Extensive Research Articles

A keep-it-simple embolisation approach to treat pelvic congestion syndrome without compromising clinical effectiveness.

There are two approaches to treating pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS): (i) the keep-it-simple (KIS) approach, which involves embolising only the refluxing vein(s), typically the left ovarian vein (LOV) unless the right ovarian vein (ROV) or left/right internal iliac vein (IIV) tributaries are also refluxing; and (ii) the extensive (EXT) approach, which empirically embolises almost all of the LOV, ROV, and left and right IIV tributaries. The aim of this study is to determine whether the KIS approach can effectively treat PCS while minimising the number of treated veins and coils used, without the need for injecting sclerosing agents into pelvic veins or the use of occlusion balloons. This is a single-institution retrospective cohort study. Our records identified 154 women who underwent venograms for possible PCS, with the intent to proceed with embolisation. Refluxing veins were treated using the KIS approach, deploying minimal number of coils, 'sandwiching' sclerosing foam. Short-term follow-up was conducted at 6 weeks; long-term follow-ups (between 12 and 60 months) were conducted via an electronic survey consisting of 19 questions assessing pelvic pain/pressure, leg and back pain, fatigue, and bladder and menstrual symptoms. Fifteen women had negative venogram; 139 women had one or more refluxing veins on venogram. Most women (73%) required unilateral ovarian vein (OV) embolisation, 14% required bilateral OV embolisation, and 12% underwent pelvic vein embolisation. Most cases required only four pushable coils. Clinical success was 89% at 6 weeks and 84% at 1-5 years. A visual analogue scale reduction of 5.2 points (from 7.8 to 2.7) was achieved. There were no instances of coil dislodgement or other complications. The keep-it-simple approach, embolising only the refluxing ovarian and/or iliac veins, can achieve a successful clinical outcome for pelvic congestion syndrome. The extensive approach of empirically embolising all ovarian veins and internal iliac veins may not be necessary. This carries implications for potential savings in procedure time, cost and radiation dose.

Bacterial Community Structure Responds to Soil Management in the Rhizosphere of Vine Grape Vineyards.

The microbial communities of the rhizospheres of vineyards have been subject to a considerable body of research, but it is still unclear how the applied soil cultivation methods are able to change the structure, composition, and level of diversity of their communities. Rhizosphere samples were collected from three neighbouring vineyards with the same time of planting and planting material (rootstock: Teleki 5C; Vitis vinifera: Müller Thurgau). Our objective was to examine the diversity occurring in bacterial community structures in vineyards that differ only in the methods of tillage procedure applied, namely intensive (INT), extensive (EXT), and abandoned (AB). For that we took samples from two depths (10-30 cm (shallow = S) and 30-50 cm (deep = D) of the grape rhizosphere in each vineyard and the laboratory and immediately prepared the slices of the roots for DNA-based analysis of the bacterial communities. Bacterial community structure was assessed by means of PCR-DGGE analysis carried out on the v3 region of 16S rRNA gene. Based on the band composition of the DGGE profiles thus obtained, the diversity of the microbial communities was evaluated and determined by the Shannon-Weaver index (H'). Between the AB and EXT vineyards at the S depth, the similarity of the community structure was 55%; however, the similarity of the D samples was more than 80%, while the difference between the INT samples and the other two was also higher than 80%. Based on our results, we can conclude that intensive cultivation strongly affects the structure and diversity of the bacterial community.

Sustainability Assessment of Intensification Levels of Brazilian Smallholder Integrated Dairy-Crop Production Systems: An Emergy and Economic-Based Decision Approach

This study aimed to evaluate the sustainability of integrated dairy–crop production systems by employing emergy and economic theory perspectives, and to identify strategies to improve the intensification of dairy production systems. A case study of a small Brazilian dairy production system (PROP) was created to assess dairy herd feed exchanges as a sustainability pathway. Three scenarios were proposed for the examination of a dairy production system: extensive (EXT); semi-intensive (SIS); and intensive (INT). The Interlink Decision Making Index (IDMI) was used to compare sustainability among them. The PROP demonstrated higher environmental performance than the other scenarios (ESI = 1.30, 0.65, 0.95, and 0.71, for PROP, INT, SIS, and EXT, respectively); however, PROP’s profitability was 1.6 times lower than that of SIS and INT, although PROP’s profitability was higher than that of the EXT scenario. Notably, the IDMI identified the SIS scenario as having the best sustainability among those studied. We concluded that the consideration of the energy contribution for feed ingredients yields a more equitable evaluation of environmental performance in integrated dairy–crop production systems, which leads us to propose the following suggestions: (i) target higher profit performance by changing extensive dairy systems to semi-intensive systems that utilize feed ingredients produced at the farm, and (ii) promote higher environmental performance by transforming intensive dairy systems to semi-intensive systems that are directed more toward maintaining environmental factors. In our view, public policies should focus on bonifications that upgrade dairy systems to promote and utilize best practices for dairy–crop integration.

Spectroscopic characteristics of humic acids extracted from soils under different integrated agricultural production systems in tropical regions

Soil Organic Matter (SOM) plays an important in many ecosystems on the planet. Therefore, we employed elemental analysis (CHN), fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM-CP/PARAFAC), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to characterize the humic acids (HA) extracted from soils under integrated agricultural production systems (e.g. agroforestry systems (AFS)). These systems (S) included Crop (C), Livestock (L), Forest (F), and different combinations of them (CLFS, LFS, and CLS), which were compared with pastures (intensive (INT) and extensive (EXT)) and native forest (NF). For this purpose, we collected samples of a dystrophic Red-Yellow Latosol from experimental field areas which it is located at the Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste in São Carlos, São Paulo state, Brazil. Results showed that the HA humification index increased with soil depth, which is identified by complex structures more affluent in semiquinone-type free radical (SFR) and higher fluorescence intensity, especially in the AFS. Therefore, the HA from the CLFS systems had a higher aromaticity profile than HA from pastures and native forest areas, suggesting a longer lifetime to Carbon compounds. These significant findings are important for developing climate change mitigation strategies.

PSIII-7 Seasonal effects on nutritional value of Oklahoma prairie grass when grazed in extensive or intensive systems

Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of sampling month and grazing system on tallgrass prairie forage nutritive value. Native tallgrass prairie pastures (n = 6) were assigned to either an extensive (EXT) or intensive (INT) grazing system for 5 consecutive years. Extensive system pasture annual stocking rate was 6.1 hectares per cow-calf pair with cows remaining in their respective pastures year-round. Intensive system pasture annual stocking rate was 3.0 hectares per cow-calf pair with cows present in the pastures 160 days per year [mid-May through mid-July (58 ± 6 d) and mid-September through mid-December (102 ± 4 d)]. Forage samples were collected monthly from two to four locations within each pasture. Samples were dried, separated into subsamples of leaf material and whole plant matter, ground, and analyzed using near-infrared spectroscopy. Data were analyzed using a mixed model (SAS 9.4) with grazing system, month, sample type (leaf or whole), and all two-way interactions as fixed effects and year as a random effect. Forage crude protein (CP) was not different between leaf or whole plant samples (P = 0.97) and increased (P < 0.001) in May (10.8% CP), declined in the fall, and stayed low (2 – 4% CP) in both systems. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was greater during May to July (P = 0.040) in the EXT than the INT pastures. Acid detergent fiber (ADF) differed by month (P < 0.001) and was lowest between April and May. In vitro true dry matter digestibility (IVTDMD) was greater in INT (63.7%) than EXT (62.3%) pastures regardless of month (P < 0.001), and both systems were greater during May through August (65 – 75%; P < 0.001) than the winter months (56 – 60%). These data indicate that protein supplementation is likely required outside of May and June, especially for lactating cows.

Patterns of Relapse in Small Cell Lung Cancer: Competing Risks of Thoracic versus CNS Relapse

Introduction: Treatment algorithms for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are determined largely by the Veterans Affairs Lung Cancer Staging Group (VALCSG) staging (limited (LS) versus extensive (ES) stage). Relapse occurs frequently; however, patterns of relapse, in particular the competing risk of thoracic and central nervous system relapse, are not well described. This study describes patterns of relapse in SCLC patients treated at a large tertiary institution in Ontario, Canada. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort of SCLC patients treated at the Juravinski Cancer Centre was reviewed. Data were abstracted from the medical record on demographic, disease, treatment and outcome variables. The primary outcome was a description of the patterns of relapse stratified by disease stage. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify prognostic variables for thoracic and CNS relapse. Results: Two hundred and twenty nine patients were treated during the study period (LS—83, ES—146). Relapse occurred in the majority of patients (isolated thoracic—28%, isolated CNS—9%, extrathoracic—9%, thoracic/extrathoracic—14%, systemic and CNS—13%). The median OS was consistent with published data (LS—21.8 months, ES—8.9 months). ES disease and elevated LDH were prognostic for increased thoracic relapse, whereas poor PS and older age were prognostic for lower central nervous system (CNS) relapse. Discussion: Thoracic relapse and CNS relapse represent competing risks for patients with SCLC. Decisions about incorporating thoracic or CNS radiation are complex. More research is needed to incorporate performance status and LDH into treatment algorithms.

Proposal of Ecotechnologies for Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Production in Mexico: Economic, Environmental, and Social Implications

Conventional aquaculture (ACUA-C) in Mexico is an activity that maintains an annual growth rate of 6%. Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture is the predominant aquaculture in the country with 4623 farms, most of which operate with semi-intensive (SIS) and extensive (ES) production systems, discharging untreated wastewater that negatively impacts the environment. To address this problem, new ecotechnologies such as biofloc (BFT), recirculation systems for aquaculture (RAS), constructed wetlands (CWs) for water treatment, and aquaponics (AS) have emerged to mitigate the environmental impacts of untreated wastewater. The objective of this work is to evaluate the feasibility of tilapia farming with BFT, RAS, CW, and AS ecotechnologies through an economic and financial feasibility analysis, considering their environmental and social implications in a Mexican aquaculture farm located in the state of Veracruz. Open interviews, direct observation, and diagnosis of the semi-intensive tilapia system was carried out between 15 May 2019 and 15 February 2020 in order to calculate, design, and theoretically evaluate the four ecotechnological alternatives (TBF, RAS, CW, and AS). Economic (13), environmental (10), and social (5) variables were applied, making use of the same facilities. The results reveal that the four ecotechnologies implemented in an SIS are economically viable and environmentally acceptable, especially in water management, in addition to being socially feasible. It is concluded that BFT offers an alternative to the producer by having a lower additional cost to improve problems, despite the possible complexity of operation and energy requirements to manage wastewater treatment. The technological transition to BFT is recommended to solve the problem of sustainable water management.

TOTAL CONTENT AND AVAILABILITY OF MICRONUTRIENTS IN SOILS AND LIVESTOCK MANURE

The use of feedlot cattle manure appears as an important source of certain trace metals in soils that can be mobilized by water modifying the surface and groundwater quality. The current study is focused on assessing the availability of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co) and molybdenum (Mo) in manure from confined beef cattle systems and different soils of the Chaco-pampean plain, using a sequential extraction scheme. Soils and bovine manure coming from intensive (IS) and extensive (ES) beef cattle systems were collected. Total contents of Cu, Zn, Co and Mo were determined after microwave assisted acid digestion. Availability was evaluated through sequential extraction, including water-soluble and exchangeable fraction (EXCH), organic matter bound fraction (OM), inorganic precipitated fraction (INOR), and residual fraction (RES). Total Cu and Zn contents found in manure coming from IS were higher than the concentration of the aforementioned trace elements determined in all soils and manure analyzed from ES. EXCH-Cu only appears in IS cattle manure samples, while EXCH-Zn found in IS manure samples were higher than the soils samples analyzed. The higher levels of total and availability forms of Cu and Zn determined in IS manure compared to soils samples, require considering when this organic amendment is applied as fertilizer. These results indicate that the reuse of intensive cattle manure as fertilizer in agricultural areas could provide available forms of metals in soils and could contribute to reduce the environmental impact caused by the accumulation of excreta in pen soils during long periods in farms.

Whole farm modelling the effect of grass silage harvest date and nitrogen fertiliser rate on nitrous oxide emissions from grass-based suckler to beef farming systems

The intensification of agricultural production systems to produce food for the growing world population is envisaged to result in the increase in nitrous oxide emissions (N2O). The goal of this study was therefore to assess the effect of different management practices on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from contrasting grass-based suckler beef farms with a particular focus on N2O emissions. The contrasting grass-based suckler beef systems evaluated were intensive (INT) and extensive (EXT) steer and heifer (SH) beef systems and bull and heifer (BH) systems. A whole farm model approach was taken to simulate GHG emissions from these baseline systems using data from a long-term research trial and a hybrid economic-GHG model. Several aspects of the hybrid model were updated. Default values for nitrogen (N) content of fresh and conserved grass were replaced with prediction equations. N excretion and partitioning prediction equations and emission factors (EF) for N2O from grazing cattle and fertiliser were also updated. The four baseline systems were simulated to harvest first cut silage on May 24. The pasture fertiliser rate for the EXT and INT systems were 77 kg N ha−1 and 205 kg N ha−1, respectively. To test the effect of changing management practices, the four baseline systems were simulated at earlier (May 5) and later (June 28) first cut silage harvest dates and 50% higher and lower pasture fertiliser application rates. In total, GHG emissions from four baseline systems and sixteen alternative scenarios were simulated. The carbon footprint of the baseline systems in kg CO2-equivalent (CO2e) per kg of carcass weight (kg CO2e CW−1) ranged from 17.7 for BH EXT to 19.4 for SH INT. This was lower than the latest published EU average of 22.2 kg CO2e CW−1. Across all scenarios, the increase in fertiliser application rate and earlier first cut silage harvest date increased the kg N2O kg CW−1 of the four production systems. Due to younger slaughter age facilitating higher stocking rates and thus higher productivity per hectare, systems finishing males as bulls at 16 months had lower N2O and total GHG emissions than production systems finishing males as steers at 24 months. Therefore, BH EXT with increased fertiliser application rate and earlier silage harvest date was the most sustainable suckler to beef production system while SH EXT with reduced fertiliser application rate and later silage harvest date was the least sustainable suckler to beef production system due to longer time to slaughter and consequently lower stocking rate.

Performance of Krškopolje Pigs in Extensive and Intensive Production Systems

14.00 Normal 0 21 false false false ES X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Table Normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:SL; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} An observational study of growth performance was performed with Krskopolje pigs reared in extensive (EXT) and intensive (INT) production system. Pigs in INT system (n=6) were housed indoors and received a complete feed mixture, while EXT pigs (n=6) were kept in combined indoor/outdoor system and were fed a traditional meal (cooked root crops) and a mixture of ground grains. Growth performance and meat quality traits of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle of pigs were assessed. Pigs were monitored from 86 to 224 days of age and were weighed 4-times (at 86, 129, 195, 224 days) with 4 growth stages (25-45, 45-75, 75-90 and 90-120 kg) considered. Overall INT pigs achieved 49 % higher daily gain and were heavier at slaughter than EXT pigs (88 vs. 120 kg, P Normal 0 false false false SL X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Navadna tabela; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:SL; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

Efavirenz-metabolizing polymorphisms, viral suppression, and depression in HIV-infected individuals initiating antiretroviral therapy in southwestern Uganda

BackgroundSingle-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP2B6 have previously been associated with a 10-fold range in trough plasma efavirenz concentrations, but associations between these SNPs and efavirenz (EFV)-mediated viral suppression and tolerability remain unclear.MethodsWe evaluated three SNPs in CYP2B6 (rs3745274, rs28399499, and rs4803419, Illumina OmniExpress) among HIV-infected Ugandans observed in a cohort study every 3–4 months from 2005–2015. Genotypes from these SNPs were used to group participants into previously described pharmacokinetic strata: extensive (EXT), intermediate (INT), and slow metabolizers (Figure 1). The primary outcomes were viral suppression, defined by an undetectable viral load in the first measurement a minimum of three months after ART initiation, and incident depression in the first two years, defined by a mean score >1.75 on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. We fitted standard and generalized estimating equations (GEE) logistic regression models for viral suppression and depression, respectively. Models were adjusted for clinical and demographic covariates that reached a significance of P < 0.25 in unadjusted models.ResultsAmong 103 participants with genotyping, there were no differences in pre-ART viral load or depression by metabolism strata (P > 0.5). Minor allele frequencies for rs3745274, rs28399499, and rs4803419 were 33%, 7%, and 4%, respectively. Approximately 79%, 78%, and 94% of participants were suppressed at their first viral load measurement in the extensive, intermediate, and slow metabolizer strata, respectively (Figure 2; P = 0.35). In adjusted models, metabolism strata were not associated with viral suppression (AORINT 0.81, 95% CI 0.26–2.56; AORSLOW 3.92, 95% CI 0.39–39.40) or with depression (AORINT 1.95, 95% CI 0.75–5.09; AORSLOW 0.72, 95% CI 0.17–3.02; Table).ConclusionWe did not identify an association between efavirenz-metabolizing polymorphisms and viral suppression or depression in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals initiating ART in southwestern Uganda. Future work should reassess these relationships with larger samples and longer-term outcomes and explore additional polymorphisms that may be associated with efavirenz metabolism in this population.Disclosures P. Hunt, Merck: Consultant, Consulting fee; Gilead: Consultant, Consulting fee; Viiv: Consultant, Consulting fee

The Culture System Affects Organoleptic Properties and Lipid Composition of Common Carp (Cyprinus Carpio L.) Meat

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the main quality parameters in relation to two different carp culture systems. The quality of common carp fillet, such fat content, fatty acid composition, textural properties and sensory parameters, was evaluated. Carps were harvested from semi‐intensive (SIS) and extensive (ES) systems, respectively. The results show no significant differences between the groups in organoleptic tests. However, significant differences (P &lt; 0.05) were observed in the textual parameters (especially hardness). A difference in the fat content and fatty acid profile (P &lt; 0.05) between two different carp culture systems was also observed. This study shows that the quality of common carp fillets particularly depends on the culture system used. Feeding strategies as well as general pond management are therefore of critical importance to enhance the overall quality of common carp fillets and meet the consumer demands.Practical ApplicationsThe present study gives insight into the effects of different rearing systems and feeding strategies on important quality properties such as fat content and texture of carp fillets. We showed that feeding strategies as well as general pond management are of critical importance to enhance the quality of common carp fillets and meet the consumer demands. Fish farmers can use the obtained knowledge to produce carp according to the customers demand. As consumer preferences with respect to fat content and softness have shown a regional variability, the used culture system and the resulting quality should be indicated at the market.

Breeding objectives for pigs in Kenya. I: bio-economic model development and application to smallholder production systems.

A deterministic bio-economic model was developed and applied to evaluate biological and economic variables that characterize smallholder pig production systems in Kenya. Two pig production systems were considered namely, semi-intensive (SI) and extensive (EX). The input variables were categorized into biological variables including production and functional traits, nutritional variables, management variables and economic variables. The model factored the various sow physiological systems including gestation, farrowing, lactation, growth and development. The model was developed to evaluate a farrow to finish operation, but the results were customized to account for a farrow to weaner operation for a comparative analysis. The operations were defined as semi-intensive farrow to finish (SIFF), semi-intensive farrow to weaner (SIFW), extensive farrow to finish (EXFF) and extensive farrow to weaner (EXFW). In SI, the profits were the highest at KES. 74,268.20 per sow per year for SIFF against KES. 4026.12 for SIFW. The corresponding profits for EX were KES. 925.25 and KES. 626.73. Feed costs contributed the major part of the total costs accounting for 67.0, 50.7, 60.5 and 44.5% in the SIFF, SIFW, EXFF and EXFW operations, respectively. The bio-economic model developed could be extended with modifications for use in deriving economic values for breeding goal traits for pigs under smallholder production systems in other parts of the tropics.

EFEITOS DA TERAPÊUTICA EXPERIMENTAL COM Agaricus blazei SOBRE PARÂMETROS HISTOPATOLÓGICOS EM CAMUNDONGOS

The mushroom Agaricus blazei (A. blazei ), known as cogumelo do sol, is used in alternative medicine for the prevention of various diseases such as cancer, live r disease and diabetes. Although widely used by the world population as a medicinal compound, its potential a dverse effects are not completely known. In this co ntext, case report, it was shown that patients who made extensi ve use of A. blazei developed abnormal liver cells. Based on this, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether chronic treatment of mice with the fungus A. blazei may induce some hepatotoxic effect. 10 female Swiss mice were used. The animals in the test group (Ab ) (n = 6) w ere treated with a daily oral dose of 0.1 ml at a concentration of 110mg/Kg , for a period of sixty days. The cont rol group (n = 4) were treated with PBS. Histopathological analysi s showed that there were no differences in the morp hology of liver cells between Ab and control groups. Therefor e, it is suggested that the aqueous extract of A. blazei in the doses used, had no toxic effects on liver cells. Descriptors : Cogumelo do Sol. Hepatotoxicity. Medicinal plants . Alternative Medicine. Histopathology.

Effects of two finishing diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics and feeding behaviour of Slovenian Cika and Simmental young bulls

This study aimed at comparing the effects of a traditional finishing roughage-based diet and a higher energy diet, on growth, carcass characteristics, and feeding behaviour of Slovenian Cika and Simmental bulls (20 per breed). The experimental diets were: extensive (EXT) based on grass silage, and semi-intensive (S-INT) in which a part of the roughage was replaced with maize silage and sunflower meal. Each diet was fed ad libitum to 10 Cika (547 days old) and 10 Simmental (442 days old) bulls housed in group pens of five animals each. Growth performance was similar in both breeds, but Cika reached commercial finishing 1 month earlier than Simmental (139 vs 167 days; P = 0.016). Bulls fed S-INT had higher final weight (645.3 vs 590.1 kg; P = 0.05), average daily growth (1.05 vs 0.83 kg; P = 0.026), and feed intake (11.7 vs 10.6 kg dry matter (DM)/day; P &lt; 0.001) than EXT bulls. Regardless of breed and diet, bulls ate 77–80% of the daily DM in the first 8 h after feed delivery. Bulls fed EXT showed longer standing (406.4 vs 355.8 min; P &lt; 0.001) and eating (217.2 vs 155.3 min; P &lt; 0.001) and shorter ruminating (77.5 vs 92.9 min; P &lt; 0.001) times than S-INT bulls during the first 8 h of feed delivery. Cika bulls had lower full reticulo-rumen weights relative to slaughter weights (8.7 vs 10.7%; P = 0.002) than Simmental. The positive findings obtained with Cika cattle should encourage farmers to finish their young Cika male stocks for beef production, thus contributing to the maintenance of this animal genetic resource, and also to increase the energy density of the grass-based finishing diets by feeding supplements.

Use of Indigenous Knowledge as a Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation among Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for Policy

The study discusses use of indigenous knowledge as a strategy for climate change adaptation among farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The local farmers in this region through the indigenous knowledge systems have developed and implemented extensi ve adaptation strategies that have enabled them reduce vulnerability to climate variability and change over the years. However, this knowledge is rarely taken into consideration in the design and implementation of modern mitigation and adaptation strategie s. This paper highlights some indigenous adaptation strategies that have been practiced in sub Saharan Africa and the benefits of integrating such indigenous knowledge into formal climate change adaptation strategies. The study recommends the need to incor porate indigenous knowledge into climate change policies that can lead to the development of effective adaptation strategies that are cost -effective, participatory and sustainable.

Effect of production system before the finishing period on carcass, meat and fat qualities of beef

Twenty Gascon young bulls that had been reared either in intensive conditions (INT) (n=10) with early weaning at 3 to 4 months, or in a traditional extensive (EXT) system (n=10) with weaning at 7 months, were subjected to the same conditions during the 145-day finishing period. Production system before the finishing period did not affect conformation, dressing percentage or morphology of the carcass; nevertheless, tissue composition differed somewhat between the two groups. Display had a stronger effect on meat colour than did production system. Percentage of myoglobin was highest in INT (P⩽0.001), although meat texture and sensory quality did not differ between rearing conditions. EXT animals had darker, more yellow fat, a higher percentage of n-3 fatty acids (P⩽0.001), a lower percentage of saturated fatty acids (P⩽0.05) and a lower n-6/n-3 index (P⩽0.001) than did the INT-reared animals. Production system before the fattening period might modify some of the characteristics of commercial beef, especially those associated with fat.

Geochronology of miocene volcanism in the northern part of the Lesser Caucasus (Erusheti Highland, Georgia)

Study of epochs of tectonomagmatic activity of the Earth in different parts of the planet and under various geodynamic environments suggests as one of the main tasks of such investigations establishment of their age, duration, evolution dynamics, spatial–age regularities of volcanic focus migration, and other characteristics allowing one to reconstruct the history of magma gen� esis for concrete regions on the level of individual time lags of the geochronological scale. In this paper we discuss the results of the study of geochronology of Miocene volcanism in the northern part of neovolcanic province in the Lesser Caucasus, which allows us to determine the time of beginning and total duration of the Late Cenozoic epoch of tec� tonomagmatic activization in this sector of the Cauca� sian–Anatolian segment of the Alpine foldbelt. Products of the earliest impulses of Neogene– Quaternary volcanism within the northern end of the mountain system of the Lesser Caucasus, as is evident from the results of geological and stratigraphic investi� gations [1], are abundant in the upper reaches of the Kura River on its left bank, where they form the exten� sive (60 × 30 km) Erusheti volcanic highland on the territory of Georgia and Turkey (Fig. 1). They are united in the Goderdzi Formation in the Georgian part of the region. The lower parts of sections of the formation are composed of the pyroclastic series with a thickness of up to 700 m represented by welded and loose layered tuff, breccia, and agglutinate, in which thin lava flows of dacitic or more basic composition are sometimes observed. Numerous volcanic edifices (Gumbati, Shalosheti, Digra, and others) significantly destroyed and smoothed by erosion, their dacite lava flows forming a sheet with a thickness of up to several hundred meters, and overlying pyroclastic formations on most of the region are located on the surface of the Erusheti highland. The maximal heights within the highland reach 3000 m (on the territory of Turkey); its basement is entirely composed of sedimentary and volcanogenic series of Eocene age. Effusive rocks of the Goderdzi Suite in the east in valleys of the Kura River and its right tributary Paravani are overlain by mainly basic Pliocene lavas of the Dzhavakheti high� land (3.7–1.6 Ma [2]) and further, in the latitudinal direction most likely entirely thin out in sections within the area of western ends of the Samsari ridge, where Quaternary lavas occur directly on rocks of the Early Cenozoic–Mesozoic basement [3]. The available concepts on the age of rocks of the Goderdzi Formation were mainly based on the results of investigations of plant and fossil remains in horizons of diatomic clays, which are known and were previ� ously mined in some locations at the bottom of the young effusive series in the Erusheti Highland [1, 4]. These data allowed us to establish the possible age range of the formation of pyroclastic rocks and lavas of the formation as Late Miocene–Early Pliocene. !"# !"$ !"% !"" !"& $# $$ $% !"’ !"( !&) !&* !&! + , .

The 2 Degrees of Freedom facility in Firenze for the study of weak forces

The LISA test-mass (TM) is sensitive to weak forces along all 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoFs). Extensi ve ground test ing is required in order to evaluate the influence of cross-talks of read-outs and actuators operating on different DoFs. To best represent the flight conditions, we developed in Firenze a facility with 2 soft DoFs. Using this facility we measure the forces and stiffnesses acting simultaneously along the 2 soft DoFs, and, more specifically, we will be able to de b ug residual couplings between the TM and the capacitive position sensor that reads the TM position, and to measure actuation cross talks with closed feedback loop. The facility is now ready, and here we report on the co mmi ssioning test s, and on the first measurements.

Performance of spring-calving beef suckler cows and their progeny to slaughter on intensive and extensive grassland management systems

The performance of rotationally grazed beef suckler cows and their progeny to slaughter on two lowland grassland management systems differing in stocking rate (SR) and fertiliser nitrogen (N) level was compared over eight years. The two Systems were 1) Intensive (INT): SR of 0.56 (bull production) or 0.71 (steer production) ha cow − 1 unit, 211 kg fertiliser N ha − 1 , two silage harvests, and 2) Extensive (EXT): SR of 0.69 (bull production) or 0.88 (steer production) ha cow − 1 unit, 97 kg fertiliser N ha − 1 and one staggered silage harvest. A cow unit was defined as a cow plus progeny to slaughter. On the silage harvesting area, the mean application rate for fertiliser N was 110 and 80 kg ha − 1 for first and second harvests, respectively. Herbage dry matter digestibility both pre- and post-grazing was similar ( P > 0.05) for the two systems, whereas herbage crude protein concentrations were generally significantly lower for the EXT than the INT system. There was no difference ( P > 0.05) between the Systems in cow live weight, body condition score or their changes or in calf live weight gain from birth to weaning. Post-weaning, live weight gain, slaughter weight, carcass weight, kill-out proportion, estimated carcass gain, carcass conformation score or carcass fat score did not differ ( P > 0.05) between the systems for heifer, steer or bull progeny. It can be concluded that similar animal performance levels can be expected in an extensive grassland-based suckler calf-to-beef system compatible with the EU, Rural Environmental Protection Scheme as that attained in a more intensive System comprising of both a moderately high SR (~ 1.25 higher) and fertiliser N application (~ 2.1 higher).