Excessive Feeding Research Articles

Hallmarks of Appetite: A Comprehensive Review of Hunger, Appetite, Satiation, and Satiety.

The present review describes the available literature on the physiologic mechanisms that modulate hunger, appetite, satiation, and satiety with a particular focus on well-established and emerging factors involved in the classic satiety cascade model. Obesity is a significant risk factor for numerous chronic conditions like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. As excess energy intake is considered by some to be the primary driver of weight gain, tremendous collective effort should be directed toward reducing excessive feeding at the individual and population levels. From this perspective, detailed understanding of physiologic mechanisms that control appetite, and in turn, the design of effective interventions to manage appetite, may represent key strategies in controlling the obesity epidemic. With the obesity's prevalence on the rise worldwide, research on hunger, appetite, satiation and satiety is more relevant than ever. This research aims to provide practical insights for medical practitioners, nutrition professionals, and the broader scientific community in the fight against this global health challenge.

Toxicity of standing milkvetch infected with Alternaria gansuense in white mice.

Standing milkvetch (Astragalus adsurgens) is widely distributed in the wild in Eurasia and North America and has been bred for cultivated forage in China. Yellow stunt and root rot disease caused by Alternaria gansuense is the primary disease of standing milkvetch. A. gansuense promotes the production of swainsonine in the plant. This study aimed to determine the safety of standing milkvetch that is infected with A. gansuense as forage for animals. Two-week-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) male white mice were fed a commercial mouse feed (CMF), healthy plant feed (HPF) and diseased plant feed (DPF) for 3 or 6 weeks. We observed histological changes in the liver and kidney tissues of the mice and measured their daily feed intake, daily water intake, body weight, feed utilization, organ coefficients, and activities of serum enzymes. The results showed that the daily feed intake of the mice that were fed DPF and HPF was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those fed CMF at 3 and 6 weeks. The highest increase was observed in the daily water intake of the mice fed HPF (p < 0.05) followed by DPF and CMF. However, the mice fed DPF gained the least weight (p < 0.05). There was a significantly higher percentage of liver weight to body weight of the mice fed DPF (p < 0.05) than those fed HPF for 3 weeks and those fed CMF for 3 and 6 weeks. There were significantly higher levels of concentrations of alanine aminotransferase in the mice fed DPF and HPF than those fed CMF for 3 weeks (p < 0.05) and 6 weeks (p < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the mice fed HPF than those fed DPF. There were significantly higher of lactate dehydrogenase concentration (p < 0.001), while the blood urea nitrogen was lower in the mice fed DPF than those fed HPF and CMF at 3 weeks. There was a significantly higher percentage of numbers of lymphocytes in the blood of the mice fed DPF (p < 0.05) than those fed HPF, but the percentages of monocytes and eosinophils were significantly lower. Comparatively, there were more apparent pathological changes in the liver and kidney tissues of the mice fed with DPF than in those fed with HPF. These findings indicate that standing milkvetch was toxic to white mice, and infection with A. gansuense increased its toxicity. Therefore, we conclude that standing milkvetch plants infected by A. gansuense must never be used as animal feed under any circumstances. Additionally, the amount of healthy standing milkvetch fed to animals should be appropriate, avoiding long-term or excessive feeding.

United States pasture and rangeland conditions: 1995–2022

AbstractUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service pasture and rangeland condition data were used to establish a novel spatiotemporal climatology of condition ratings across the conterminous United States for the May–October grazing season over the 1995–2022 study period. On average, the coverage of grazing land that provides adequate or excess feed underwent a significant reduction during a typical season. Spatially, the southwestern United States exhibited the poorest grazing land conditions on average, with over 20 years below the national mean condition rating. At the national aggregated level, conditions degraded during the 28‐year study period, and the most significant trends were observed for grazing lands considered to have poor or very poor condition coverage, which increased. Robustly increasing trends in poor and very poor condition coverage were most apparent across the western half of the United States, which is predominantly rangeland. Meanwhile, the eastern half of the United States, which is mostly pastureland, generally experienced condition improvements. Overall, continued regional climatic changes that may result in increasing temperatures, variable precipitation totals, and subsequent soil moisture declines leading to increased drought instances will continue to impose challenges for grazing land managers. Grazing land condition declines can result in increased feed supply demand and reduced grazing capacity. Should these trends continue, there will be a growing need for flexible livestock, forage, and grazing management strategies in the coming decades to adapt to climate change‐induced impacts on water‐sensitive ecosystems.

Imaging analytical technique to assess gastrointestinal motility in vivo using zebrafish larvae with diabetes mellitus-like traits

In diabetes mellitus (DM), the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) complications, including constipation, diarrhoea, gastroparesis, and/or enteropathy, can be up to ~75%. In this study, we compared three zebrafish larvae models of DM and established an analytical protocol for GI motility. Larvae were fed with either a standard diet (SD; control), or one of three diets to induce a DM-like phenotype: excessive feeding of SD food (ED), a high-fat diet (HFD), or exposing SD-fed larvae to 30 mmol/L glucose (SDG). DM was confirmed using a body-mass index, assessment of adipose deposit areas, two glucose assays, and one insulin assay. An analytical technique, whereby GI motility was quantified using pixel differences to track displacement along the centreline of the anterior, middle, and posterior intestine (AI, MI, and PI, respectively), was developed. Our results indicated that clear DM-like traits were observed in the HFD and SGD models, but not the ED model. In the SD controls, the AI showed similar anterograde and retrograde contractions indicating normal GI mixing; the MI exhibited more prominent forward contractions, and the PI showed distinct rectal waves. Compared to the SD, the HFD and SDG models exhibited significantly increased and decreased contraction velocities and could be used as models of diarrhoea and constipation in DM, respectively, while the ED model showed comparatively little change in motility. Together, these data indicate that complex changes in GI motility are associated with diet and therapeutics used to alleviate GI complications in DM should take these into account. Ultimately, the HFD and SDG models can be used to investigate different aspects of GI motility in association to DM. Hence, zebrafish are a useful model for studying GI dysfunctions due to DM and/or DM medication side-effects.

The Use off Fuzzy Mamdani to Predict Tilapia Production Based on Freshwater Quality

Fish cultivation is a form of animal husbandry that is widely practiced by Indonesian people, whether cultivation is in ponds, rivers, or the sea, fish cultivation in ponds requires regular maintenance and feeding of fish. Excessive feeding also affects the water quality of the cultivation media which also affects the survival of the fish. One solution is to build a water quality monitoring system. A monitoring system can be created based on Fuzzy logic which makes it easier to control water quality. In this research, the sensors used were temperature, pH, DO, and ammonia. The data will then be processed by Matlab and will display the results on the screen.

Estimating environmental efficiency in dairy production using by-production technology

CONTEXTMilk production in developing countries is characterized by low per animal yield and disproportionately high GHG emissions. Specific policy recommendations are necessary to improve the technical as well as environmental efficiency of dairy production, especially for small farms. However, limited financial resources owned by producers lead to high transaction costs of introducing change. Both, concentrate feed and roughage, that is dry nonconcentrates, are used in milk production. These inputs are also responsible for methane emissions through enteric fermentation. Especially cellulose-rich dry nonconcentrates are fueling methane emissions through enteric fermentation. OBJECTIVEBased on a systems approach including nutritional foundations, we estimated technical and environmental efficiency of dairy producers in the rural-urban interface of Bengaluru, India. We studied the shortfall in milk production and excess methane emissions for each dairy farm and their drivers. METHODSUsing panel data of 245 dairy producers, we fitted the production frontier for estimating technical efficiency and treated the emission generating technology like a cost frontier for estimating environmental efficiency – using stochastic frontier analysis. This study uses the parametric application of by-production technology. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSHigh heterogeneity in enteric methane emissions at low levels of milk yield are related to excessive feeding of dry nonconcentrates by producers. Plotting excess methane emissions beyond the fitted frontier against the share of concentrates in the total feed ration indicated that a global low is reached at around 40 % concentrates in the cows' diet. Therefore, farmers should intensify production by increasing the share of concentrate feed in dairy cattle rations to this level. Also, we suggest promoting the construction of cattle sheds and increasing the proportion of cows with high milk production potential in the herd to improve environmental efficiency. SIGNIFICANCEWith economic growth as well as an increase in population, the demand for dairy products in developing countries will increase and lead to an expansion of dairy production. GHG emissions such as methane from livestock rearing will have to be managed and adequate policy measures will have to be implemented to reduce their share in global GHG emissions. By integrating animal nutrition perspectives and environmental efficiency from economics into a systems approach, we propose specific recommendations for public policy in terms of the target group of producers and the correct proportion of concentrate feed and dry nonconcentrates in total feed rations for dairy cattle in India. This will ensure that producers reach their full potential in milk production and environmental sustainability.

Molecular Diversity and Distribution of Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) in Cassava Fields Across South West and North Central, Nigeria.

Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadium, Hemiptera) causes severe damage to cassava plants through excessive feeding on leaves and transmitting viruses, such as African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV), East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV), and ipomoviruses that cause cassava brown streak disease. Currently, little is known about the molecular diversity and distribution of whitefly species in the major cassava-growing zones of Nigeria. This study aimed to address the knowledge gap by assessing the genetic diversity, distribution, and associated cassava mosaic begomoviruses (CMBs) in whiteflies across South West and North Central, Nigeria. Whitefly samples were systematically collected from cassava plants during georeferenced epidemiological surveys in 2017, 2020, and 2022. The samples were genotyped using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) marker, and CMBs were detected by PCR with virus-specific primers. Phylogenetic analyses revealed four distinct genetic groups of B. tabaci: Sub-Saharan Africa 1 (SSA1; 84.8%), SSA2 (1.4%), SSA3 (13.1%), and Mediterranean (MED) (0.7%). The SSA1 group was the predominant and most widely distributed genotype across the surveyed zones, with three subgroups identified: SSA1-SG1, SSA1-SG3, and SSA1-SG5. The second most frequently identified genotype, SSA3, was restricted to the North Central zone, along with the SSA2 group, which was only identified in two North Central states (Niger and Plateau). African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) was detected in SSA1-SG1, SSA1-SG5, and SSA3, whereas EACMV was found in only the SSA1-SG3. The findings of this study will aid in developing better whitefly management strategies to reduce the impact of CMD on cassava production in Nigeria.

Water treatment of recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) effluent water through microalgal biofilms

This research studied the growth of microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris and Phaeodactylum tricornutum) on a biofilm reactor using effluent water from salmon production in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). RAS effluent water contains considerable amounts of nitrate and small amounts of phosphate, that stem from dissolved excess feed and fish faeces. In microalgae growth experiments, we tested a twin-layer biofilm reactor, which has one layer for substrate distribution (RAS effluent water-based medium) and adhered onto that, a carrier layer for biofilm cultivation. First, we tested five different carrier materials (newsprint, filter paper, polypropylene, viscose/polyester mix, viscose) to assess the microalgae's attachment ability of the material, where the viscose fibre material proved to be the most suitable. The biofilm reactor design had to be improved for saltwater suitability, as water evaporation caused changes in salinity and nutrient concentrations and ultimately led to the formation of salt crusts on the biofilm and clogging of the irrigation system. A dilution of the medium with osmosis water compensated the evaporation rate and a technical improvement of the irrigation system established stable cultivation conditions. The biofilm reactor was then tested for all three water types (Chlorella for freshwater, Phaeodactylum for brackish water and saltwater) that are discharged during a RAS production cycle for salmon. Microalgae paste was used for inoculation of the biofilm carrier material and after a short maturation phase the biofilm reactor was harvested every three days. This study demonstrated that a complete uptake of nitrate and phosphate from RAS effluent water through microalgae cultivation is possible, and the biofilm reactor is able to handle changes in nutrient concentrations and salinity. Biomass productivity for Phaeodactylum cultivated on brackish RAS medium was highest (15.28 g m−2 d−1), compared to saltwater RAS medium (4.35 g m−2 d−1) and Chlorella on freshwater RAS medium (4.25 g m−2 d−1).

Migrated silicon dioxide nanoparticles activates the rice immunity for systemic resistance against two pathogens

Rice, the world's primary staple food, is under severe threat from several devastating diseases. To sustainably management rice diseases, developing safe, environmentally friendly alternatives urgently need to be developed. In this study, we synthesized two silicon dioxide nanoparticles, spherical mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and virus-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles (VMSNs), and we performed a resistance assay on rice for two major diseases, bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani. Compared to the control, the two nanoparticle treatments increased rice resistance, with VMSNs exhibiting the highest efficacy in controlling these two diseases, causing a shorter lesion length than those plants treated by MSNs. Coincidentally, the foliar application of VMSNs activates a higher expression level of several pathogenesis-related (PR) genes compared to those of MSNs and SiO2 treatment. By using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled VMSNs (VMSNs-FITC) to soak the top expanded leaf tips or roots, we observed that the fluorescence of the nanoparticles firstly accumulated at the local site of the top leaves or roots, rapidly migrated to the hypocotyl of rice, and then redistributed sequentially from the bottom leaves to the upper leaves. Furthermore, the foliar or root application of VMSNs-FITC could trigger the local and systemic resistance to PXO99. Notably, no significant toxicity was observed on plants and mice after excessive foliar treatment or feeding tests, respectively. Overall, our research revealed that VMSNs are an effective, systemic, and safe nano-pesticides for controlling rice diseases. Boosting the immune responses may be associated with the transporting of nanoparticles.

Comparative analysis of the intestinal microbiota diversity in wild and farmed Gryllus bimaculatus

Abstract This study aims to investigate the structure and diversity of the intestinal microbiome of Gryllus bimaculatus from wild and farmed environments. Additionally, we sought to identify the core microbes to get information on the microbial diversity of the gut microbiome to the farm condition. We analyzed the microbial community diversity in intestinal samples of both wild and farmed G. bimaculatus using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and ITS rRNA amplicons. Using the PICRUSt2 software, we predicted the functional capabilities of bacterial communities. The analysis indicated significant differences in the diversity of the microbial communities (bacteria) within the gut of crickets under farmed and wild conditions, with notably higher bacterial diversity observed in the gut of farmed crickets compared to those in the wild. The gut bacterial communities exhibited significant similarity across the two conditions, and the variations in diversity are primarily influenced by species with low abundance. Genus-level analysis revealed that the abundance of pathogens, including genera Listeria, Staphylococcus, and Candida, was significantly higher in the gut microbiota of farmed crickets than in the wild ones. By identifying core genera (present in over 80% of the samples), we discovered 19 bacterial genera and 1 fungal genus. The core bacterial genera constituted 60.35% and 87.10% of the cricket’s gut bacterial abundance in farmed and wild environments, respectively. The functional prediction analysis performed using PICRUSt2 identified a significant increase of pathways about “Terpenoids and polyketides metabolism”, and “Infectious disease: bacterial” in the farmed group; as well as a significant decrease in pathways about “Environmental adaptation”, “Development and regeneration”, and the “Nervous system”, compared to the wild group. In conclusion our results showed that the gut microbial community of the G. bimaculatus could be influenced by its environment and diet. However, this influence is primarily manifested in the variation of low-abundance genera, with the gut microbial community remains dominated by a few microbial groups. Therefore, it is speculated that the combination of core and edge species in the gut microbial community of the G. bimaculatus may constitute an effective strategy that not only maintains the core functions of the community but also adapts to environmental changes through the diversity of edge species. The high population density and excessive feeding in the farmed condition could have allowed for the creation of a more diverse gut microbiota for G. bimaculatus, including potential pathogens. Therefore, when breeding G. bimaculatus, the environmental hygiene management should be strengthened to reduce the carrying and transmission of pathogens.

Anaerobic degradation of excess protein-rich fish feed drives CH4 ebullition in a freshwater aquaculture pond

Aquaculture is a climate-relevant source of greenhouse gases like methane. Methane emissions depend on various parameters, with organic matter playing a crucial role. Nevertheless, little is known about the composition of organic matter in aquaculture. We investigated the effects of excessive loading of high-protein fish feed on the quality of sediment organic matter in a fishpond to explain extremely high methane ebullition rates (bubble flux). Analysing the molecular composition of water-extractable organic matter using liquid chromatography Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy, we found strong differences between the feeding area and open water area: low-molecular weight nitrogen and sulphur-rich organic compounds were highly enriched at the feeding area. In addition, methane ebullition correlated well with sediment protein content and total bound nitrogen in pore water. Our results indicate that feed proteins in the sediments are hydrolysed into oligopeptides (CHNO) and subsequently converted to CHOS and CHNOS components during anaerobic deamination of protein and peptide fragments in the presence of inorganic sulphides. These metabolites accumulate at the feeding area due to continuous feed supply. Our findings illustrate the adverse effects of excessive feeding leading to bioreactor-like methane emissions at the feeding area. Improving feed management has the potential to make aquaculture more climate-friendly.

Reverse Solute Diffusion Enhances Sludge Dewatering in Dead-End Forward Osmosis.

Wastewater treatment plants produce high quantities of excess sludge. However, traditional sludge dewatering technology has high energy consumption and occupies a large area. Dead-end forward osmosis (DEFO) is an efficient and energy-saving deep dewatering technology for sludge. In this study, the reverse osmosis of salt ions in the draw solution was used to change the sludge cake structure and further reduce its moisture content in cake by releasing the bound water in cell. Three salts, NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2, were added to the excess sludge feed solution to explore the roles of the reverse osmosis of draw solutes in DEFO. When the added quantities of NaCl and CaCl2 were 15 and 10 mM, respectively, the moisture content of the sludge after dewatering decreased from 98.1% to 79.7% and 67.3%, respectively. However, KCl did not improve the sludge dewatering performance because of the "high K and low Na" phenomenon in biological cells. The water flux increased significantly for the binary draw solute involving NaCl and CaCl2 compared to the single draw solute. The extracellular polymer substances in the sludge changed the structure of the filter cake to improve the formation of water channels and decrease osmosis resistance, resulting in an increase in sludge dewatering efficiency. These findings provide support for improving the sludge dewatering performance of DEFO.

How to interpret and apply the results of indirect calorimetry studies: A case-based tutorial

Evidence is growing that the individual adjustment of energy targets guided by indirect calorimetry (IC) can improve outcome. With the development of a new generation of devices that are easier to use and rapid, it appears important to share knowledge and expertise that may be used to individualize nutrition care. Despite the focus of this tutorial being on one contemporary device, the principles of IC apply across existing devices and can assist tailoring the nutrition prescription and in assessing response to nutrition therapy. The present tutorial addresses its clinical application in intubated mechanically ventilated and spontaneously breathing adult patients (canopy), i.e. it covers the range from critical illness to outpatients.The cases that are presented show how the measured energy expenditure (mEE), and the respiratory quotient (RQ), i.e. the ratio of expired CO2 to consumed O2, should be applied in different cases, to adapt and individualize nutrition prescription, as it is a good marker of over- or underfeeding at the different stages of disease. The RQ also informs about the patient's body’s capacity to use different substrates: the variations of RQ indicating the metabolic changes revealing insufficient or excessive feeding. The different cases reflect the use of a new generation device as a metabolic monitor that should be combined with other clinical observations and laboratory biomarkers. The tutorial also points to some shortcomings of the method, proposing alternatives.

Distinct basal forebrain-originated neural circuits promote homoeostatic feeding and suppress hedonic feeding in male mice.

Feeding behaviour is influenced by two primary factors: homoeostatic needs driven by hunger and hedonic desires for pleasure even in the absence of hunger. While efficient homoeostatic feeding is vital for survival, excessive hedonic feeding can lead to adverse consequences such as obesity and metabolic dysregulations. However, the neurobiological mechanisms that orchestrate homoeostatic versus hedonic food consumption remain largely unknown. Here we show that GABAergic proenkephalin (Penk) neurons in the diagonal band of Broca (DBB) of male mice respond to food presentation. We further demonstrate that a subset of DBBPenk neurons that project to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus are preferentially activated upon food presentation during fasting periods and transmit a positive valence to facilitate feeding. On the other hand, a separate subset of DBBPenk neurons that project to the lateral hypothalamus are preferentially activated when detecting a high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet and transmit a negative valence to inhibit food consumption. Notably, when given free choice of chow and HFHS diets, mice with the whole DBBPenk population ablated exhibit reduced consumption of chow but increased intake of the HFHS diet, resulting in accelerated development of obesity and metabolic disturbances. Together, we identify a molecularly defined neural population in male mice that is crucial for the maintenance of energy balance by facilitating homoeostatic feeding while suppressing hedonic overeating.

Adaptation and feeding preference of Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) to different feeding levels in rice–turtle co-culture system

Rice–turtle co-culture is an ecological method involving a low exogenous input of chemicals and excessive feeding might increase the cost and reduce the mutual beneficial effect. To determine the optimal feeding level for co-cultured P. sinensis and for its adaptation, the turtles (878.0±10.3 g) were fed at feeding levels of 0.7 %, 1.4 % and 2.1 % for 90 days. The observation of feeding behavior showed that a low feeding level prompted the turtles to move into field paddies and prolonged their stay. The specific growth rate increased with increasing feeding level, but did not further increase when it exceeded 1.4 %, and the feed conversion ratio increased with increasing feeding level from 0.7 % to 2.1 %. The activities of digestive enzymes were higher in the group with a low feeding level. The plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels increased with increasing feeding level, while the creatinine level was significantly lower at a high feeding level of 2.1 %. The trend analysis of gene expression showed that the expression of most of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the brain decreased with increasing feeding levels from 0.7 % to 1.4 % and did not further decrease at a feeding level of 2.1 %, while in the gut, most of the genes were significantly downregulated or upregulated at a feeding level of 1.4 %. In the brain, the pathways associated with the DEGs were involved in the relaxin signaling pathway, melanogenesis and the age–rage signaling pathway in diabetic complications. In the gut, the DEGs were most associated with pancreatic secretion, protein digestion and absorption. The related genes expression was consistent with feeding behavior, growth and physiological metabolism. These findings suggest that co-cultured turtles can adapt to different feeding levels, that the optimal feeding level for co-cultured turtles is 1.4 %, and that additional feeding reduced the economic and ecological benefits of co-culture.

Study on recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in organic fish production

Abstract The growth of conventional aquaculture has created environmental issues due to excessive feeding, low dissolved oxygen level etc into the water body. Organic aquaculture is a recent development as a solution to these issues. It is a clean alternative to reduce pollution and to produce safer consumable food. In the past few decades, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) were introduced to maintain pond water quality through lesser water exchange, by focusing on water reuse after treatment. In this study, the technical viability of RAS was analyzed for introduction in organic aquaculture systems. Indian major carps (IMCs) were cultured through conventional methods in the three tanks of conventional system, while the same species was grown organically in another three tanks in organic system. The stocking density and physical conditions were kept same for both cultured systems. The RAS consisted of fish culture tank with an average volume of each tank was 165 m3, a screen filter, foam fractionator and trickling filter. The various water quality parameters, i.e., solid size distribution in water, and removal efficiencies in biological treatment of both systems were compared. The present study, particle size distribution of solids in water body was measured by filtration, followed by weighing of dry residue solids. Pore sizes of 1000μ, 100μ, 20μ and 3μ were employed for filtration. For organic tanks, a majority of solids are of size between 1 mm and 100 μm. The larger sized particles (&gt; 30 μm) constitute nearly 70 % of the solids and the trait differs from the generalized conclusions of that a major part of sediments will be of sizes less than 20 μm. For the conventional tanks, majority of solids are of size between 3 mm and 20 μm and TAN shows higher removal efficiencies for effluents from organic system rather than conventional system. The results showed that organic aquaculture causes lesser pollution load per weight of fish. The particle size distribution of organic water was better compatible to screening and sedimentation than conventional water. Also the filtration efficiencies in nitrifying trickling filters of both water bodies were comparable, with that of organic water slightly on the higher side. Thus recirculating water treatment systems are introduced in organic aquaculture.

PRESENT SCENARIO OF LIVESTOCK BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE NORTHERN PART OF BANGLADESH

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Bangladesh has a rich heritage of livestock rearing. The management and breeding practices differ across the country. &lt;strong&gt;Objectives:&lt;/strong&gt; To study the present scenario of breeding and management practices of livestock at northern Teesta river basin based Lalmonirhat district in Bangladesh. &lt;strong&gt;Methodology: &lt;/strong&gt;Total 100 farmers were selected using random sampling technique from 5 upazilas of Lalmonirhat district during July to December, 2022. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 statistical package. &lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Results showed that most of the farmers (65%) at the northern part of Bangladesh were middle-aged, 41% of them completed secondary education, and their occupation was mainly agriculture (55%). About 37.78% of respondents supplied roadside grass as roughage to their livestock. Maximum number of respondents (60.24%) supplied hand mixed feed as a source of concentrate whereas 39.76% of respondents used commercial feed. 96% of farmers practiced artificial insemination to inseminate their cows and heifers while in goat nearly all respondent farmers (98.41%) practiced natural mating. Among the breeding companies, 41.41% farmers preferred semen from the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), followed by Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) (30.30%), Government (Department of Livestock Services (DLS) (22.22%), and others (6.07%). About 41.76% respondents used 50% Sahiwal - 50% local genotype bull to breed the cows whereas 23.08% respondents used 100% Sahiwal, 18.68% used 75% Holstein Friesian-25% local, 5.49% used 100% Holstein Friesian, 3.30% used 50% Holstein Friesian-50% Local and only 3.30% used 87.5% Holstein Friesian-12.5% Local genotype bull semen, respectively.&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;On the other hand, most of the farmers (98.41%) chosen Black Bengal breeding buck during breeding and remaining used crossbred (Black Bengal Goat- Jamunapari) to breed their does. The actual price of bull semen from Govt. (DLS) was 30 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) on average for all the breeds whereas, the price ranged 110-200 BDT depending on cattle breeds and bull/bucks Identification (ID) in different private enterprises. Farmers had to pay on an average&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;181.18 BDT for DLS originated semen in addition to that BRAC Artificial Insemination (AI) workers took an average of 425.61 BDT from farmers to inseminate their cows. The average milk yield/d was 1.82±0.14, 3.35±0.40, and 2.74±0.27 liters for local, HF crossbred and Sahiwal crossbred respectively in that region. The prevalence of repeat breeding incidences was 13.74%, 14.21%, and 15.17%, for Local, Sahiwal crossbred, and Holstein Friesian crossbred genotypes respectively. The highest incidence of disease was found as Lumpy Skin Disease (14.67%) followed by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) (11.98%) and other parasitic and metabolic diseases. In the study area, it was found that maximum number of the respondents (95%) faced excessive feed price problem along with some other problems. &lt;strong&gt;Implications: &lt;/strong&gt;Government intervention is necessary to improve the situation of livestock production in the country. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt; This study showed the overall scenario of livestock production, breeding, and management in the northern part of Bangladesh which could be helpful for the govt., Non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and policymakers to take realistic steps for the improvement of livestock production in the northern part of Bangladesh.&lt;/p&gt;

Water Stress and Black Cutworm Feeding Modulate Plant Response in Maize Colonized by Metarhizium robertsii.

Plants face many environmental challenges and have evolved different strategies to defend against stress. One strategy is the establishment of mutualistic associations with endophytic microorganisms which contribute to plant defense and promote plant growth. The fungal entomopathogen Metarhizium robertsii is also an endophyte that can provide plant-protective and growth-promoting benefits to the host plant. We conducted a greenhouse experiment in which we imposed stress from deficit and excess soil moisture and feeding by larval black cutworm (BCW), Agrotis ipsilon, to maize plants that were either inoculated or not inoculated with M. robertsii (Mr). We evaluated plant growth and defense indicators to determine the effects of the interaction between Mr, maize, BCW feeding, and water stress. There was a significant effect of water treatment, but no effect of Mr treatment, on plant chlorophyl, height, and dry biomass. There was no effect of water or Mr treatment on damage caused by BCW feeding. There was a significant effect of water treatment, but not Mr treatment, on the expression of bx7 and rip2 genes and on foliar content of abscisic acid (ABA), 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA), and gibberellin 19 (GA19), whereas GA53 was modulated by Mr treatment. Foliar content of GA19 and cis-Zeatin (cZ) was modulated by BCW feeding. In a redundancy analysis, plant phenology, plant nutrient content, and foliar DIMBOA and ABA content were most closely associated with water treatments. This study contributes toward understanding the sophisticated stress response signaling and endophytic mutualisms in crops.

Effects of sex on fat deposition through gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in weaned pigs

Nitrogen pollution resulting from excessive feed consumption poses a significant challenge for modern swine production. Precision nutrition technology seems to be an effective way to solve this problem; therefore, understanding the law of pig body composition deposition is a prerequisite. This study investigated the sex effects on growth performance, body composition, nutrient deposition, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in weaned piglets. Eighty weaned pigs were randomly allocated to 2 treatments according to the sex of pigs. An individual pig was considered as a treatment replicate. Six body weights (BW 5, 7, 11, 15, 20, and 25 kg) were chosen as experimental points; for each point 10 piglets close to the average BW (5 males and 5 females) were slaughtered, and there was one growth phase between each 2 BW points. Results indicated that the males had higher average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to the females (P < 0.05) at growth phases 15 to 20 kg BW and 20 to 25 kg BW. Meanwhile, males at 20 kg BW had higher body fat content than females (P < 0.10). Males showed a higher body fat (P < 0.05) deposition rate at phase 15 to 20 kg BW (P < 0.05) than females. For pigs at 20 kg BW, the relative abundance of RuminococcaceaeUCG-005, Clostridium, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, and Peptostreptococcaceae was significantly increased in males (P < 0.05) but that of Bifidobacterium was decreased (P < 0.05). At 25 kg BW, the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Fibrobacter, RuminococcaceaeUCG-009, Ralstonia, Klebsiel, and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group in males was higher when compared with females (P < 0.05). In terms of SCFA, females exhibited higher concentrations of propionate compared to males (P < 0.05). The results of the current study indicated that sex influenced fat deposition through changes in the composition of gut microbiota and the content of SCFA, which has significant implications for the realization of precision nutrition in modern swine production.

Effect of successive recycling and reuse of acid liquor for the synthesis of graphene oxides with higher oxygen-to-carbon ratios

Graphene has recently drawn exponential attention due to its surprising physicochemical properties and diversified field of applications. Although graphene oxides (GOs), itself is an exclusive material, it is also an intermediate product for the production of reduced graphene oxides (rGOs), graphene and their derivatives, which are other more superficial materials. In this study, GOs with higher oxygen to carbon ratios were synthesized following the Tour method, where the excess feed acid liquor (FAL) of mixed concentrated sulfuric and orthophosphoric acids at a ratio of 90:10 was recovered from the reaction slurries by applying the centrifugation technique. About 80–90 % of the FAL was recycled and reused as feed for the subsequent batches. The changes in the properties of FAL for the five consecutive recycling and reuse were studied. The properties of recycled FALs were investigated by measuring density, moisture content, pH, and ion concentration. The consecutive recycling of FALs tends to increase the moisture content about 0.5% in each recycles. Ion-chromatography (IC) was used to measure the variation in SO42− and PO43− ions in the FALs. The H2SO4 reacts with KMnO4 and crystalized out from the recovered FAL faster than the phosphoric acid. So, sulfuric acid content in the makeover FALs must be greater than primary FAL. The product GOs were characterized using FT-IR, FT-Raman, UVVis, STA, SEM, XPS, Zeta-potential, and particle size analyzers. The variation of the properties of GOs with the changes in the reaction parameters such as temperature and time were investigated and correlated with the product yield. It was observed that the effect of temperature on the reaction rate was found to be negatively and positive with the reaction time. The oxygen-to-carbon atomic ratio from XPS analysis was found 66.7%, which supported the increase in product yields 66.9% in the experimental results. The effect of acid concentration, reaction temperature, and time on the GOs properties were satisfactory, correlated, and easily controllable with the reaction conditions. A higher extent of oxidation and enhanced product yields 65–70% were observed at 60–70 °C and 14–18 h. A mixture of nano- and macro-molecular GOs was obtained, and their compositions were easily controllable and separable by controlling the reaction conditions. A correlation was made among the properties of synthesized GOs, FAL, and recycled FAL and reaction conditions.