.

Factors responsible for the re-emergence of Monkeypox and implications for global health

The eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent discontinuation of smallpox vaccination have resulted in a decline in immunity against orthopoxviruses. As a result, Monkeypox (Mpox) has reappeared as a significant virus with implications for public health. This article aims to determine some of the factors responsible for the re-emergence of Mpox and its implications for global health. A thorough literature search for this present article was conducted through a search of databases and journals, including the WHO and CDC websites, using keywords such as “Monkeypox”, “Re-emergence”, “Prevalence”, “Risk factors”, “Implications” and “Global Health” to find articles published from 2003 to 2023. We found that Mpox recently occurred in several countries in America, Europe, and Asia, including the United States of America (USA), Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and Pakistan, between 2022 and 2023. The rise in Mpox cases was also seen, with incidences documented in Western Europe (2599 cases, accounting for 42.76% of the total), Southern Europe (1932 cases, representing 31.79% of the total), Northern Europe (1487 cases, comprising 24.46% of the total), and Eastern Europe (59 cases, making up 0.97% of the total). Possible factors implicated in the re-emergence of MPOX include; the expansion of the human population, increased same sexual intercourse, and poor epidemiological surveillance. etc. The re-emergence of Mpox in the world is a difficult issue that requires world leaders to take a diverse approach to control the disease. World leaders and scientists must pursue natural compounds with antiviral properties. Hopefully, natural products will give alternate therapy alternatives for preventing infection transmission between humans and limiting virus proliferation in host organisms.

Better, welfare friendly ways to grow broilers more efficiently, economically and sustainably using precision, controlled feeding systems: a review

Abstract New systems have been developed over the last three decades, which differ from conventional broiler feeding systems in two ways: (1) the composition of the feed varies daily by blending standard broiler feeds with whole wheat at each chicken house, and (2) the normal 24-h day is divided equally into typically four mini days, each with a light period and a dark period (totalling 6 h), enabling all birds to fill their crops multiple times within each 24 h period. The new systems were evaluated in three phases. In Phase 1 in the1980s, collaboration with an English university made it possible to feed broilers a different diet each day under commercial conditions. In Phase 2, in 1998, work at the Silsoe Research Institute, Bedford UK, developed a control system enabling broilers to be grown along predetermined growth curves. In the 2010s, Phase 3 achieved these growth curves by varying the frequency of meal-time feeding. Following each phase, field trials in the UK showed that the new system decreased mortality by over 20%, increased live weight per bird by 55 g and improved feed conversion efficiency by 0.053. Under controlled conditions these new systems were compared with the conventional system of feeding broilers ad libitum, initially in the UK on commercial farms, and proved superior to conventional systems in terms of standard quantitative performance parameters, leading to better quality litter, cleaner birds, and lower incidence of lameness and metabolic disorders including ascites and the sudden death syndrome. Similar benefits were confirmed from the Phase 3 system with broiler integrators in Australia, South Africa, China, Japan and in several countries in America and Europe.

Pengaruh ROA dan ROE Terhadap Harga Saham

This study aims to systematically review the future of economic education and identify the trends and implications for policy and practice. This study adopted bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer software. The findings indicate that there has been a substantial movement over the last two decades regarding the theme of economic education. The top three countries—United States, Germany, and Indonesia contribute to this theme, whilst Universitas Negeri Malang, the University of Nebraska, and the University of Richmond are the three highest organizations that contributed to this scope during this period. The visualization from VOSviewer illustrates that the theme of economic education is linked with various dimensions. The frequency occurrence of this theme is often associated with financial literacy, pedagogy, pluralism, higher education, active learning, financial education, home economics education, teaching economics, economic literacy, heterodox economics, and entrepreneurship. The findings provide implications for concerning studies in this theme with a focus in shaping graduate students.

Rancangan Sistem Pakar Perawatan Strawberi Pada Desa Ronga-Ronga Kabupaten Bener Meriah

One of the strawberry plant species, Fragaria chiloensis L, has spread to various countries in America, Europe and Asia. In the maintenance of strawberry plants, one of the obstacles that are often faced is disease. Disease is a condition where the plant is disturbed or hampered which is caused not from pests, it will cause several shortcomings including our lack of knowledge in plant care, the number of crop failures in plants and the decline in sales prices due to failed harvest quality. Therefore, several solutions are needed, such as: (1) Creating a system to provide information to farmers in caring for strawberry plants. (2) Make it easier for the community and farmers to find web-based information to increase their crop yields, and (3) improve the quality of their crop yields so that the sales value increases.

Contradictions in Chilean public education policy: physical education and health case.

The purpose of this text is to point out the contradiction existing in Chilean educational public policy regarding the curricular reform that converted the subjects of Physical Education and Health, History, Arts, and Religion into optional subjects for the 3rd and 4th years of high school. As far as Physical Education is concerned, scientific evidence shows that such conversion to the status of optional subject goes against the policies of other executive ministries and against the possibilities of reversing the statistics that show Chile as one of the countries in America with the highest percentage of overweight and obese children and adolescents.

Promising directions in the development of new vaccines against papillomavirus infection

Papillomavirus infection is one of the most common viral infections worldwide. Highly oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are the root cause of cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, genitals in men, anal cancer, as well as cancer of the oropharyngeal region. Currently, three HPV vaccines have been registered and successfully used in Russia: divalent (HPV types 16, 18) and quadrivalent (HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18). In the countries of America and Europe, a nine-valent vaccine is available, which contains nine types of HPV (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, 58). These vaccines are preventive, have high immunogenicity and induce the production of specific antibodies. The action of preventive vaccines is aimed at creating specific humoral immunity to the capsid proteins of the virus, which leads to the prevention of HPV infection. Nevertheless, there are no specific medicines on the pharmaceutical market aimed at treating an already established pathology.&#x0D; Currently, active development of HPV vaccines with both preventive and therapeutic effects is underway. Candidates of therapeutic HPV vaccines undergo various stages of research. Experimental vaccination systems on animal models provide encouraging results. If preventive and therapeutic HPV vaccines prove to be effective in patients as well as in animal models, then pillomavirus infection and related malignant diseases can be controlled by vaccination.

Identifying the Research Extent of Medical Tourism in the World and the Components of Attracting Medical Tourists in Iran

Introduction: Health tourism is an organized trip from one's living environment to another place, which is done in order to maintain, improve and regain physical and mental health. The purpose of this research was to identify the most important factors affecting medical tourism in Iran. Methods: This was a fundamental study that was conducted in two phases. The first phase consisted of two steps. The first step was to perform a systematic review with the keyword of "MEDICAL TOURISM" on Web of Science and select 434 articles, and the second step was to perform a scientometric analysis on these articles using VOSviewer software. The second phase consisted of three steps. The first step was a systematic review with some keywords, including "MEDICAL TOURISM" and "medical tourism" on foreign and domestic databases and selecting 63 articles. The second step was to perform a content analysis on the selected articles using Nvivo software and identify the components affecting medical tourism in the world. The third step was the implementation of a Delphi method using a Likert scale with the aim of identifying the most important factors affecting medical tourism in Iran from the point of view of academic experts. Results: The first phase showed that the scope of research on the topic of medical tourism in the world had an upward trend from 1975 to 2020, and the countries of America, Canada, Malaysia, South Korea and Iran were the top 5 countries in this field. In the second phase, 46 factors affecting medical tourism in the world were identified, and after summarizing the opinions of experts, 39 indicators were determined as indicators affecting medical tourism in Iran. Conclusion: Considering the high number and variety of factors affecting medical tourism in Iran, the development of this industry in the country requires extensive intra- and inter-sectorial coordination.

“RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF HINDUISM”

This research Article attempts to provide an understanding of the concept of Religion in general and to describe the key points of the Philosophy of Hinduism in particular. The word Dharma is derived from the root ‘dhr’ to hold or support" and refers to a regularity of conduct and action which holds together and supports social life. The Dharma which forms the central element of Hinduism is essentially social, old social customs and habits and ideals which have come down from ancient times and will admit of no change. These customs bear the stamp of approval of the sages of old who were in contact with the gods and super-human powers, and are thereby given a super-human, religious sanction and have eternal validity. Here, an attempt is also made to describe Hinduism or Indian religion as a cultural tradition. Yogendra Singh in his book ‘modernization of Indian traditions, 1973’ identified four major cultural traditions of Indian civilizations as Hierarchy, Holism, Continuity and Transcendence. This paper is an attempt to outline the essence of the Hinduism. Hinduism is a religion of Indian origin and, not merely followed by majority population of India and Nepal but also followed by many people in countries of America, Europe, Africa, south and south-east Asia and so on. Indeed, it is world’s religion.

Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations Between Parent Math Support in Early Childhood and Math Skills: A Meta-Analytic Study

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to summarize evidence about the relations between parent math support in children aged 3–5 years (from several countries in America, Asia, and Europe) and concurrent and longitudinal math outcomes. The (bio)ecological model of human development guided our hypotheses. The design and reporting of this meta-analysis used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We screened 2,163 abstracts, from which 135 full-text studies were assessed for eligibility. Forty-five studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria and were retained (representing 244 effect sizes); 90 studies were discarded as they did not include preschool children or measures of both parent math support and children’s math skills. Meta-analysis using Correlated and Hierarchical Effect (CHE) models showed a significant positive association between parent math support and child math skills for both concurrent and longitudinal studies. On average, higher parent math support was associated with better math skills in children, albeit these being small effect sizes. We found non-significant or inconclusive moderator effects related to formal vs. informal parent math support, type of children’s math skills, participants’ characteristics (e.g., child age and child/parent gender), parent education, and study characteristics. There was a significant moderator effect of the specificity of parent math support, with global assessments showing higher correlations with math outcomes than specific assessments. The publication bias analysis showed small-study effects for longitudinal but not for concurrent studies. Conclusions are drawn regarding the importance of promoting parent math support and informing future intervention studies.

Exploring potato seed research: a bibliometric approach towards sustainable food security

IntroductionPotato is considered to be complete food that will not only ensure food security but also alleviate poverty. Seed production of potato requires specific temperatures and conditions. In response to the growing emphasis on sustainable production, there has been an increasing focus on research on tuber seed production.MethodsIn our study, we have employed bibliometric analysis to investigate the trends in potato seed research and assess its correlation with sustainable development. Tabular analysis and network analysis are employed in the study to understand the prominent authors and institutions and research trends across time. For this purpose, Biblioshiny and Vosviewer software were used. The steps of bibliometric analysis were used, which included data retrieval from Dimensions software. Owing to its limitations, a major analysis was conducted without affecting the results.Result and discussionIt was found from the analysis that it was SDG 2 that was mostly linked with the theme of potato seed production. The results depicted an increasing trend of publications and citations. Co-authorship analysis of authors showed high linkage among groups of authors that formed clusters while other authors remained disconnected. Among countries United States, China and the United Kingdom had a higher impact on publications and citations. Our analysis showed that there is still scope for collaboration among countries as there is no evidence of multidisciplinary interlinkages. By understanding the current research landscape, identifying influential works and authors, and uncovering collaboration patterns, we can pave the way for future advancements in potato seed production. Ultimately, this research contributes to achieving sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security for future generations.

Genealogical structure of the Colombian Romosinuano Creole cattle

The Romosinuano cattle breed is one of the most important Creole genetic resources in Colombia, and interesting traits like adaptation or reproductive efficiency have promoted its use in different countries in America. To consolidate the genealogical historical records, the review of very first yield records in this population was used to reconstruct the genealogy of the breed since the first animals incorporated to the in vivo germplasm bank and estimate different demographic parameters. The complete genealogy comprises 17,136 animals with 5.8 years of generation interval for two pathways. The estimated average inbreeding for the population and inbred animals was 2.53% and 6.32% respectively, with a progressive increase of inbred animals across the generations. Almost 48% of the total animals presented some level of consanguinity. Effective population size (Ne) based on the inbreeding rate estimated by regression in all generations was 120 animals whereas Ne estimated by equivalent generations was 69 animals. Effective number of founders (Fe), effective number of ancestors (Fa), and ancestors explaining 50% of variability were 75, 48, and 22, respectively. The relation between Fa/Fe of 64% indicates a genetic bottleneck effect in the population studied.

Influence of nitrogen fertilization on the energy value of maize grain in non-ruminants

Abstract. Maize is the most widely spread energy source used in rations for farm animals and poultry, especially in countries in America, Southern Europe and Asia, where maize grain is the main cereal used for feed. The quality of maize grain is formed under the influence of several interrelated factors. The aim of the study is to determine the effect of different rates of nitrogen fertilization on the chemical composition and energy value of maize grain grown under irrigation conditions in non-ruminants. The study was conducted in the experimental field of the Agricultural Institute – Stara Zagora under irrigation conditions on cinnamon-meadow soil with maize for grain, medium late hybrid LG 35.36 with density of crops – 70000 plants per hectare. The study includes the following four treatments of fertilization: 1 experimental variant N0P80K60 – non-fertilizer control, 2 experimental variant N100P80K60 – fertilization with 100 kg N.ha-1, 3 experimental variant N150P80K60 – fertilization with 150 kg N.ha-1 and 4 experimental variant N200P80K60 – fertilization with 200 kg N.ha-1. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied during the vegetation of the crop in phase 3-5 leaf, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in rates 80 kg P2O5.ha-1 and 60 kg K2O.ha-1 in the main tillage. During the vegetation of the maize, pre-irrigation humidity of 80-85% of field capacity (FC) was maintained by 3 waterings. As the fertilization rate increases, the crude protein content in the maize grain also grows up. During the treatment with the highest fertilizer rate of 200 kg N.ha-1, 9.5% per 1 kg of dry matter (DM) was obtained, followed by the treatment with 150 kg N.ha-1 – with a value of 9.1% per 1 kg of dry matter. The content of crude fiber in the grain of maize with increasing fertilization rate decreases, being the smallest in the treatment with rate 100 kg N.ha-1 – 0.8% per 1 kg of dry matter. The fertilization rate does not have a significant effect on the content of digestible and metabolite energy in corn grain grown under irrigated conditions in pigs and poultry.

Buying vertically farmed produce: Comparison of people with lower and higher stated purchase likelihood

AbstractThe study explored attitudinal and socio‐demographic differences between potential buyers and non‐buyers of lettuce grown in a vertical farming (VF) system. Data were collected from people (n = 2193) in four countries—United States, Germany, Singapore, and Australia. Survey results demonstrated a clear link between positive VF attitude and intention to buy, and similarly for negative attitude and intention to not buy. A key difference between people with “lower” and “higher” purchase likelihood (more or less than 50% probability) was that the former were consistently less positive about the benefits of VF. The consumer groups largely perceived the disadvantages of VF similarly. Socio‐economic differences between the consumer groups related to country of living and having children below the age of 18 living at home. The latter significantly increased the likelihood that consumers would classify a having “higher” purchase likelihood for VF‐grown lettuce. German participants were less likely to have a “higher” purchase likelihood.Practical applicationsMajor food system transformations are needed to feed growing global populations and ensure access to heathy diets. Proposed solutions include high‐technology production systems that disentangle food production from natural ecosystems. VF is among these; it is an indoor and fully controlled method for crop production. If most consumers are positive towards VF, as past research suggests, it is paramount that they also purchase VF foods. By comparing consumers who are positively and negatively inclined towards purchasing lettuce from VF, the present research identifies children below the age of 18 living in participants' households as a significant predictor of higher intention to purchase. This may be linked to parental concern for their offspring's future lives in a world likely to be impacted by ecological challenges. A likely positive consequence for VF uptake is that children carry forward some of their food‐related habits and behaviors into adulthood.