The adapted Posner spatial cue-target paradigm was used to explore the relationship between exogenous temporal attention caused by rhythm and endogenous and exogenous spatial attention. The study was divided into two experiments. In Experiment 1, 33 participants used arrow cues to orient endogenous spatial attention and rhythm to orient exogenous temporal attention. In Experiment 2, with 29 participants, exogenous spatial attention was directed by highlighting the cue box. Exogenous temporal attention was directed by rhythm. Experiment 1 indicated that RTs were faster for attended targets than the unattended. The main effect of temporal attention was significant, with RTs being faster for synchrony and late compared to early. RTs were faster for late compared to synchrony. The main effect of stimulus repetition was significant, with faster RTs for targets when the rhythmic cue consisted of five compared to four. The interaction between spatial attention and temporal attention was not significant. Experiment 2 demonstrated that exogenous spatial attention only exhibited IOR under early four stimulus repetitions. The main effect of temporal attention was significant, with RTs being faster for synchrony and late compared to early. The main effect of stimulus repetition was significant, with faster RTs for targets when the rhythmic cue consisted of five compared to four. The interaction between spatial attention and temporal attention was significant. The results indicated that rhythmic temporal attention supported foreperiod effects. Exogenous temporal attention and endogenous spatial attention independently affect behavior, while exogenous temporal attention and exogenous spatial attention mutually influenced behavior.

Abstract Introduction: In the last thirty years, brain neuromodulation techniques have been used as an alternative to pharmacological treatment of neurological disorders. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to bradykinesia, rest tremor, postural changes, and non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, pain, and cognitive decline that compromises executive functions (EFs), responsible for the orderly execution of behaviors and tasks of daily life and intentional and directed actions. To this date, a few studies with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have shown beneficial effects in PD patients concerning specific motor and non-motor symptoms, targeting the motor cortex and/or prefrontal regions. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of left prefrontal tDCS across a broad spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms of PD using established validated scales. Method: Single-blind randomized clinical trial with 18 volunteers with PD, aged between 45 and 80 years (66.1 ± 9.65), who met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were submitted to assessments of motor and non-motor functions employing psychometric scales and tests to evaluate EFs and were randomly divided into two groups: control (sham stimulation) and experimental (active stimulation). All participants were involved in three separate tDCS sessions. The anode was positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the cathode over the right supraorbital region, with a direct current intensity of 2mA, lasting 20 minutes. At the end of the three sessions, all participants were reassessed. Results: Significant effects of tDCS on non-motor functions were observed for cognition (verbal fluency of actions, clock copy test, appointment by visual confrontation, and verbal memory with immediate free recall) and subjective assessment of sleep quality (overall restlessness and discomfort in the arms and legs at night, leg and arm cramps at night and distressing dreams). There was also an improvement in the rate of errors and successes for congruent and incongruent stimuli of the Stroop Test. The beneficial effects on motor function were decreased rigidity, improved gait, and greater agility in the finger-tapping test. Conclusion: Three tDCS sessions showed positive results for participants with PD, producing significant improvements in various motor and non-motor functions, including sleep quality, cognition, and EFs. Additionally, the present results indicate that tDCS neuromodulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region is feasible, safe, and provides significant objective benefits for PD patients.

Little is known about public knowledge of meat chicken production and how it influences attitudes to birds’ welfare and consumer behaviour. We interviewed 506 members of the public in SE Queensland, Australia, to investigate this. Knowledge was assessed from 15 questions, and low scores were supported by respondents’ self-assessed report of low knowledge levels and agreement that their knowledge was insufficient to form an opinion about which chicken products to purchase. Older respondents and single people without children were most knowledgeable. There was uncertainty about whether chicken welfare was adequate, particularly in those with little knowledge. There was also evidence that lack of empathy towards chickens related to lack of knowledge, since those that thought it very acceptable that some birds are inadequately stunned at slaughter had low knowledge scores. More knowledgeable respondents ate chicken more frequently and were less likely to buy products with accredited labelling. Approximately half of the respondents thought the welfare of the chicken to be more important than the cost. It is concluded that the public’s knowledge has an important connection to their attitudes and consumption of meat chickens. Respondents with little knowledge demonstrated that they had both lack of empathy and intolerance to religious slaughter practices.

Cervical cancer is one of the ailments that endangers the health of women all over the world and causes infertility. Fortunately, this disease can be avoided. Both the results and participation rates of the current preventative strategy remain poor. Hence, preventative or early detection methods remain challenging and open. In gynecology and computer science fields, few studies on identifying cervical cancer are based on behavior risk factor and machine learning. Moreover, various social and behavioral aspects might often make it more difficult to detect cervical cancer especially in low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs). Accordingly, focus on predicting the presence of cervical cancer through behavioral risk factors is the basic structure of this research. We proposed an approach to classify cervical cancer from a social-behavioral perspective using logistic regression to predict cervical cancer. We got significantly improved outcomes than the existing methods. Moreover, we used feature engineering to formulate less dimensionality as a pre-processing step and optimized parameters to be prepared for classification phase. The results proved that using the logistic regression with regularization type L1 had a promising performance. The accuracy of Logistic Regression (LR) L1 was 97.2%. Such results support the proposed work as a reliable classification predictive tool.

This research presents a comprehensive framework for efficiently generating forest fire datasets from Google Earth Engine data sources. The primary contribution of this work lies in providing a methodology to swiftly extract forest fire factors without the need for permissions or access to private datasets, rendering the dataset openly accessible and shared without barriers. Furthermore, given that the remote sensing data used is a global dataset, it can be applied in any region without restrictions. In this study, Peninsular Malaysia is chosen as a case study to demonstrate the framework's effectiveness. The generated dataset includes essential variables including the climate and environment, landcover, topography, and anthropogenic factors facilitating the analysis of fire occurrences. The methodology empowers data scientists, enabling them to leverage their analytical skills on the extracted dataset without requiring specialized remote sensing knowledge. Additionally, this study also showcases the adoption of large language models, specifically GPT-4 with the Noteable plugin, as a tool for conducting preliminary analyses on the generated dataset. Sample analyses reveal that several key features, including the KBDI, LST, PDSI, climate water deficit, and precipitation, significantly impact forest fire occurrences in Peninsular Malaysia. Despite the successful application of the GPT-4 with Noteable plugin, certain limitations and challenges are identified, highlighting the necessity for further validation of the tool's applicability and limitations. This study encourages future research to (1) adopt the proposed framework in other regions, (2) explore more detailed analyses encompassing all variables, and (3) leverage machine learning for advanced forecasting.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The accompanying mechanical behavior during the flow of ore-rock dispersion is an important factor leading to the instability and failure of the orepass in the ore storage section. It is of great significance to accurately understand the instability characteristics of the well wall in the ore section, during the ore drawing process by understanding the flow characteristics and internal mechanical transfer mechanism of ore-rock dispersion. Using the discrete element method to analyze the flow characteristics, contact compactness, stress distribution characteristics and contact force probability distribution of the ore-rock dispersion, it realizes the quantitative characterization of the damage degree of ore-rock flow, and reveals the damage mechanism of mine storage wall. The results show that: (1) The friction between ore-rock particles, between ore-rock and well wall is an important reason for the change of the macroscopic flow form of ore-rock from “one” to “V” type. (2) The compactness and stress concentration of ores are increasing with the increase of storage depth, which is shown that with the increase of storage depth, the greater the probability of well wall instability. (3) The probability distribution of contact force strength between particles decreases exponentially in the whole process of ore drawing, in which the strong chain plays a major role in the stability of the dispersion system. (4) The number of overpressure and the overpressure coefficient can be used to quantitatively characterize the wall damage degree under the action of ore-rock flow. The dynamic side pressure decreases periodically in the form of exponential fluctuations, and the dynamic load formed by the ore-rock flow mainly played a role in the lower area of the ore storage section.

The chicken poultry business is becoming a crucial sector for our nation's sustainable food supply. To increase the health of chickens in coops and maybe increase the output of chicken meat and eggs, several innovations and inventions have been developed. Therefore, the creation of an automated chicken feeding device might be highly beneficial for the expansion of the poultry sector. This equipment may take the role of a worker in the chicken feeding process, solving the industry's labor shortage and introducing a semi-automatic procedure. The main processor of the automated chicken feeding system is a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. The machine consists of five main components: a Raspberry Pi with an amplifier that makes noise to draw the attention of free-range chickens, a Raspberry Pi with a pi camera that counts and detects the chickens, a Raspberry Pi with a servomotor that moves the food from storage to a container, a Raspberry Pi with a load cell that controls the number of feeds to avoid waste on foods, and a Raspberry Pi with a temperature sensor that monitors the food's freshness. This enhances the coop's atmosphere while lowering labor costs, conserving food, and ensuring that the chickens are fed on time. It also regulates the temperature sensor to ensure that the chicken food is fresh and prevents food from becoming polluted by insects and chicken excrement.

Electrical contacts are important circuit components with diverse industrial applications, and their failure can lead to multiple unwanted effects. Hence, the behavior of electrical contacts is a widely studied topic in scientific literature based on various approaches, tools, and techniques. The present study proposes a numerical modeling and simulation approach based on the Holm contact theory to study the dependence between the electric potential and the temperature within an electrical contact. Structured in 5 sections, the research was conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics software and its solid-state mechanics, electric current, and heat transfer modules in order to highlight contact behavior from mechanical, electrical and thermal points of view: the von Mises stress, contact force, the electric field amplitude, the variation of the electrical potential along the current path, the temperature gradient, and dependence of temperature along the contact elements edges were obtained by simulation and graphically represented. The results are in line with the expectations and with past research that was studied in the literature review.

Many farms are replacing the lighting with light emitting diode (LED) bulbs because of the technological modernization. We aimed to investigate the effects of incandescent light (IL) and LED lighting on Cobb500 broiler chickens for six weeks. Production parameters (body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio), calculated slaughter values (yield%, relative breast%, thigh%) and breast meat quality parameters (pH at 45 min and 24 h postmortem, color, drip loss, kitchen equipment losses, shear force, meat composition) were recorded. Non-stop recordings were used to analyze the behavior of the birds in several periods of the rearing. LED group was significantly better in body weigh parameter between week 1-5 and feed conversion ratio between week 2-3. The most significant difference in behavior was observed in the middle of the rearing period. The chickens in the LED group spent more eating time, drinking time, interacting, and resting less. There was no difference in the meat quality parameters, only shear force was significantly lower in the LED group (1781.95±0.33 g/s vs. 2098.82±0.42 g/s). Based on our results, LED lighting can bring positive changes in animal production efficiency, behavior, and important characteristics for meat consumers.

In our study, we assessed the effects of verbenone, the most widely studied bark beetle aggregation inhibitor, on saproxylic beetles of a Mediterranean pine forest in Tuscany. Verbenone pouches were devised in the laboratory and then applied to Ips sexdentatus pheromone traps so that catches could be compared to those of traps with just the bait. The trial was carried out in spring-summer 2023, collecting insect catches every two weeks. A total of 9440 beetles were collected, belonging to 32 different families and 57 species. About 80% of captures were bark beetles, mainly Orthotomicus erosus. Beetle predators accounted for about 17% of the captures, with a total of 12 species. Some of these predator species had never been studied yet in relation to verbenone effects, like other saproxylic beetles recorded in this study. A significant reduction of captures was recorded for some beetles (e.g. I. sexdentatus and O. erosus), for other species no differences emerged, and in some cases captures increased significantly when verbenone was present in the traps (i.e.. Hylurgus ligniperda, Corticeus pini, Aulonium ruficorne). The diversity of caught saproxylic beetles increased significantly in verbenone traps, highlighting possible implications of the use of verbenone when managing bark beetle outbreaks.

In this paper, we consider a fourth-order suspension bridge equation with nonlinear damping term |u_t|^m-2u_t and source term |u|^p-2u. We give necessary and sufficient condition for global existence and energy decay results without considering the relation between m and p. Moreover, when p>m, we give sufficient condition for finite time blow-up of solutions. The lower bound of the blow-up time T_max is also established. It worth to mention that our obtained results extend the recent results of Wang (J. Math. Anal. Appl., 2014) to the nonlinear damping case.

In polymer-based dental composites, wear is a three-body wear system mainly abrasive, because of the food particles and wear products suspended in the oral cavity, which are transferred to the microcavities of the surface of the replacements. Due to this fact, the incorporation of nanodiamond as reinforcement in these polymer matrix composites, which promotes the creation of a solid lubricant tribofilm surface could be advantageous. When nanodiamond is added in contents of 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 wt %, an increase in microhardness from 95 up to 420 %, compared to the one of neat BisGMA/TEGDMA, is observed. Additionally, the incorporation of a content of 1.6 wt % is enough to cause a diminution of ~78 % in the friction coefficient and a reduction of the specific wear rate and Archard’s coefficient of ~50 %. Nevertheless, the addition of relatively high contents reduces the effectiveness of photoinitiation and UV-curing, which is related to the scattering and absorption of UV radiation by ND.

The development of the chicken value chain in The Gambia has immense potentials to lead to the modernisation of agriculture and creating employment for young people and women. Chicken can be raised throughout the year in most parts of The Gambia. With increasing populations, environmental degradation and loss of rangelands, chicken is easier to producer than other livestock, such as cattle and small ruminants. The development of the chicken value chain in The Gambia is also mainly constrained at commercialisation. Commercial farmers in The Gambia are not able to compete with cheap import. Critical inputs such as day-old chicks and feed are imported. Most farms are operating below 40% capacity and only less than 4% utilisation of the available processing capacity. At full capacity and with some needed investments along the value chain, The Gambia has the capacity to meet the demand for chicken and eggs. 88% of the value chain actors believe that the imposition of tariffs on chicken imports will lead to the upward transformation of the chicken value chain being able to employ at least 10% of the Gambian population.

The Avian retina is far less known than that of mammals such as mouse and macaque, and detailed study is overdue. The chicken (Gallus gallus) has potential as a model, in part because research can build on developmental studies of the eye and nervous system. One can expect differences between bird and mammal retinas simply because whereas most mammals have three types of visual photoreceptor birds normally have six. Spectral pathways and colour vision are of particular interest, because filtering by oil droplets narrows cone spectral sensitivities and birds are probably tetrachromatic. The number of receptor inputs is reflected in the retinal circuitry. The chicken probably has four types of horizontal cell, there are at least 11 types of bipolar cell, often with bi- or tri-stratified axon terminals, and there is a high density of ganglion cells, which make complex connections in the inner plexiform layer. In addition, there is likely to be retinal specialisation, for example chicken photoreceptors and ganglion cells have separate peaks of cell density in the central and dorsal retina, which probably serve different types of behaviour.

Brazil chicken production is around 13 million tons and about a third is exported to over 150 countries, placing Brazil as the world largest chicken meat producer, and therefore it is crucial to follow the legislation of all importer markets. This study conducted a survey by chance in 45 meat industries able to export. Therefore, 2580 chicken meat samples were collected and submitted to 11 analyte extraction and chromatographic verification of compliance in an accredited laboratory. Ten chemical residues (amoxicillin, bacitracin, colistin, dinitolmide + zoalene, spectinomycin, roxarsone, tiamulin, tylosin, trenbolone acetate and virginiamycin) were investigated in chicken meat and one (halofuginone hydrobromide) in chicken liver. The results showed that no compound exceeded the maximum residue limits established by seven legislations. All residue concentrations found were below the method quantification limit, thereby confirming the capability of Brazilian chicken meat industries in complying to foreign markets.

Chickens have extensive phenotypic variation. The Wuhua yellow chicken (WHYC) is an important traditional yellow-feathered chicken in China, characterized by white tail feathers, white flight feathers, and strong disease resistance. However, the genomic basis of traits associated with WHYC is still poorly understood. In this study, whole genome resequencing was performed with an average coverage of 20.77-fold to investigate heritable variation and identify selection signals in WHYC. Reads were mapped onto the chicken reference genome (Galgal5) with a coverage of 85.95%. After quality control, 11,953,471 SNPs and 1,069,574 InDels were obtained. In addition, 41,408 structural variants and 33,278 copy number variants were found. A comparative genomic analysis of WHYC and other yellow-feathered chicken showed that selected regions were enriched in genes involved in transport and catabolism, immune system, infectious diseases, signal transduction, and signaling molecules and interaction. Several genes associated with disease resistance were identified, including IFNA, IFNB, CD86, IL18, IL11RA, VEGFC, and ATG10. Furthermore, PMEL and TYRP1 may contribute to the coloring of white feathers in WHYC. These findings improve our understanding of the genetic characteristics of WHYC and may contribute to future breed improvement.

Under the development mode of deep blending of emerging technologies, major projects are important for enhancing China's comprehensive national strength and independent innovation capability. Based on the social benefits of major projects, and considering the influence of reputation factors, an evolutionary game model composed of a general contractor and subcontractor of major projects is established. This paper studies the influence of various factors including the income distribution coefficient of collaborative innovation, and MATLAB simulation software is analyzed the influence of factors on an evolutionary path. The results show that a reasonable income distribution coefficient can promote the game behavior of both parties to the direction of active collaborative innovation; The reduction of innovation cost and the improvement of spillover technology absorption capacity can make innovation subjects tend to choose active collaborative innovation strategies. In addition, reputation loss above a specific threshold can effectively inhibit free-riding behavior and encourage innovation subjects to choose active collaborative innovation strategies. The research results provide reference for promoting major projects' technology innovation.

Two interesting compounds such as quaternary ammonium lignin(QAL) and 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (P507) were synthesized as ionic liquids(QP-ILs) for the extraction of metal ions. The extraction behavior of Co(II) and Ni(II) from chloride solution was compared between QP-ILs and P507. The results showed that the extraction rates of Co(II) and Ni(II) in the two solutions varied with the extraction conditions, but QP-ILs has stronger extractability for cobalt than P507, while Ni is on the contrary. Under the same conditions, the Co/Ni separation performance(βCo/Ni) in QP-ILs is superior to that in p507. At pH4.0, 55℃, concentration of 20%, extraction time of 10 minutes, the βCo/Ni of QP-ILs reached to 2703, while that of P507 was only 164. In conclusion, QP-ILs was more efficient than P507 for separating Co from mixed solutions.

Wood is poised to become a material of choice for future construction. When appropriately managed, it is a renewable material with unique mechanical properties. Beyond its inherent sustainability, the use of wood has a crucial role in addressing climate change concerns due a significantly lower energy consumption and emissions during manufacturing and transportation, while simultaneously acting as a carbon sink. Thus, there has been a growing demand for hardwoods for structural applications, including Castanea sativa Mill., the focal point of this investigation. Albeit in a limited capacity, Eurocode 5-2 offers friction coefficients for softwoods, but it falls short for hardwoods which it is a gap to bridge with this research. These coefficients play a critical role in numerical simulations involving friction, enabling the optimization of joints and, by extension, the overall structural integrity. Test samples were evaluated at 18% moisture content, which is typical of Service Class 2, for various orientations of timber-to-timber and timber-to-steel friction. Considering previous friction coefficients at 12% moisture content, the linear variation was evaluated at an intermediate value of 15%. The results provide an experimental database for numerical simulations and highlight the influence of moisture content on the coefficients, which increase linearly along moisture percentages.

It has not been reasonably explained still now, how the “chicken and egg relationship” between gene and protein was formed, although RNA world hypothesis was proposed to aim at explaining formation process of the relationship about 40 years ago. On the other hand, GADV hypothesis advocates that life emerged after five members of the fundamental life system; cell structure, metabolism, tRNA, genetic code and gene, were piled up one by one onto immature [GADV]-proteins, which were produced by random joining of [GADV]-amino acids on the primitive Earth. Furthermore, formation process of the first (GNC)n RNA gene encoding a mature [GADV]-protein can be also reasonably explained according to the hypothesis as follows. Double-stranded (ds)-(GNC)n RNA could be produced by complementary strand synthesis of a single-stranded (ss)-(GNC)n RNA, which was formed by random joining of GNC anticodons carried by four types of AntiC-SL tRNAs. Successively, the first (GNC)n RNA gene was generated upon maturation of an immature [GADV]-protein, which was produced through expression of codon sequence on one strand of ds-(GNC)n RNA, as accumulating necessary base substitutions and raising a weak catalytic activity of the immature protein to a more active state. It is considered that, consequently, a gene encoding a mature protein, which has the “chicken and egg relationship”, was generated for the first time. Therefore, it can be concluded that the “chicken and egg relationship” was built not by formation of either one, gene or protein, but by maturation of an immature gene, which was lead by improvement of catalytic activity of an immature protein. That is, it can be concluded that the reason, why it was unable to give an answer to the question on the formation process of the “chicken-egg relationship” thus far, is because it was an unanswered question.

A survey study was conducted to analyze the reproductive and productive performances of four indigenous chicken breeds under different rearing system. Six villages located in Eastern Cape, South Africa were used for the study from July 2017 to June 2018. Data on clutch per year (CPY), hatchability (HATCH), egg per clutch (EGC), survivability at 10-12 weeks (SURV), egg per year (EPY), recovery period (RP), average age at production (AA), duration of rearing (DR), mortality, egg laying length (EGL), natural brooding period (NBP) and natural incubating period (NIP) were obtained from Seven thousand, five hundred and thirty eight (7538) indigenous chicken. Potchefstroom Kooekok is observed to be a good egg producing breed with 15.11±0.25eggs per clutch. Venda breed possess good mothering ability (hatchability) and high survivability with 86.03±0.31days and 82.70±0.26 days respectively. Naked Neck is known to be more prone to diseases with least (survivability) 60.08±0.25days. Village was positively correlated with EGC and HATCH, EGY and SURV at p≤0.01 and p≤0.05 respectively. Rearing system was positively correlated with EGC. Rearing system was positively correlated at p≤0.05 on EGC than CPY, HATCH, EGY and SURV. Breed and village interactions were significant at p≤0.05 on RP, AA, DR, EGL, NBP and NIP. Therefore, productive and reproductive traits of indigenous chicken differ across different rearing systems, breeds and villages.

The morphological and compositional complexities of keratinized components make feathers ingenious skin appendages adapted to diverse ecological needs. Frizzling feathers, characterized by their distinct curling phenotypes, offer a unique model to explore the intricate morphogenesis in developing a keratin-based bioarchitecture over a wide range of morphospace. Here, we investigated the heterogeneous allocation of α- and β-keratins in flight feather shafts of homozygous and heterozygous frizzle chickens by analyzing the medulla-cortex integrations using quantitative morphology characterizations across scales. Our results reveal intriguing construction of frizzling feather shaft through modified medulla development, leading to a perturbed balance of the internal biomechanics and, therefore, introducing the inherent natural frizzling compared to those from wild-type chickens. We elucidate how the localized developmental suppression of the α-keratin in the medulla interferes with the growth of the hierarchical keratin organization by changing the internal stress in the frizzling feather shaft. This research not only offers insights into the morphogenetic origin of the inherent bending of frizzling feathers but also facilitates our in-depth understanding of the developmental strategies toward the diverse integuments adapted for ecological needs.

According to previous studies the median raphe region (MRR) is known to contribute significantly to social behavior. Beside serotonin, there are reports of a small population of dopaminergic neu-rons in this region. Dopamine is linked to reward and locomotion, but very little has been known about its role in the MRR. To address that, we first confirmed the presence of dopaminergic cells in the MRR of mice (immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR) and humans (RT-PCR). Next, we used chemogenetic technology in mice containing Cre enzyme under the promoter of the dopamine transporter (DAT). With the help of an adeno-associated virus, artificial receptors were expressed in the dopaminergic cells of the MRR (DAT-MRR). Four weeks later, extensive behavioral charac-terization started 30 minutes after the injection of the artificial ligand (Clozapine-N-Oxide). Stimu-lation of DAT-MRR decreased social interest without influencing aggression and with an increase in social discrimination. Additionally, inhibition of the same cells increased the friendly social be-havior during social interaction test. No behavioral changes were detected in anxiety, memory and locomotion. All in all, dopaminergic cells were present both in the mice and human MRR, and manipulation of dopaminergic neurons of the MRR elicited a specific social response.

Due to the continued deepening of today’s mining projects, there is a need to develop new or improved rockbolts that are strong and yielding and have high energy absorption when exposed to dynamic loading. Impact tests can provide useful information about the dynamic response of rockbolts but most laboratory tests involve high costs in preparation and result validation. Numerical modeling is an alternative that, in addition to complementing laboratory results, can be used to represent the process of deformation and energy absorption of support elements. In this paper the implementation and results obtained from a finite difference (FDM) numerical model are presented. The model functions as a simulation tool to illuminate all the elements that conform the large-scale (1:1) impact test and their behavior and influence on the dynamic response of a threadbar bolt (22 mm nominal diameter). The model was calibrated using published results and based on these results as well as parametric analysis, the response of each component (steel tube, grout, and bolt) could be identified and its behavior in terms of absorbed energy and displacement could be observed. Results show the model can provide important preliminary information to make design decisions about support elements design.

Taeniid infections pose a significant threat to both animal and public health, as certain tapeworms within this group can also infect humans, potentially leading to severe health conditions. Therefore, this calls for preventive and control measures, such as regular deworming of dogs. While the efficacy of deworming has been established in developed countries, there is a paucity of reported deworming practices in rural areas of developing countries, such as Tanzania. This study aims to understand determinants for helminth treatment-seeking behavior towards control of cestodial taeniid infections in rural settings in northern Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in agropastoral and pastoral areas of northern Tanzania. Comprehensive data from household surveys in selected sub-villages were collected to ascertain dog ownership, dog deworming practices, and the availability of dewormers. Analytical methods were employed to discern how various determinants influenced deworming practices among dog owners in these communities. Awareness of dewormers specifically formulated for dogs emerged as a pivotal factor affecting dog deworming practices. Dog owners who were informed about appropriate dog dewormers were nearly two times more likely to engage in deworming compared to those with limited knowledge (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.77 - 4.18, p < 0.001). A majority 32(51.6%, 95% CI: 38.7-64.3) acknowledged accessing dewormers for livestock within their wards. Praziquantel a potent dewormer on cestodes was least known to most dog owners 2(13%, 95% CI: 2.3-41.6). Praziquantel, a potent and common dewormer effective against cestodial taeniid infections, remains relatively unknown in rural areas of northern Tanzania. Therefore, more awareness on appropriate deworming agents against taeniids in dogs should be raised in rural dog-keeping communities.

The process involved in preparing driving simulator tests is a labor intensive one, and the nature of this complexity depends on the sophistication of the tests to be carried out, as well as the number of participants. Which has an impact on the duration of the research itself. The very solution of using driving simulators is a research tool that has been in use for many years and with great success. They are used in a very wide range of areas of human functioning. They replicate in a very realistic way the conditions that can occur in the external environment, offer the possibility of repetition of particular conditions and insight into certain behaviors that could be very difficult to initiate in real life. This article also describes the dis- ease of using simulators to conduct research activities, along with the workflow from assumptions to finalizing the research. An algorithm is also presented for the study of individual participants, with examples for separate research scenarios concerning driver behavior in the vicinity of pedestrian crossings.

The purpose of this study was to see how dietary supplementation with phenylpyruvate affected broiler chicken growth, slaughter performance, gut health microbiota, and immunity. A total of 288 day old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to one of four groups (6 replicates each with 12 chicken). NC (basal diet), PC (basal diet plus antibiotic virginiamycin 15ppm), LCP and HCP (basal diet plus phenylpyruvate 1kg/t and 2kg/t, respectively). Results showed that PC had higher ADFI during the first 21 days, and better FCR than the NC, the LCP and HCP also improved broilers’ FCR 0.001 and 0.037% in relation to NC respectively. HCP has a higher all-eviscerated ratio than NC and less abdominal fat than LCP. HCP has increased villus length and crypt depth in the ileum compared to the NC. Bursa was lower in HCP and thymus was lower in LCP and PC. In contrast HCP have lower pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1, as well as lower TLR4. The phenylpyruvate improved family Selenomonadaceae, genus Megamonas Bacteroides species that are known for beneficial effects like for maintenance of the cell surface structure, regulating aromatic amino acids and C. jejuni-suppressive treatment respectively. Finally, phenylpyruvate feed supplement can be utilized to improve growth performance and positively modulate gut microbiota, however this is less efficient than antibiotics in improving growth performance, although more efficient in improving productive performance and gut morphology. Moreover, high dose of phenylpyruvate is more effective than low dose

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a persistent neurodevelopment disorder frequently co-occurring with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and behavior-related disorders. While behavioral therapy is the first-line option to manage ASD core symptoms, pharmacological therapy is sometimes needed to treat acute problems, such as agitation and aggressive behaviors. Recent guidelines recommend neuroleptics to reduce psychomotor agitation in people with ASD. However, since children with ASD are often drug-resistant, alternative treatments are often justified. Reports from literature showed that intra-venous valproate (IV-VPA) can be effective in reducing agitation in psychiatric patients, with lower frequency of adverse events compared to convention-al treatments. However, since findings are occasionally inconsistent, IV-VPA is not an approved option in clinical psychiatry. We aim at improving the knowledge on the IV-VPA treatment option in emergency psychiatry in the pediatric age. Methods: We report the case of a 11-year-old boy suffering from a complex neurodevelopmental condition, who experienced a psychotic episode with severe aggressive and disruptive behaviors, successfully treated with IV-VPA. Besides, we conducted an up-dated literature review on this topic. Conclusion: In our case, first-line therapies proved to be ineffective. On the contrary, IV-VPA led to a safe and prompt clinical success, in line with other reports. Based on our literature review, IV-VPA can be highly effective and can reduce the risk of adverse events that frequently occur with the use of high-dose standard medications in emergency psychiatry.

Enteropathogens, namely Salmonella and Campylobacter, are a concern in global public health and have been attributed in numerous risk assessments to a poultry source. During the last decade a large body of research addressing this problem has been published. The literature reviewed contains review articles on certain aspects of poultry production chain, however in the past decade there hasn’t been a review on the through production chain, farm to fork, production of poultry. This review, a pool of 514 articles were selected for relevance via a systematic screening process (from >7500 original search articles). These studies identified a diversity of management and intervention strategies for the elimination or reduction of enteropathogens in poultry production. Many studies were laboratory or limited field trials with implementation in true commercial operations being problematic. Entities considering using commercial anti-enteropathogen products and interventions are advised to perform an internal validation and fit for purpose trial as Salmonella and Campylobacter serovars and biovars may have regional diversity. Future research should focus on non-chemical application within the processing plant and how synergistic through chain intervention may contribute to reducing the overall carcass burden of enteropathogen, coupled with increased consumer education on safe handling and cooking of poultry.

This paper studies the flexural behavior of the bridge deck link slabs made with the Polyvinyl Alcohol-Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites (PVA-SHCC). Tensile and flexural properties of the PVA-SHCC with four volume fractions, i.e., 0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%, were evaluated first. Next, using the similarity theory, composite models with a geometric similarity ratio of 1: 5 were designed to represent the bridge deck with the link slabs. The models considered three materials for link slabs, including concrete, cement mortar and self-compacting PVA-SHCC; and two different curing ages at 7 and 56 days. Bending tests were performed to investigate the flexural behavior of the models. Based on the fractal theory, cracking characteristics of the models with different types of link slabs were compared, and the relationship between Df and the flexural behavior of the models were studied. Numerical models were built to correlate with the results from the bending tests. It is illustrated that the flexural behavior of the self-compacting PVA-SHCC link slab is better than that of concrete and cement mortar link slabs, where the crack initiation and propagation can be postponed.

A problem of efficacy of crystal growth methods for crystallization from solution or melt has been investigated. Axial vibrational control (AVC) technique was considered as a perspective method to manage both heat-mass transfer and chemical component composition of the melts in the case of crystallization of complex chemical compounds. Numerical modeling and the search for generalized dependencies made it possible to predict the AVC parameters that provide optimal heat and mass transfer modes for creating flat liquid-solid interfaces, as well as the component composition of dissociated melts of various chemical compounds – Ge, NaNO3, CdTe.

Backyard chickens are the most popular poultry in Bangladesh due to their production potential, and income generation. However, this farming can be a factor in zoonotic disease transmission. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to biosecurity and management among backyard chicken households in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 295 households in six sub-districts of different six divisions of Bangladesh. The study used a convenient sampling technique to choose the divisions, then the districts and sub-districts. A well-structured pre-tested questionnaire was used to interview randomly selected households. In this study, most of the respondents relied on agriculture crop production (n=128) as their primary source of income, relied on scavenging for their birds’ feeding (34%), or fed their chickens whole or broken rice (32%), used tube well water (58%), used ash (38%) or sand (28%) as litter material. A significant proportion of households (40%) did not use any nest box at all. Results also showed that the most reported poultry diseases among backyard poultry farmers were Newcastle disease (49%), followed by coccidiosis (30%), fowl cholera (12%), and fowl pox (9%). In the multivariate logistic regression model, knowledge of biosecurity was associated with the household type (OR=1.4, p=0.04), knowledge of vaccination (OR=3.7, p=0.02), don’t know category (OR=4.2, p=<0.001), provision of the nest box (OR=9.5, p<0.001), training (OR=0.1, p=0.04), and air pollution (OR=0.1; p=0.04). The study found a huge knowledge gap on management and biosecurity practices present among backyard chicken farmers, which can negatively impact public health for instance in the outbreak of zoonotic diseases. Increasing farmers' biosecurity awareness through education and outreach activities could minimize the risk of disease transmission and improve both public and poultry health.

Beta-glucan-stimulated mammalian macrophages show an increased responsiveness to secondary stimulation in a nonspecific manner. This phenomenon is known as trained innate immunity. Our study aimed to explore training of primary chicken monocytes. We hypothesized that primary chicken monocytes, similar to their mammalian counterparts, can be trained with β-glucan resulting in increased responses of these cells to a secondary stimulus. Primary blood monocytes of white leghorn chickens were primary stimulated with β-glucan microparticulates (M-βG), LPS, recombinant chicken interleukin-4 (IL-4) or combinations of these components for 48 h. On day 6, the primary stimulated cells were secondary stimulated with LPS. Nitric oxide (NO) production levels were measured as an indicator of pro-inflammatory activity. In addition, the cells were analysed by flow cytometry to characterize the population of trained cells and to investigate the expression of surface markers associated with activation. After the secondary LPS stimulation, surface expression of CSF1R and the activation markers CD40 and MHC-II was higher on macrophages that were trained with a combination of M-βG and IL-4 compared to unstimulated cells. This increased expression was paralleled by enhanced NO production. In conclusion, this study showed that trained innate immunity can be induced in primary chicken monocytes with β-glucan, which is in line with previous experiments in mammalian species. Innate immune training may have potential to improve health and vaccination strategies within the poultry sector.

In this paper, carbon nanotubes modified screen-printed electrode (CNTs/SPE) was prepared and the CNTs/SPE was employed for the electrochemical determination of antioxidant substance Chlorogenic acids (CGAs). A pair of well-defined redox peak of CGA was observed at the CNTs/SPE in 0.10 mol∙L^-1 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.2) and electrode process is adsorption-controlled. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method for the determination of CGA were proposed based on the CNTs/SPE. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method exhibited linear ranges from 4.73×10^-7 to 4.45×10^-5 mol∙L^-1, the linear regression equation was Ipa(µA) = 4.1993 C (mol∙L^-1)+1.1039 (r = 0.9976) and the detection limit for CGA could reach 3.25×10^-6 mol∙L^-1. The recovery of matrine was 94.74~106.65% (RSD = 2.92%) in coffe beans. The proposed method is quick, sensitive, reliable, and can be used for the determination of CGA.

Gelatin fibers have a specific surface and high porosity, which is why their use in medicine and the food industry is being researched. This article explores the potential of centrifugal spinning to produce gelatin fibers. Gelatin for fiber preparation is obtained from a non-traditional source of collagen (chicken by-products) using a unique enzymatic process. The fiber quality is compared with those prepared from traditional collagen tissues (porcine, bovine). The results show that fibers crosslinked with glutaraldehyde vapor preserve their structure even in contact with water. Using a cross-linker controls swelling ability and solubility while maintaining the fiber structure. On the contrary, uncross-linked gelatin fibers are water soluble due to a high surface-to-volume ratio, facilitating water penetration and dissolution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided a clearer picture of the morphology of gelatin fibers obtained by centrifugal spinning. Differences in the amount of bonding depending on the raw material used and the presence of cross-linker were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The overall results showed that chicken gelatin is a suitable alternative to gelatins from traditional sources.

Human adenovirus 36 (HAdV-D36) is the only currently known infectious agent capable of promoting obesity in humans and animals, but the effects on the embryonated chicken egg (ECE) have not been described yet. In our study, we used ECEs as a model of a dynamically developing organism. The allantoic cavity and the yolk sack of ECEs was inoculated with HAdV-D36 to simulate the different routes of infection. Each day, a part of the embryos was weighed and histologically examined and compared to the controls to analyze pathological changes induced by the virus. Our study confirmed a significant increase in the ECEs body weight; however, this process was not caused by adipose tissue development, but increased cell proliferation of all tissues. We suggest that HAdV-D36 must affect the developing organisms via another mechanism inducing enhanced the ECEs growth.

Membrane processes, such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration are increasingly used for various applications in both upstream and downstream processing. Membrane-based processes play a critical role in the field of separation/purification of biotechnological products, including protein production/purification. The possibility of using membranes to separate peptides from a chicken byproduct hydrolysate and the effect of the performed downstream processing on the DPP-IV inhibitory activity of MDCR (mechanical deboning chicken residue) has been investigated. The chicken byproduct hydrolysate was prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis followed by MF, UF, NF, and RO separation. The LC-OCD analysis confirmed that NF and RO would retain the bioactive peptides in the concentrate in comparison to MF and UF. Bioactivity was correlated with molecular weight distribution profiles and average molecular weights. Permeates after ultrafiltration showed an IC50 value of 0.75 mg/mL, comparable to other potent DPP-IV inhibitors derived from various food sources, and significantly more potent compared to the microfiltration sample, which showed an IC50 value of 1.04 mg/mL. The average molecular weight of the permeates calculated from the SEC chromatograms was 883 g/mol for UF and 1437 g/mol for MF. Of the four membranes studied, the UF membrane showed the best separation properties with respect to maximizing the yield and up-concentration of the bioactive peptides. Overall, UF was demonstrated to be a feasible technology for the removal of the undesired high molecular weight substances and up-concentration of small molecular weight bioactive peptides from chicken byproduct hydrolysate.

Current commercial, pre-commercial, and experimental in ovo techniques for the sex determination of fertilised eggs employ either minimally invasive biomolecular assays (extracting fluid via a small laser-drilled window in the eggshell, for detection of genetic or hormonal biomarkers), analysis of volatile compounds emitted from the eggshell, visible imaging, and reflectance or transmission spectroscopic analysis exploiting molecular optical fluorescence, polarisation, and scattering phenomena, including various combinations of these modalities. , to date no endeavour employing the NIR and FTIR based spectroscopic techniques has resulted in a commercially sustainable solution to the egg sexing problem. Besides achieving only subpar performance in overall accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity, the least invasive of the current state-of-the-art optical methods still requires, creating a transmission window (fenestration) of 12–15 mm diameter through to the mammillae layer of the shell, proximal to the external shell membrane, which can affect the incubation or post-hatch development viability of up to 10% of incubated eggs. Multimodal solution combining Raman spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging has strong prospects to overcome the hard barriers existing before the perfection of a non-invasive in-line process for high reliability and rapid throughput for sex determination of eggs within 3 days of incubation. The method for sexing of chicken embryos needs to take a multipronged approach in collecting and analyzing spectral data that points to biomarkers using the machine learning approaches to look for nanomolar to picomolar concentrations of these in the fluid.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling has the potential to increase cervical cancer screening (CCS) and reduce the cervical cancer burden in Medically Underserved Women (MUW). However, interventions promoting self-sampling are limited. We examined the effectiveness of an intervention study in increasing CCS among MUW. We conducted a quasi-experimental intervention study. Face-to-face verbal approach was to recruit MUW (n=85, mean age 48.57±11.02) living in a small city in the US. Behavioral intervention based on reframing, reprioritizing, and reforming (3R model) was used to educate the women about CCS in a group format. The women completed pre-and post-intervention assessments and followed-up interviews. The primary outcome was CCS uptake. Mixed methods analyses were conducted using a t-test for the primary outcome, PROCESS for mediation analysis, and NVivo for interview data. Majority of women (75%) completed self-testing. High-risk HPV prevalent among the women was 11%, and of those, 57% followed-up with physicians for care. We found that the significant increase in the women’s post-intervention screening behaviors was mediated by the increase in knowledge (Indirect Effect [IE] = .1314; 95% CI, .0104, .4079) and attitude (IE = .2167; 95% CI, .0291, .6050) scores, (p&lt;0.001). Interview analyses offered further explanations (see the explanations in parenthesis) why MUW found the intervention messages acceptable (encourages proactive behavior), feasible (simple and easy to understand), and appropriate (helpful and informative). Barriers including lack of trust and fear of results were identified. The findings suggest that an intervention that combines the 3R model and self-sampling may increase CCS among MUW.

All over the world birds’ eggs are an important and valuable component of the human diet. The study aimed to compare the content of lipid components and their nutritional value as well as iron and zinc levels in chicken and quail eggs commonly available on the market. In egg lipids, unsaturated acids were dominated, especially oleic acid, the content of which was about 40% of total fatty acids (TFA). Linoleic acid was the major polyunsaturated fatty acid. Compared to other products of animal origin, eggs were characterized by favourable values of lipid quality indices, especially index of atherogenicity, thrombogenicity and hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic ratio. In the present study, no differences in the content of tested nutrients between eggs from different production methods (organic, free-range, barn, cages), as well as inter-breed differences were noticed. Cluster analysis showed that eggs enriched in n3 PUFA (according to producers’ declaration) differ from other groups of chicken eggs. However, only in eggs from one producer, the amount of EPA and DHA exceed 80 mg per 100 g, entitling to use the nutrition claim on the package. Quail eggs differed from chicken eggs in FA profile; they also had much higher iron and cholesterol levels.

Infections with multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens in food-animals threaten public health and food security. However, the epidemiology and factors associated with MDR Escherichia coli on Ugandan farms are not well known. This study investigated the prevalence, resistance patterns and factors associated with MDR E. coli carriage on chicken farms. A total of 158 E. coli strains were isolated from 158 chicken farms. The disc diffusion method for susceptibility testing was performed. Clinical breakpoints were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. MDR was defined as resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobials. MDR E. coli prevalence on chicken farms was 62.7% (95% CI: 55.0 – 70.3). High resistance was observed against ampicillin 79.8% (95% CI: 72.7–85.4), tetracycline 72.8% (95% CI: 65.2–79.2), cotrimoxazole 55.7% (95% CI: 47.8–63.3), and ciprofloxacin 38% (95% CI: 30.7–45.9). Farmers who were males (APR = 0.72, CI: 0.55, 0.93), and attained at least secondary education (APR=0.64, CI: 0.46, 0.88) and administration of recommended antibiotic doses (APR = 0.76, CI: 0.59–0.96) posed a lower risk of MDR E. coli carriage. Farms without footbaths posed a heighten risk (APR=1.48, CI: 1.16–1.88). MDR E. coli were highly prevalent on chicken farms. This study underscores the need for antimicrobial stewardship and improved infection prevention strategies on chicken farms.

Development of accelerometer-based lameness (mobility) detection has focused on cow behaviors such as lying and walking. Several studies, usually small, have reported levels of accuracy up to 91%. However, there has been limited independent replication of these results. In this study, behavior measures previously identified as being associated with lameness such as lying bouts and walking time are examined in relation to mobility score. On a research farm and a commercial farm, four trials were completed with 65 grazing cows. The cows had differing mobility scores ranging from perfect mobility to impaired mobility. Behavior was monitored using leg worn accelerometers. In general, behavior and mobility associations identified in previous studies were not found. Behavior monitoring with accelerometers as a basis to classify impaired mobility in pasture-based contexts thus remains challenging.

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious and usually causes severe illness that affects Aves all over the world, including domestic poultry. Depending on the virus's virulence, it can impact the nervous, respiratory, and digestive systems and causes up to 100% mortality. The chIFITM genes are activated in response to viral infection. The current study was conducted to quantify the mRNA of chIFITM genes in vitro in response to ND viral infection. It also examined its ability to inhibit ND virus replication in Chicken Embryo Fibroblast (CEF) cells of Aseel and Kadaknath breeds. Results from the study showed that the expression of all chIFITM genes was significantly upregulated throughout the period in the infected CEF cells of both breeds compared to uninfected CEF cells. In CEF cells of the Kadaknath breed, elevated levels of expression of the chIFITM3 gene dramatically reduced the ND viral growth and the viral load was 60% lower than in CEF cells of the Aseel breed. The expression level of the chIFITMs in Kadaknath ranged from 2.39 to 11.68 log2 folds higher than that of control CEFs, and was consistently (p<0.01) higher than Aseel CEFs. Similar to this, IFN-γ gene expresses strongly quickly and peaks at 13.9 log2 fold at 48 hpi. The result suggests that the Kadaknath chicken breed may have a higher level of disease tolerance compared to the Aseel chicken.

This study aimed to characterize the antioxidant, mechanical and physical properties of chicken skin gelatin/CMC/Centella asiatica blended film. The influence of Centella asiatica at 0.3% and 0.7% on antioxidant activities; mechanical properties and physical properties of chicken skin gelatin/CMC/Centella asiatica film were investigated. Characterization of the blended films with 0.7% Centella asiatica extract shows higher antioxidant activities with a total phenolic content of 0.36 mg/g of GAE, DPPH of 89.26%, and reducing power of 0.80 nm compared to 0.3% Centella asiatica extract. The addition of 0.3% of Centella extract provide higher value in tensile strength (5.0 × 10⁻² MPa), elongation at break (281%), melting point (131.31 °C), transparency (0.86) but lower UV-light penetration. While the addition of 0.7% Centella extract contribute to higher value in WVP (1.13 × 10⁻⁴ g m⁻¹s⁻¹Pa⁻¹) and puncture test (0.06 N). There are no significant differences between functional groups obtained from this blended film as evaluated by FTIR analysis (p > 0.05). Furthermore, XRD analysis showed the addition of extract decrease the crystallinity of film. In conclusion, the incorporation of Centella asiatica extracts on film greatly increased antioxidant levels and improved some of the mechanical and physical properties of the film blends.

The orexin/hypocretin neuropeptide family has emerged as a focal point of neuroscientific research following the discovery that this family plays a crucial role in a variety of physiological and behavioral processes. These neuropeptides serve as powerful neuromodulators, intricately shaping autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral responses across species. Notably, they serve as master regulators of vigilance and stress responses; however, their role in complex processes such as food intake, metabolism, and thermoregulation warrant further investigation. This narrative review provides a journey through the evolution of our understanding of the orexin system, from its initial discovery to the promising progress made in developing orexin derivatives. It goes beyond conventional boundaries, striving to synthesize the multifaceted activities of orexins. Special emphasis is placed on domains such as stress response, fear, anxiety, and learning, in which the authors contributed to the literature with original publications. This article demonstrates the orchestrating role of the orexins in several intricate and integrative physiological processes. It also overviews the advancement of orexin pharmacology, which has already yielded some promising successes, particularly in the treatment of sleep disorders. This interdisciplinary approach to studying neuropeptides unveils their significance as vital connectors between transient functional changes and lasting structural adaptations. Ultimately, it advances our understanding of the intricate physiological and behavioral contributions of the orexin/hypocretin neuropeptide family.

Some wind farms have implemented automated camera\textendash based monitoring systems e.g. IdentiFlight to mitigate the impact of wind turbines on protected raptors. These systems have effectuated the collection of large amounts of data that can be used to describe flight behavior in a novel way. This data uniquely provides both flight trajectories and images of individual birds throughout their flight trajectories. The aim of this study was to evaluate how this unique data could be used to create a robust quantitative behavioral analysis, that could be used to identify risk prone flight behavior and avoidance behavior thereby in the future assess collision risk. This was attained through a case study at a wind farm on the Swedish island Gotland, where golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), and red kites (Milvus milvus), were chosen as the selected bird species. The results demonstrate that flight trajectories and bird images can be used to identify high risk flight behavior and thereby also used to evaluate collision risk and avoidance behavior. This study presents a promising framework for future research, demonstrating how data from camera\textendash based monitoring systems can be utilized to quantitatively describe risk prone behavior and thereby assess collision risk and avoidance behavior.

Recently, two chicken breast fillet abnormalities, termed Wooden Breast (WB) and Spaghetti Meat (SM), have become a challenge for the chicken meat industry. The two abnormalities share some overlapping morphological features, including myofiber necrosis, intramuscular fat deposition, and collagen fibrosis, but display very different textural properties. WB has a hard, rigid surface, while the SM has a soft and stringy surface. Connective tissue is affected in both WB and SM, and accordingly, this study's objective was to investigate the major component of connective tissue, collagen. The collagen structure was compared with normal (NO) fillets using histological methods and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy and imaging. The histology analysis demonstrated an increase in the amount of connective tissue in the chicken abnormalities, particularly in the perimysium. The WB displayed a mixture of thin and thick collagen fibers, whereas the collagen fibers in SM were thinner, fewer, and shorter. For both, the collagen fibers were oriented in multiple directions. The FTIR data showed that WB contained more β-sheets than the NO and the SM fillets, whereas SM fillets expressed the lowest mature collagen fibers. This insight into the molecular changes can help to explain the underlying causes of the abnormalities.

Escherichia coli is known as one of the most important foodborne pathogens in humans, and contaminated chicken meat is an important source of foodborne infection with this bacterium. The occurrence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli (ESBL-Ec), in particular, in chicken meat is considered a global health problem. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of E. coli, with special emphasis on ESBL-Ec, along with their phenotypic antimicrobial resistance pattern in frozen chicken meat. The study also focused on the determination of ESBL-encoding genes in E. coli. A total of 113 frozen chicken meat samples were purchased from 40 outlets of nine branded supershops in five megacities in Bangladesh. Isolation and identification of E. coli were done based on cultural and biochemical properties, as well as PCR assay. The resistance pattern was determined by the disc diffusion method. ESBL-encoding genes were determined by multiplex PCR. The results showed that 76.1% of samples were positive for E. coli, of which 86% were ESBL producers. All the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Resistance to 9–11 and 12–13 antimicrobial classes was observed in 38.4% and 17.4% isolates, respectively, while only 11.6% were resistant to 3–5 classes. Possible extensive drug resistance (pXDR) was found in 2.3% of isolates. High single resistance was observed for oxytetracycline (93%) and amoxicillin (91.9%), followed by ampicillin (89.5%), trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, and pefloxacin (88.4%), and tetracycline (84.9%). Most importantly, 89.6% of isolates were resistant to carbapenems. All the isolates were positive for the blaTEM gene. However, the blaSHV and blaCTX-M-2 genes were identified in two ESBL-non producer isolates. None of the isolates carried the blaCTX-M-1 gene. This study provided evidence of the existence of MDR and pXDR ESBL-Ec in frozen chicken meat in Bangladesh, which may pose a risk to human health if the meat is not properly cooked or pickled raw only. This emphasizes the importance of the implementation of good slaughtering and processing practices by the processors.

The irregular timing and spatial variation in zoonotic arbovirus spillover from vertebrate hosts to humans and livestock present challenges to predicting their occurrence from year to year and within their broader geographic range, compromising effective prevention and control strategies. The objective of this study was to quantify effects of landscape composition and configuration and dynamic temperature and precipitation values on the 2018 spatiotemporal distribution of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) (Togaviridae, Alphavirus) and West Nile virus (WNV) (Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) sentinel chicken seroconversion in northeastern Florida using Earth Observation (EO) data and a modeling framework that incorporated joint spatial and temporal effects. We investigated environmental effects using Bernoulli generalized linear mixed effects models (GLMMs) including a site level random effect, and then added spatial random effects and spatiotemporal random effects in subsequent runs. Models were executed using integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) and a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approach in R-INLA. GLMMs that included a spatiotemporal random effect performed better relative to models that included only spatial random effects and better than non-spatial models. Results indicated strong spatiotemporal structure in seroconversion for both viruses, but EEEV exhibited more punctuated and compact structure at the beginning of the sampling season, while WNV exhibited more gradual and diffuse structure across the study area toward the end of the sampling season. Percentage of cypress/tupelo wetland land cover within 3500 m of coop sites and edge density of forest land cover within 500 m had a strong positive effect on EEEV seroconversion, while the best fitting model for WNV was the intercept only model with spatiotemporal random effects. Lagged temperature and precipitation variables included in our study did not have a strong effect on seroconversion for either virus when accounting for temporal autocorrelation, demonstrating the utility of capturing this structure to avoid Type I errors. Predictive accuracy on out-of-sample data for EEEV seroconversion demonstrates the potential to develop a temporally dynamic framework to predict arbovirus transmission.

Infections by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are continuously expanding within the community. Chicken meat is usually contaminated by MRSA, and this contaminated chicken meat is an important source of foodborne infections in humans. In this study, a cross-sectional supershop survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of MRSA in 113 domestic frozen chicken meat samples purchased from nine branded supershops available in five divisional megacities of Bangladesh. The study also focused on the determination of methicillin resistance gene in MRSA isolates. S. aureus was identified by standard culture-based and molecular methods, and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. MRSA was screened by cefoxitin disk diffusion test. Methicillin resistance gene was identified by PCR. Of samples, 54.9% were positive for S. aureus, and, of these, 37.1% isolates were identified as MRSA. All the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR): 52.2% were resistant to 6−8 antimicrobial classes, and 47.8% isolates to 9−12 classes. Three (3.2%) isolates of S. aureus were possible extensively drug resistant. The highest rates of resistance were observed against cefoxitin (100%), followed by nalidixic acid, ampicillin and oxacillin (97.7%), colistin (91.3%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and amoxicillin (87%), penicillin-G and cloxacillin (82.6%), oxytetracycline (78.3%) and cefixime (73.9%). Screening of methicillin resistance gene revealed that 43.5% isolates of MRSA were positive for mecA gene. The high prevalence of MDR MRSA in frozen chicken meat samples in this study emphasizes the need for better sanitary education of food handlers in hygienic practices focusing on their potential role as reservoirs and spreaders of MRSA.

This article conducts a bibliometric analysis focusing on the influence of globalization and technology in the academic context. Previous studies have focused on analyzing the relationship between the number of research citations and international collaboration, but no study has explored it in the scope of consumer behavior and retail. Leveraging the Scopus database, the research analyzes a significant corpus of 2,111 documents from 1971 to 2022. The findings reveal a distinct surge in academic output related to the topic of technology, reflecting a growing interest in understanding the interaction between technological factors and consumer behavior. The study also explores trends in international collaboration in publications as well as its impact on citation counts.

A more sustainable society and economy also implies a more sustainable behavior in the consumption of financial products. A possible change in focus can come from the demand side, so that more sustainable consumption of financial products have to go hand to hand with financial literacy. However, financial literacy, potential favoring of this sustainable behavior, is far from reaching an international consensus about its definition, object and scope. Two objectives are analyzed; the different interpretations of financial literacy in the academic literature, as well as its evolution and how, in what context and with what other concepts the term is used in social networks. Scientometric techniques and content analysis have been used to carry out a systematic review of literature and also NLP to analyze the comments on Social Networks. Critical moments are identified in the definition of financial literacy. Also ten sentiments are analyzed in social networks in wich positivity, trust, and anticipation predominate. Greater attention to this issue is necessary both from the private initiative and from public policies, so that financial literacy is an effective tool for a more sustainable behavior by consumers. Finally, a new definition is proposed based on our findings.

Background: Some viruses cause outbreaks which require immediate attention. Neutralizing antibodies could be developed for viral outbreak management. However, development of monoclonal antibodies is often long, laborious, and unprofitable. Here we report a Norwegian platform for development of chicken polyclonal neutralizing antibodies with powerful therapeutic potential. Methods: Layers were immunized twice with 14-day interval using purified RBD of SARS-CoV-2. Eggs were harvested 14 days after the second immunization. Polyclonal IgY antibodies were extracted. Binding of anti-RBD IgY to RBD was measured by indirect ELISA. Neutralization capacity of anti-RBD IgYs was measured in Vero-E6 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2-mCherry strain using fluorescence and cell viability assay. In addition, the effect of IgYs on the expression of SARS-CoV-2 and host cytokine genes in lungs of Syrian Golden hamsters was examined using qRT-PCR. Results: Anti-RBD IgYs efficiently bind RBD of S protein of SARS-CoV-2 in situ, neutralize the virus in vitro, and lower viral RNA amplification without significant alteration of virus-mediated immune gene expression in vivo. Conclusions: Altogether, our results indicated that chicken polyclonal IgYs can be attractive targets for pre-clinical and clinical development for rapid management of outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging viruses.

Developmental, clinical, and epidemiological research have demonstrated the salience of perceived racial discrimination (PRD) as a contributor to negative mental health outcomes in adolescence. This article summarizes secondary analyses of cross-sectional data from a large-scale youth survey within a predominantly rural state to estimate the prevalence and strength of association between PRD and serious psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and prior suicidal attempts. Data from 93,812 students enrolled in Grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 within 129 school districts across Kentucky were examined to determine prevalence rates for subgroups within the cohort. Logistic regression analyses assessed differences and established comparative strength of association among these variables for racial/ethnic subgroups. PRD was self-reported at high rates across several demographic subgroups and was most evident among Black (24.5%) and Asian (22.1%) students. Multiracial students experienced the highest rates of both SPD and suicidality. Both for the entire cohort and for each racial/ethnic subgroup, PRD was significantly associated with increased likelihood of negative mental health outcomes, although the strength of these associations varied across subgroups and developmental levels. Implications for early intervention and prevention are discussed.

The inclusion of exogenous phytase in broiler P and Ca deficient diets in response to heightened concerns over excessive P excretion into the environment over the years has remarkably been documented. However, responses among these studies have been inconsistent because of the several factors affecting P utilization. For this reason, a systematic review with meta-analysis of results from forty-one studies published from 2000 to February 2024 was evaluated to: 1) quantitatively summarize the size of phytase effect on growth performance, bone strength, and mineralization in broilers fed P and Ca deficient basal diets and 2) estimate and explore the heterogeneity of the effect sizes of outcomes using sub-group and meta-regression analyses. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s SYRCLE Risk of Bias checklists for animal studies. Additionally, applying the random-effects models, Hedges’ g effect size of supplementation with phytase was calculated using the R software to determine the standardized mean difference (SMD) at a 95% confidence interval. Sub-group analysis and meta-regression further explored heterogeneity (P_SMD ≤ 0.05, I² > 50%, n ≥ 10). The meta-analysis showed that supplemental phytase increases ADFI and BWG and reduces FCR at each time point of growth (< 0.0001). Additionally, phytase supplementation consistently increased tibia ash, P and Ca, and bone strength (< 0.0001) of broilers fed P and Ca deficient diets. Results of the subgroup and meta-regression analyses showed that age and strain of broiler, dietary P source, and duration of phytase exposure significantly influence the effect size of phytase on growth and bone parameters. In conclusion, phytase can attenuate the effect of reducing dietary available phosphorus and calcium and improve ADFI, BWG, and reduced FCR, especially when added to starter diets. It further enhances bone ash, bone mineralization, and bone-breaking strength of broilers, even though the effects of bone ash and strength can be maximized in the starter phase of growth. However, the effect sizes of phytase were related to the age and strain of the broiler, dietary P source, and duration of phytase exposure rather than the dosage.

This research is aimed to investigate the effects of Lactoplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on growth performance, oxidation resistance, immunity, as well as cecal microbiota in broilers. This work classed three hundred and sixty 1-day-old broilers as three groups randomly, including control (CON, basal diet), antibiotic (ANT, 75 mg kg-1 chlortetracycline added into basal diet), or probiotic group (LP, 5×108 CFU kg-1 Lactoplantibacillus plantarum HJLP-1 contained within basal diet). Animal were then fed for 42 days, and each group consisted of 15 broilers for 8 replicates. Compared with CON, L. plantarum supplementation significantly improved the average weight daily gain (AWDG) (P < 0.05) while reducing feed-to-gain ratio over the entire supplemental period (P < 0.05). Birds fed L. plantarum had marked lower serum ammonia and xanthine oxidase levels (P < 0.05) than those in ANT and CON. Significant improvements (P < 0.05) of superoxide dismutase, catalase, serum IgM and IgY contents in broilers fed L. plantarum were also observed when compared those in CON and ANT groups. Both L. plantarum and antibiotics decreased the pro-inflammatory factor IL-1β level significantly (P < 0.05), while only L. plantarum promoted the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 level dramatically in the serum (P < 0.05) compared with CON. The L. plantarum dramatically (P < 0.05) increased acetic acid and butyric acid concentrations in the cecal contents，when compared to those in CON and ANT. Among the differences revealed by 16S rRNA analysis, L. plantarum markedly improved the community richness of cecal microbiota. At the genus level, butyric acid-producing bacteria Ruminococcus and Lachnospiraceae were found in higher relative abundance in samples of L. plantarum treated birds. In conclusion, dietary L. plantarum supplementation promoted the growth and health of broilers, likely by inducing a shift in broiler gut microbiota toward short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria. Therefore, L. plantarum has tremendous potential as an alternative for antibiotics in poultry breeding.

Consumer, as one of the vital stakeholders of fashion supply chain, has a significant role to play to transition fashion industry into sustainable direction. From purchasing and care practice to donation and disposal, every step of their decision has impact on the environment. Various internal and external variables, including culture, custom, value, belief, norm and assumption, economy, gender, and education etc. influence forming that decision. The result of the decision not only directly impacts he environment and society, but also consumer culture and future business opportunity. This study synthesizes a wide spectrum of consumer behavior related to clothing consumption and associated environmental impact. Building on the synthesis, a holistic discussion is offered which can provide relevant behavioral guideline to consumers as well as other stakeholders.

An evanescent wave is a non-propagating wave with an imaginary wave vector. In this study, we prove that these are solutions of the tachyon-like Klein–Gordon equation, and that in the tunneling of ultrarelativistic spin-1/2 particles they describe superluminal states arising from interactions between a particle and barrier. These states decay as a particle emerges from the opposite side of a potential barrier, conserving the same initial energy but not necessarily the same mass. The obtained theory is applied to the neutrino, to explain flavor oscillations during free flight and determine the conditions that maximize the probability of their occurrence.

The financial sector, too, is developing innovative services and products that have the potential to make a more positive impact on global environmental goals. However, research sheds little light on environmental attitudes and behavioral patterns of employees in this sector. There are multiple factors promoting or inhibiting environmental behavior. Those factors may be rooted in individual or subjective norms, but also social influence and to some extent financial incentives and benefits. A survey concerning the intention to improve and actually show ‘green behavior’ was developed based on widely used acceptance models which differentiate between desirable behavior and the intention to show such behavior. Employees are predominately responsive towards environmental behavior: 20% are convinced of the need to act in a “green” and sustainable manner, only 5% are hard to win over or are not accessible at all. Financial loss or benefits combined with social motives contribute to sustainable living whereas financial benefits alone actually hinder such behavior. The study underlines the existence of a intention-behavior gap: The intention to behave sustainably is built somewhat separately from various influences. There are moderating factors like sex, age and family status that influence the decisions. This then leads to a gap between intention and actual behavior.

Angiogenesis is a process whereby new blood vessels are born from preexistent ones, which has a role in transporting oxygen and nutrients. On the other hand, inhibiting this process is a strategy used to treat some diseases, including cancers, diabetic retinopathy, and rheumatoid arthritis. This study investigates the effect of a new nutraceutical (Terasen®) on angiogenesis. Terasen® is made from a standardized extract of Euterpe oleraceae (Açaí), Myrciaria dubia (Camu-Camu), and purified oil of Bixa orellana (Annatto) and Astrocaryum aculeatum (Tucumã). The in vivo angiogenesis model used was the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) from chicken embryos. The embryos were divided into seven groups: a vehicle control treated with ethanol solution (ETH), a naïve control treated only with saline solution (SOR), a positive control treated with dexamethasone (DEX), and four groups treated with Terasen® at different concentrations (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 mg/ml). The parameters assessed were the vessels’ area, length, and amount. The results show a statistically significant and concentration-dependent inhibition of angiogenesis caused by Terasen®. Our results suggest the nutraceutical has a high antiangiogenesis potential, possibly due to its bioactive compounds, including anthocyanins, quercetin, and tocotrienols.

Partial least square (PLS) regression is a well-known chemometric method used for predictive modelling, especially in the presence of many variables. Although PLS was not initially developed as a technique for classification tasks, scientists have reportedly used this approach successfully for discrimination purposes. Whereas some non-supervised learning approaches including but not limited to PCA, and k-means clustering do well in identifying/understanding grouping and clustering patterns in multidimensional data, they are limited when the end target is discrimination, making PLS a preferable alternative. A total of fertilized 672 chicken egg hyperspectral imaging data, consisting of 336 white eggs and 336 brown eggs were used in this study. Hyperspectral images in the NIR region of 900-1700 nm wavelength range were captured prior to incubation on day 0 and on days 1-4 after incubation. Eggs were candled on incubation day 5 and broken out on day 10 to confirm fertility. While a total number of 312 and 314 eggs were found to be fertile in the brown and white egg batches respectively, total numbers of non-fertile eggs in the same set of batches were 23 and 21 respectively. Spectral information was extracted from a segmented region of interest (ROI) of each hyperspectral image and spectral transmission characteristics were obtained by averaging the spectral information. A moving-thresholding technique was implemented for discrimination based on PLS regression results on the calibration set. With true positive rates (TPR) of up to 100% obtained at selected threshold values of between 0.50-0.85 and on different days of incubation, the results indicated that the proposed PLS technique can accurately discriminate between fertile and non-fertile eggs. The adaptive PLS approach was thereby presented as suitable for handling hyperspectral imaging-based chicken egg fertility data

Economic development and population growth lead to increased production of chicken manure (CM), which is a problematic organic waste for its amount, environmental threats, and moisture content. There are different ways of CM, namely anaerobic digestion, composting, combustion, and direct land spreading. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is another emerging way, however. In this study, the HTC of CM was performed to produce energy-rich material called hydrochar (HC). The effects of HTC temperature (180, 240, 300 C) and process time (30, 90, 180 min) were summarized. Proximate and ultimate analysis, as well as heating values (HHV, LHV), have been performed both on raw CM and derived HC. Additionally, the process performance has been examined. The obtained results show that HTC is a feasible method for CM disposal and valorization. Although process time did not influence considerably fuel properties of CM, higher temperature led to significantly higher HHV, reaching 23,880.6734.56 Jg-1 at 300 C and 180 min with an improvement of 8,329 Jg-1 compared with raw CM (15,551.67 Jg-1). The process conducted at 240 C in 30 min has been specified as the most favorable, due to the highest energy gain of HC and relatively low energy consumption.

Institutional barriers can hinder effective access and utilisation of Newcastle disease vaccines among smallholder chicken farmers. Many studies have focused on formal institutional barriers with minimal focus on informal institutions - unwritten rules and regulations that govern access and utilisation of Newcastle vaccines. However, informal institutions are more profound and encultured in individuals’ daily activities. This study sought to investigate informal institutional barriers to access and utilisation of Newcastle disease vaccines among women smallholder chicken farmers in Makueni, Kenya. The cross-sectional qualitative study employed in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions as data collection methods. Study informants were conveniently and purposively sampled. Informal institutional barriers to access and utilisation included: fear of Newcastle disease vaccine as a new technology, use of herbal remedies, mistrust of community vaccinators, gender division of labour, ownership of household resources and beliefs that indigenous chickens do not need vaccines. The study concludes that women chicken farmers are constrained by unwritten rules, norms, regulations and gender roles that hinder their access to and utilisation of the Newcastle disease vaccines. The need to examine informal institutions to identify and eradicate barriers to access and utilisation of Newcastle disease vaccines by farmers is recommended.

Finding new, safe strategies to prevent and control rheumatoid arthritis is an urgent task. Of particular interest in this regard are bioactive peptides and peptide-rich protein hydrolyzates, which represent a new trend in the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. The resulting tissue hydrolyzate of the chicken embryo (CETH) has been evaluated for acute toxicity and tested against chronic arthritis induced by Freund's full adjuvant in rats. The anti-arthritic effect of CETH was studied on the 28th day of the experiment after two weeks of oral administration of CETH at doses of 60 and 120 mg/kg body weight. Arthritis was evaluated on the last day of the experiment on the injected animal paw using X-ray computerized microtomography and histopathology analysis methods. The CETH effect was compared with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium (5 mg/kg). Oral administration of CETH was accompanied by effective dose-dependent correction of morphological changes caused by the adjuvant injection. CETH had relatively high recovery effects in terms of parameters for reducing inflammatory edema, inhibition of osteolysis, prevention of osteophitosis, reduction of the inflammatory reaction of periarticular tissues, and cartilage degeneration. This study presents a potential theoretical strategy for the safe correction of this pathological process and, for the first time, shows that CETH may be a powerful potential nutraceutical agent or bioactive component of functional products in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, mask-wearing has become a widespread phenomenon. Even after the pandemic, people continue to maintain the habit of wearing masks in their daily lives. While existing research has explored how mask-wearing can influence wearers’ behavior in everyday life, its effects in the workplace have received less attention. Drawing on self-perception theory, this study examined the positive effect of mask-wearing in the workplace on wearers’ voice behavior via psychological safety. An online experiment (N = 291) using a within-subject manipulation of wearing masks supported our hypotheses. This study uncovered the psychological and behavioral consequences of mask-wearing beyond its benefits in people’s health conditions and everyday life.

Long-chain branched metallocene-catalyzed high-density polyethylenes (LCB-mHDPE) were solution blended to obtain blends with varying degrees of branching. A high molecular LCB-mHDPE was mixed with low molecular LCB-mHDPE are varying concentrations, whose rheological behavior is similar but whose molar mass and molar mass distribution is significantly different. Those blends were characterized rheologically to study the effects of concentration, molar mass distribution, and long-chain branching level of the low molecular LCB-mHDPE. Owing to the ultra-long relaxation times of the high molecular LCB-mHDPE, the blends started behaving clearly more long-chain branched than the base materials. The thermorheological complexity showed an apparent increase in the activation energies Ea determined from G’, G”, and especially δ. Ea(δ), which for LCB-mHDPE is a peak function, turned out to produce even more pronounced peaks than observed for regular LCB-mPE and also LCB-mPE with broader molar mass distribution. Thus, it is possible to estimate the molar mass distribution from the details of the thermorheological complexity.

Background: There is an upsurge in the consumption of chicken meat leading to a high influx of imported frozen chicken parts into the Ghanaian markets with little information on their microbial qualities. This study examined the microbial quality of imported frozen chicken parts from three major import countries (USA, the Netherlands and Brazil) into the Kumasi Metropolis. Methods: A total of 45 chicken meat parts of 15 thighs, wings and backs from wholesale cold stores market in the Kumasi Metropolis were randomly sampled for laboratory examinations. A ten-fold serial dilution was performed on each homogenized chicken parts to determine microbiological quality using Plate Count Agar [1], MacConkey Agar (MCA), Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) and Desoxycholate Citrate Agar (DCA) for the total viable count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC), Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp counts respectively incubated at 37oC for 48 hours. Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) was used for fungal counts. We identified bacterial and fungal isolates using appropriate laboratory and biochemical tests. Descriptive data analysis was carried using SPSS-IBM version 16. Results: Mean TVCs of 5.93, 5.98 and 6.14 log10cfu/g were recorded for frozen chicken meats from the USA, the Netherlands and Brazil respectively. Means TCCs of 6.14, 5.93 and 5.98 log10cfu/g were obtained for chicken meats from Brazil, USA and the Netherlands respectively. Staphylococcus spp. (35.4%), E. coli (26.2%), Salmonella spp. (24.6%), and Klebsiella spp. (13.8%) were isolated with Aspergillus spp (33.3%), Rhizopus spp (27.3%), Penicillin spp (24.2%), and Cladosporium spp (15.2%). Chicken thighs, backs and wings recorded 46.2%, 29.2% and 24.6% bacterial contaminants in this order. Bacterial isolates of 49.2%, 28.8% and 22.0% were recorded in frozen chicken meat products from Brazil, the Netherlands USA respectively. Conclusion: The results suggest that imported frozen chicken meats into the Ghanaian market have moderate quality with potential pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella spp.

Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has been public health risk in several countries and recent reports indicate the emergence of CRE in food animals. This study was conducted to investigate the occurrence, resistance patterns, and phylogenetic diversity of CRE E.coli from chicken. Routine bacteriology, PCR detection of E.coli species, multiplex PCR to detect carbapenemase encoding genes and phylogeny of CRE E. coli were conducted. The results show that 24.36 % (19/78) were identified as CRE based on the phenotypic identifications of which 17 were positive for the tested carabanemase genes. The majority, 57.99% (11/19) of the isolates harbored multiple carbapenemase genes. Four isolates harbored all blaNDM blaOXA, blaIMP, five and two different isolates harbored blaNDM and blaOXA, and blaOXA and blaIMP respectively. The Meropenem, Imipenem and Ertapenem MIC values for the isolates ranged from 2g/mL to ≥256g/mL. Phylogenetic grouping showed that the CRE E.coli isolates belonged to five different groups; groups A, B1, C, D and unknown. The detection of carbapenem resistant E.coli in this study shows that CRE is has become an emerging problem in farm animals, particularly, in poultry farms. This also implies the potential public health risks posed by CRE from chicken to the consumers.

This study investigates the influence of expectations and trust on farmers' decisions regarding contractual choices in land transfer. The dataset used for analysis consists of 1101 households in Guizhou Province. The research focuses on two aspects: the selection between written and oral contracts, and the decision to continue the contractual relationship. The findings reveal that farmers' choices are significantly affected by their expectations and levels of trust.Specifically, when farmers' expectations regarding the land transfer process are not met, they tend to prefer written contracts over oral ones. This preference can be attributed to the greater clarity and risk reduction offered by written contracts. On the other hand, higher levels of trust increase the likelihood of farmers continuing the land transfer contract, as trust fosters a sense of confidence and security in the ongoing relationship.Interestingly, trust also plays a moderating role. Farmers who have aligned expectations and high levels of trust are more inclined to opt for oral contracts. This preference for oral contracts can be attributed to their flexibility and emphasis on interpersonal relationships, allowing for better adaptation to the changing dynamics of land transfer.These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing farmers' decision-making processes regarding contractual choices in land transfer. They provide valuable insights for policymakers involved in land transfer, enabling them to optimize policies and facilitate farmers' decision-making processes.

Background: Different investigations have shown an association between the eating behavior of children and adolescents, and their nutritional status. The objective is to identify eating behavior patterns associated with nutritional status diagnosed by anthropometry in a sample of Spanish schoolchildren. Methods: A cross-sectional study in 283 Spanish schoolchildren (6 to 16 years old). Methods: The sample was assessed anthropometrically by Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-to height ratio (WHtR) and body fat percentage (%BF). Eating behavior was analyzed using the CEBQ "Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire" answered by parents or guardians. Results: A positive association was found between excess weight, abdominal obesity, high adiposity, lower scores in anti-intake subscales and higher scores in pro-intake subscales. These were mainly associated with lower satiety response, higher food intake, higher food enjoyment, higher eating speed, and emotional overeating. Conclusion: Our results support the usefulness of the CEBQ as an easy-to-use tool to identify eating behaviors associated with the development of childhood and adolescent obesity. Its use in future research could help to understand behavioral phenotypes in schoolchildren and guide nutrition education and obesity prevention initiatives

The persistence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken meat is a considerable public health risk and a future challenge. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Salmonella and Campyl-obacter in poultry processing lines where different chlorination techniques were used. The sam-ples were collected from four types of processing plants considering the chlorine concentration used in the chill tank, which ranged from 2 ppm to 50 ppm. Salmonella and Campylobacter were isolated from carcass washings, neck skin, and, caecal samples. Subsequently, an antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for the isolates. The results revealed the overall prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter was 78.25%, and 64% respectively. Positive percentages of Salmonella and Campylobacter were high in carcasses compared to neck skin and caeca. Carcass Campylobacter counts at higher chlorine concentrations ranging from 20 – 50 ppm was significantly low (p

Polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) plays an important role in mediating mucosal defenses, but the association between its single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and traits (such as growth and disease-resistant) in birds is scarcely known. In this research, we aimed to detect the single nucleotide polymorphisms of the pIgR gene in the chicken F2 resource population and discern the possible associations between pIgR SNPs and chicken growth, disease-resistant, respectively. Six-SNPs (3, 9, 15, 16, 19, and 21) in chicken (Gallus gallus) were significantly associated with disease-resistant in the pIgR gene (P < 0.05). The major allele genotype with SNP 9 and SNP 19 occurred more frequently with high Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) antibody rates; the major allele genotype with the SNP 3 was predominant in those with significantly lower NDV antibody rates (P < 0.05); heterozygous with the SNP 15 and SNP 21 occurred more frequently with high avian leukemia virus (ALV) antibody rates; the TT genotypes with the SNP 16 was predominant in those with low infectious bursal disease (IBD) antibody rates (P < 0.05). Besides, SNP 12 showed significant associations with body weights (BW) and shank lengths (SL) (P < 0.05). Genotyping revealed that the C allele occurred more frequently in breeds with high growth rates and the T allele was predominant in those with low growth rates at 8, 10, and 12w of age (P < 0.05). This polymorphic site may serve as a useful target for the marker assisted selection of growth and disease-resistant traits in chicken.

Chicken infectious anemia (CIA) poses a significant threat to the chicken industry in China. De-spite its non-specific symptoms, the disease is often overlooked. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the etiology and pathology of CIA in Guangxi Province, China. Three strains of the chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) were isolated from liver samples of diseased 20-week-old chickens. The complete genomes of these strains were sequenced, and experiments on specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks revealed that the GX21121 strain exhibited high virulence. Histopathological examination of the deceased chicks showed liver cell necrosis, fibrous-serous exudation, inflammatory cell infiltration, hemorrhage in liver tissues, as well as congestion in lung and renal tissues. Phylogenetic analysis of the genome revealed that the three strains had a close genetic relationship to the Heilongjiang wild-type (GenBank KY486144). The genetic evolu-tion of their VP1 genes indicated that all three CIAV isolates belonged to genotype IIIc. In sum-mary, this study demonstrated the genomic diversity of three CIAV strains in adult layer hens. The isolation and characterization of the GX21121 strain as a highly virulent isolate provide val-uable information for further investigations into the etiology, molecular epidemiology, and viral evolution of CIAV.

Malignant growth is the most widely recognized repulsive infections winning around the world, and the patients with disease are saved just when the malignant growth is distinguished at the beginning phase. Each kind of disease is interesting, with its own arrangement of development properties and hereditary changes. This paper presents the lung knob division and disease characterization by proposing an enhancement calculation. The general technique of the created approach includes four stages, such as pre-processing, division, highlight extraction, and the order. From the outset, the CT picture of the lung is taken care of to the division. When the division is done, the highlights are extricated through morphological and measurable and surface highlights like LOOP and LGP. At long last, the extricated highlights are given to the order step. Here, the characterization is done dependent on the Deep Belief Network (DBN) which is prepared by utilizing the proposed Chicken-Sine Cosine Algorithm (CSCA) which distinguish the lung tumor, giving two classes in particular, knob or non-knob. The presentation assessment of lung knob division and malignant growth grouping dependent on CSCA is figured utilizing three measurements to be specific, precision, affectability, and the explicitness.

Fat has a high energy density and excessive fatness has been recognized as a problem for egg production and the welfare of chickens. The identification of a genetic polymorphism controlling fat deposition would be helpful to select against excessive fatness in the laying hen. This study aimed to estimate genomic heritability and identify the genetic architecture of abdominal fat deposition in a population of chickens from a Dongxiang blue-shelled local breed crossbred with the White Leghorn. A genome-wide association study wase conducted on abdominal fat percentage, egg production and body weights using a sample of 1534 hens genotyped with a 600K Chicken Genotyping Array. The analysis yielded a heritability estimate of 0.19 ± 0.04 for abdominal fat percentage, 0.56 ± 0.04 for body weight at 72 weeks, 0.11 ± 0.03 for egg production and 0.24 ± 0.04 for body weight gain. The genetic correlation of abdominal fat percentage with egg production between 60 and 72 weeks of age was 0.35 ± 0.18. This implies a potential trade-off between these two traits related to allocation of resource. Strong positive genetic correlations were found between fat deposition and weight traits. A promising locus close to COL12A1 on chromosome 3, associated with abdominal fat percent, was found in the present study. The other region located around HTR2A on chromosome 1, where allele substitution was predicted to be associated with body weight gain, accounted for 2.9% of phenotypic variance. Another region located on chromosome 1, but close to SOX5, was associated with egg production. These results may be used to influence the balanced genetic selection for laying hens.

The aim of this research study was to develop hydrogels samples for using in potential biomedical applications. Hydrogels consisting of different volumes of keratin, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and starch. The keratin is derived from the chicken was the primary material on the hydrogels due to attractively for the potential wound healing application. The hydrogel samples were made by using the freeze‑thawing method, and they were examined using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosity amusement, swelling ratio and keratin release kinetic models that analyzed using (zero-order, first-order Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models). These results were indicated that feather keratin could use with formulated hydrogels suitably for controlled keratin release studies .

Hymenaea courbaril is an endangered species, promising to reforestation programs and mainly explored as a wood source. The available information concerning long-term storage methods, seed recalcitrance, parental, and substrate influence is scarce. This study focused on the seed behavior according to population origin and during one-year storage, also testing the efficiency of the low-temperature conservation. Variations between the uncertainty indexes were found to the studied populations after long-term storage. There was no significant loss of the germination potential in consequence of the prolonged storage period. Although, older seeds promoted gradually greater delayed germination. Germination speed, synchrony, and uncertainty indexes were substantially different between the -20° conservation and control. H. courbaril seeds are capable of long-term storage without losing their germination potential, indicating an orthodox behavior.

Self-consciousness can be considered as the internal disposition to direct attention to oneself. This dispositional tendency can be focused on private aspects of the self, but also on public characteristics of the individual. We examine self-consciousness in online consumer behavior. This concept has been poorly investigated in consumer research. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the influence of the dimensions of self-consciousness in consumer adoption of online shopping. This study is based on a sample of 725 Spanish undergraduates. Results indicated that public self-consciousness is a significant predictor of the adoption of online shopping.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of tea polyphenol （TP） on serum hormone, serum enzyme activity, antioxidant-related and immune-related gene expression of laying hens under heat stress. A total of 288 Chinese yellow chicken (186 days old) were randomly distributed among two treatments, each of which included 6 replicates of 24 hens. Dietary treatments were that the basal diet was supplemented with 200 mg / kg tea polyphenol. The study lasted for 7 weeks, including 1 week of adaptation and 6 weeks of the formal test. The content of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and total protein (TP) in serum significantly decreased by dietary supplementation with tea polyphenol. Dietary tea polyphenol supplementation improved serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activity and decreased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content in treatments compared to the control. However, supplementation of tea polyphenol did not affect the activity of serum catalase (CAT). The results indicated that long-term feeding of tea polyphenols help to increase the amount of hormones (FSH, E2) associated with reproduction in laying hens and thus improve egg production. It also improved the immune function of laying hens in high temperature environments. Adding tea polyphenols to the diet can significantly increase the serum IgG, IgM content of the laying hens and can upregulate the IgA content. Dietary supplementation of tea polyphenols in the laying hens significantly increased the expression of antioxidant enzyme-related genes (SOD, CAT and GPX1) in the liver. Moreover, the addition of tea polyphenols significantly increased the expression of immune-related genes (Interferon-γ (INF-γ), Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and Interleukin 4 (IL-4)) in the spleen. It is concluded that addition of tea polyphenols has a positive effect on antioxidant activity and immune function of laying hens.

Keywords: Occupational injuries; stress; injury types

We investigated the effect of C. psittaci and H9N2 coinfection on HD11 cells in vitro, expecting to find the potential pathogenesis of airsacculitis caused by co-infection of C. psittaci and H9N2. HD11 cells were infected with C. psittaci and/or H9N2 in a different order, and effects of the co-infection on iNOS expression and activity, NO synthesis, cell phagocytosis, and cytokines levels in HD11 cells were determined. Results showed that C. psittaci and H9N2 can significantly aggravate the mortality of HD11 cells compared to the effects of infection with one pathogen alone. In addition, infection with C. psittaci can increase the replication of H9N2 in HD11 cells, whereas decrease the iNOS level and enzyme activity as well as NO concentration of HD11 cells by H9N2 infection. We also found that C. psittaci infection alone can significantly decrease the phagocytosis of HD11 cells, compared to H9N2 infection alone. Furthermore, infection with C. psittaci can increase the mRNA expressions of type Th2 cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 of HD11 cells by H9N2 infection. All the above data indicated that primary C. psittaci infection is able to aggravate H9N2 invasion by down-regulating functions of HD11 cells

In this research, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of active films based on potato starch containing Viola odorata extract (VOE) were investigated both in vitro and in chicken fillets. The VOE was added to the starch film formulation at 0, 1, 2, and 3% (w/v). The results showed that by increasing the extract level, the total phenol content and antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the films against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium improved remarkability. The results of meat tests indicated significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of active films containing different levels of VOE in chicken fillets, and a direct relationship was observed between the concentration of the extract and the functional activity of the films, so with the increase in the concentration of the extract in the films, the rate of lipid oxidation and growth of microorganisms in chicken fillets decreased significantly during the storage period, and less volatile nitrogen bases, metmyoglobin, and oxidation products were produced in the fillets. In general, the results of this research demonstrated that active film based on potato starch containing VOE (especially 2 and 3% levels) has the ability to extend the oxidative and microbiological shelf life of chicken fillets during cold storage for at least eight days.

Previous evidence in support of a slowly acting (scale of 100s of seconds) and volume-transmitted component of cholinergic signaling was based largely on studies using measures of extracellular brain acetylcholine (ACh) levels which required several minutes to generate a single data point and typically employed AChEsterase inhibitors (AChEIs) to foster the measurement of ACh. Moreover, collecting such data points in correlation with relatively stable behavioral states has supported the view that extracellular ACh levels vary at a relatively slow rate. Here we argue that forebrain cholinergic signaling is exclusively phasic (milliseconds to perhaps seconds), unlikely to be volume-transmitted, and that previous neurochemical evidence and associated behavioral correlates may be re-interpreted in terms of integrated phasic cholinergic activity and specific behavioral and cognitive operations. The highly potent catalytic enzyme for ACh, AChE, limits the presence of an ambient extracellular ACh level and thus renders it unlikely that ACh influences target regions via relatively slow changes in extracellular ACh concentrations. Real-time amperometric recordings of cholinergic signaling have suggested a specific function of rapid, phasic or transient cholinergic signaling in attentional contexts. Optogenetic studies support a causal relationship between these transients on behavior. Combined electrochemical and neurophysiological recordings revealed that the powerful behavioral control by cholinergic transients involves the generation of high-frequency oscillations. Such oscillations are thought to recruit efferent circuitry to (re)activate dormant task sets. Evidence showing the impact of genetic variations of the capacity of cholinergic synapses likewise can be interpreted in terms of their impact on the ability to sustain generation of repeated phasic cholinergic signals, as opposed to effects on ambient ACh levels. Further, while notions of slowly-changing, sleep stage-associated variations in extracellular ACh levels and their functions are widely accepted, the evidence is in fact limited. An alternative hypothesis offers a role for high-frequency cholinergic transient signaling during REM sleep. By employing a theoretical framework that focuses on the phasic and causative characteristics and functions of cholinergic signaling, results from human cognitive neuroscience studies of cholinergic function may be substantially clarified and simplified. Compared to the current treatment of cholinergic deficits using AChEIs, the conceptualization of forebrain cholinergic signaling as wired, phasic, and causative predicts that drugs that either rescue transient presynaptic signaling or amplify or rescue the postsynaptic impact of phasic signals will be more efficacious in treating age- and dementia-related cognitive and cognitive-motor disorders.

Food waste is a common issue arising from grinding of food by experimental animals, leading to excessive food scraps falling into cages. In the wild, animals grind food by gnawing vegetation and seeds, potentially damaging the ecological environment. However, limited ecology studies have focused on food grinding behavior since the last century, with even fewer on rodent food grinding, particularly recently. Although food grinding function is partially understood, biological purposes remain under-investigated and driving factors unclear. This review aims to explain potential causes of animal food grinding, identify influencing factors, and discuss contexts and limitations. Specifically, we emphasize recent progress on gut microbiota significance for food grinding. Moreover, we show abnormal food grinding is determined by degree of excess normal behavior, emphasizing food grinding is not meaningless. Findings from this review promote comprehensive research on the myriad factors, multifaceted roles, and intricate evolution underlying food grinding behavior, benefiting laboratory animal husbandry and ecological environment protection, and identifying potential physiological benefits yet undiscovered.

A systematic investigation of the dynamic clustering behavior of active particles under confinement, including the effects of both particle density and active driving force is presented based on a hybrid coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. First, a series of scaling laws were derived with power relationships for the dynamic clustering time as a function of both particle density and active driving force. Notably, the average number of clusters N ̅ assembled from active particles in the simulation system exhibits a scaling relationship with clustering time t described by N ̅∝t^(-m). Simultaneously, the scaling behavior of the average cluster size S ̅ is characterized by S ̅∝t^m. Our findings reveals the presence of up to four distinct dynamic regions concerning clustering over time, with transitions contingent upon the particle density within the system. Furthermore, as the active driving force increases, the aggregation behavior also accelerates, while an increase in density of active particles induce alterations in the dynamic procession of the system.

Externalizing behavior in its more extreme form is often considered a problem to the individual, their families, teachers and society as a whole. Several brain structures have been linked to externalizing behavior and such associations may arise if the (co)development of externalizing behavior and brain structures share the same genetic and/or environmental factor(s). We assessed externalizing behavior with the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self Report, and brain volumes and white matter integrity (FA and MD) with magnetic resonance imaging in the BrainSCALE cohort, consisting of twins and their older siblings from 112 families measured longitudinally at ages 10, 13, and 18 years of the twins. Genes influenced externalizing behavior and changes therein (h2 up to 88%). More pronounced externalizing behavior was associated with higher FA (observed correlation rph up to +0.20) and lower MD (rph up to –0.20); with sizeable genetic correlations (FA ra up to +0.42; MD ra up to –0.33). Cortical gray matter (CGM; rph up to –0.20) and cerebral white matter (CWM; rph up to +0.20) volume were phenotypically but not genotypically associated with externalizing behavior. These results suggest a potential mediating role for global brain structures in the display of externalizing behavior during adolescence that are both partially explained by the influence from the same genetic factor.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is being increasingly associated with dysfunction of cognition. Dementia, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is being recognized as comorbidities of this metabolic disorder. The progressive hallmarks of this cognitive dysfunction include mild impairment of cognition and cognitive decline. Dementia and mild impairment of cognition appear in older patients primarily. Studies on risk factors, neuropathology, and brain imaging have provided important suggestions for mechanisms that lie behind the development of dementia. It is a significant challenge to understand the disease processes related to diabetes which affect the brain and lead to dementia development. The connection between Diabetes Mellitus and dysfunction of cognition has been observed in many human and animal studies that have noted mechanisms related to Diabetes Mellitus are possibly responsible for aggravating cognitive dysfunction. This article attempts to narrate the possible association between type 2 diabetes and Dementia, reviewing studies that have noted this association in vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and helping to explain the potential mechanisms behind the disease process. The Google search for ‘Diabetes Mellitus and Dementia’ was carried out. Also, the search was done using ‘Diabetes Mellitus,’ ‘Vascular Dementia,’ ‘Alzheimer’s Disease.’ The literature search was done from Google Scholar, Pubmed, Embase, ScienceDirect, and MEDLINE. Keeping in mind the increasing rate of Diabetes Mellitus, it is important to establish the type 2 diabetes effect on the brain and diseases of neurodegeneration. This narrative review aims to build awareness regarding different types of dementia and their relationship with diabetes.

Foam concrete is a highly cellularized cementitious material that undergoes extensive plastic deformation when loaded to failure. Under compression, the foam structure gets progressively crushed at a steady stress stage such that a substantial amount of energy is dissipated. Understanding foam concrete crushing behavior is of special importance for its engineering applications such as energy absorber, but the current studies are insufficient to define material properties for design of field applications. This study characterizes the crushing strength and foam modulus of samples with penetration test and resonant frequency test, respectively. A four-phase crushing behavior is observed. The yield strength and plateau strength are identified to characterize the foam crushing. Using the experimental inputs, the modulus-strength constitutive equations are then established. These findings are useful for expanding the knowledge of normal concrete to studies on foam concrete, as well as design of applications.Foam concrete is a highly cellularized cementitious material that undergoes extensive plastic deformation when loaded to failure. Under compression, the foam structure gets progressively crushed at a steady stress stage such that a substantial amount of energy is dissipated. Understanding foam concrete crushing behavior is of special importance for its engineering applications such as energy absorber, but the current studies are insufficient to define material properties for design of field applications. This study characterizes the crushing strength and foam modulus of samples with penetration test and resonant frequency test, respectively. A four-phase crushing behavior is observed. The yield strength and plateau strength are identified to characterize the foam crushing. Using the experimental inputs, the modulus-strength constitutive equations are then established. These findings are useful for expanding the knowledge of normal concrete to studies on foam concrete, as well as design of applications.

The aim of the present study is to provide new insights into the CO2 and CH4 adsorption using a set of biomass-based activated carbons obtained by physical and chemical activation of olive-stones. The adsorption behavior is analyzed by means of pure gas adsorption isotherms up to 3.2 MPa at two temperatures (303.15 and 323.15 K).The influence of the activation method on the adsorption uptake is studied in terms of both textural properties and surface chemistry. For three activated carbons the CO2 adsorption was more important than that of CH4. The chemically activation resulted in higher BET surface area and micropore volume that lead to higher adsorption for both CO2 and CH4. For methane the presence of mesopores seems to facilitate the access of the gas molecules into the micropores while for carbon dioxide, the presence of oxygen groups enhanced the adsorption capacity.

Aluminum base alloys containing chromium (Cr) and zinc (Zn) were produced using extrusion and heat treated powder metallurgy. Cr addition ranged between 5 to 10 wt. % while Zn was added in an amount between 0 to 20 wt. %. Heat treatment processes were performed during powder metallurgy process at different temperatures followed by water quenching. Similar alloys were extruded, with an extrusion ratio of 4.6 to get proper densification. Optical microscopy was used for microstructure investigations of the produced alloys. The element distribution microstructure study was carried out using the Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis method. Hardness and tensile properties of the investigated alloys have been examined. Wear resistance tests were carried out and the results were compared with these of the Al-based bulk alloys. Results showed that the aluminum base alloys containing 10wt. % Chromium and heat treated at 500°C for one hour followed by water quenching exhibited the highest wear resistance and better mechanical properties.

Personalized recommendation is an important part of ecommerce platform. In the recommendation system, the neural network is used to enhance collaborative filtering to accurately capture user preferences, so as to obtain better recommendation performance. Traditional recommendation methods focused on the results of a single user behavior, ignoring the modeling of multiple interactive behaviors of users, such as click, add to cart and purchase. Although many studies had also focused on Multi-Behavior modeling, two important challenges remained. 1)Since multiple behavioral context information was ignored, it was still a challenge to identify the multimodal relationships of behaviors. 2) Surveillance signals were still sparse. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes Two-path Multi-behavior Sequence Modeling(TP_MB). First, a two-path learning strategy is introduced to maximize the multiple interaction information of user items learned by the two paths, which effectively enhances the robustness of the model. Second, a multi-behavior dependent encoder is designed. Contextual information is obtained through behavior dependencies in the interaction of different user. In addition, three contrastive learning methods are designed, which not only obtain additional auxiliary supervision signals, but also alleviate the problem of sparse supervision signals. Extensive experiments on two real datasets demonstrate that our method outperforms state-of-the-art multi-behavior recommendation methods.

Heat stress results in significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Genetics plays an important role in chickens adapting to the warming environment. Physiological parameters, including hematochemical parameters, change in response to heat stress in chickens. To explore the genetics of heat stress resilience in chickens, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using Hy-Line Brown (HLB) layer chicks treated with either high ambient temperature or combined high temperature and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection. Hematochemical parameters were measured during three treatment phases: acute heat stress, chronic heat stress, and chronic heat stress combined with NDV infection. Significant changes in blood parameters were recorded for 11 parameters across the three treatments. The GWAS revealed 39 significant SNPs (P < 0.05) for 7 parameters, located on Gallus gallus chromosomes (GGA) 1, 3, 4, 6, 11, and 12. The significant genomic regions were further investigated to examine if the genes within the regions were associated with the corresponding traits under heat stress. A candidate gene list including genes in the identified genomic regions that were also differentially expressed in chicken tissues under heat stress was generated. Understanding the correlation between genetic variants and resilience to heat stress is an important step in improving heat tolerance in poultry.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of in ovo injection of L-arginine (L-Arg) into Ross broiler eggs at different embryonic developmental stages on their survival, hatchability, and body weight (BW). Additionally, we have analyzed the levels of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), protein expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), also we have the determined micronuclei (MN) and nuclear abnormality (NA). Results showed that survival and hatching rates as well as body weight were increased on the 14th day incubation compared to 8th and 18th day incubation at lower concentration of L-Arg. Moreover, the levels of SGOT and SGPT were also significantly (P < 0.05) increased at 14th day incubation at the same concentration (100μg/μl/egg) of injection. In addition, IgM levels were increased on the 14th day incubation compared to other days. The protein expressions of HSP-47, HSP-60, and HSP-70 in the liver were significantly down-regulated whereas the expression of myogenin and MyoD were significantly up-regulated on the 14th day after incubation in treated with all different doses such as 100μg, 1000μg and 2500μg/μl/egg namely 3T1, 3T2 and 3T3 respectively. However, the treatment with low dose of L-Arg down-regulated expression levels of those proteins on the 14th day incubation. Histopathology of liver by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) straining showed that the majority of liver damage, specifically intracytoplasmic vacuoles, were observed in 3T1, 3T2, and 3T3. The minimum dose of 100 μg/ml/egg on the 14th day of incubation significantly prevented intracytoplasmic vacuole damages. These results demonstrate that in ovo administration of L-Arg at (100μg/μl/egg) may be an effective method to increase chick BW, hatch rate, increasing muscle growth related proteins and promote the immune response through increasing IgM on the 14th day of incubation period.

Antimicrobial edible coatings could eliminate pathogen contamination risk on the surface of meat and poultry products during storage. In this study, the edible coating (EC) based on wheat gluten, Pistacia vera L. tree resin (PVR), and essential oil (EO) of PVR were applied on chicken breast fillets (CBF) by dipping method to prevent the growth of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. The samples were packed in foam trays wrapped with low-density polyethylene stretch film and stored at 8°C for 12 days to observe antimicrobial effects and sensory properties. The total bacteria count (TBC), L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhimurium were reported during the storage. All samples coated with EC containing 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2% v/v EO (ECEO) decreased microbial growth significantly compared to control samples. The growth of TBC, L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhimurium was suppressed by 4.6, 3.2, and 1.6 logs, respectively, at the end of 12 days on the samples coated by ECEO (2%) compared to uncoated controls (p&lt;0.05). Coating with ECEO (2%) also preserved appearance, smell, and general acceptance parameters better than uncoated raw chicken (p&lt;0.05) on the 5th day of storage. In grilled chicken samples, ECEO (2%) did not significantly change the sensory properties of appearance, smell, and texture but had increased taste and general acceptance scores (p&gt;0.05). So, ECEO (2%) can be a feasible and reliable alternative to preserve chicken breast fillets without affecting their sensory properties adversely during the shelf life.

Objective. Political instability, corruption, exclusive institutions et al. are some of the hypotheses backed by literature as to why some nations are more developed than others. One hypothesis which has not been intensively studied is the culpability of individual and institutional behavior and its impact on development. To examine the validity of such a hypothesis, a composite index which quantifies such development hindering behavior must be developed. The prelude to developing this index is to investigate whether such a quantitative measure exists to begin with. To achieve this objective, a bibliometric analysis of Scopus and Web of Science databases will be conducted. Method. A bibliometric and content analysis of Scopus and Web of science databases using Excel, VOSviewer, and R software. Results. The findings of the bibliometric analysis indicate the absence of such measure particularly within the scope of ‘bad behavior’, ‘unethical behavior’, and ‘development’. Conclusions. The study findings provide the greenlight to proceed with the construction of the ‘Bad Behavior Index’. Contribution. The practical contribution of this study is that it provides researchers with an improved methodology on how to conduct a bibliometric analysis to identify the absence of knowledge and provide a justification for the creation of such knowledge by integrating and analyzing two journal databases instead of one, using three mediums: Excel, VOSviewer, and R software.

This review explores the complex interrelationships between emotion, attention, and behavior, drawing upon empirical evidence from psychological, neuroscientific, and clinical studies. It delves into the neural mechanisms that underlie these interactions, with a focus on key brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Clinical cases involving stroke and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are examined to illustrate the real-world implications of these cognitive interactions. The review also discusses the impact of effective emotion regulation strategies and the role of attention as a cognitive mechanism that influences both emotion and behavior. Neuroimaging studies, particularly functional MRI, are highlighted for their role in providing a deeper understanding of these intricate relationships. The review concludes by emphasizing the importance of this triadic relationship in adaptive functioning and its broader implications for mental health, interpersonal relationships, and quality of life.

Consumption is thus fundamentally related to sustainably because every decision pertaining to what to buy, what quantity the buy, how many to consume, or how to dispose of things has a direct influence on the natural world and the generations to come, and the overall impact of every single the customer's purchase is disastrous. A framework-based systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to better comprehend the body of research on digital innovation and sustainability driving consumer behavior. This was done in order to acquire a deeper understanding of the studies that have already been done in this area. to provide (i) a comprehensive review of the current research landscape and (ii) a rich roadmap for future research. This study evaluated the literature especially in terms of theory, context, traits, and methodology. A total of 107 research articles published between 2013 and 2022 were found using scientific methods in the Scopus database. The findings showed that most research appears to have employed qualitative methodologies and was grounded in the setting of China and Italy. This review could help scholars better grasp the relationship between digital innovation and sustainability, opening the door for additional study and advancement in the field. Additionally, by extending the literature study and emphasizing the elements that can improve digital innovation and sustainability, practitioners will be given a better overall understanding of how to approach the problem.

The aim of this study was to develop sago starch-based bionanocomposite films containing TiO2 nanoparticles and Penganum harmala extract (PE) to increase the shelf life of chicken fillets. First, sago starch films containing different levels of TiO2 nanoparticles (1, 3 and 5%) and PE (5, 10 and 15%) were prepared, and the thickness, barrier properties, and antibacterial activity of the films. Then, the produced films were used for the chicken fillets packaging and the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of samples were examined during 12-day storage at 4°C. The results showed that the addition of the combination of nanoparticles and extract and increasing their levels in the films increased the antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The results also demonstrated that during the storage period, the pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and the number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria, coliforms, molds and yeasts in fillets increased (p&lt;0.05). However, coating the fillets with bionanocomposites can significantly reduce the rate of change in chemical properties and microbial growth of the samples. This sample increased the shelf life of the fillets by at least 8 days compared to the control sample.

Consumption of poultry meat is higher than red meat due to easy availability, good taste, low cost and palatability. Significant improvement in meat yield and growth rate of broiler chicken has been brought about with the help of genetic selection of desirable traits. The present study was conducted to comparatively evaluate the chronic effect of domestic and broiler chicken meat consumption on male hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis, lipid profile and oxidative stress on postnatal male rats. Rats were divided into five groups: control, B1, B2, D1 and D2 groups and were fed with 0.17g and 0.34g of broiler and domestic chicken meat from postnatal day 21 to PND90.The significant elevated body weight and weight gain in B2 group (P<0.01), minor change in B1 and D40 group (P<0.05) were detected. In gonadosomatic index absolute and relative epididymis weight, weight of seminal vesical and Prostate weight was significantly augmented in B2 compared to control and D2. Kidney and liver weight in B1, B2 was markedly elevated and minor change in D2 groups. ROS level in B2 was significantly higher than other experimental groups. Serum level of FSH, LH, testosterone, estradiol and low density lipoprotein was significantly elevated in B2 compared to control and D2. In B2 rats fed with 0.34g broiler meat exhibited a marked decreased seminiferous tubule diameter, epithelial height and increased lumen diameter changes that were more prominent compared to rats fed with 0.34g domestic chicken meat. Conclusively chronic administration of broiler meat induces marked alteration in reproductive system, testicular morphology, sexual hormones and oxidative stress in postnatal Sprague Dawley male rats compared to domestic chicken meat.