Modelling, simulations and monitoring for sustainable plant and animal production systems through precision technique

Protected crop production is a modern and innovative approach to cultivating plants in a controlled environment to optimize growth, yield, and quality. This method involves using structures such as greenhouses or tunnels to create a sheltered environment. These productive solutions are characterized by a careful regulation of variables like temperature, humidity, light, and ventilation, which collectively contribute to creating an optimal microclimate for plant growth. Heating, cooling, and ventilation systems are used to maintain optimal conditions for plant growth, regardless of external weather fluctuations. Protected crop production plays a crucial role in addressing challenges posed by climate variability, population growth, and food security. Similarly, animal husbandry involves providing adequate nutrition, housing, medical care and environmental conditions to ensure animal welfare. Then, sustainability is a critical consideration in all forms of agriculture, including protected crop and animal production. Sustainability in animal production refers to the practice of producing animal products in a way that minimizes negative impacts on the environment, promotes animal welfare, and ensures the long-term viability of the industry. Then, the research activities performed during the PhD can be inserted exactly in the field of Precision Agriculture and Livestock farming. Here the focus is on the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approach and environmental assessment applied to improve yield, resource efficiency, environmental sustainability, and cost savings. It represents a significant shift from traditional farming methods to a more technology-driven, data-driven, and environmentally conscious approach to crop and animal production. On one side, CFD is powerful and precise techniques of computer modeling and simulation of airflows and thermo-hygrometric parameters, that has been applied to optimize the growth environment of crops and the efficiency of ventilation in pig barns. On the other side, the sustainability aspect has been investigated and researched in terms of Life Cycle Assessment analyses.

Changes In Motor Behavior During Pregnancy In Rats: The Basis For A Possible Animal Model Of Restless Legs Syndrome.

Pregnant women have a 2-3 fold higher probability of developing restless legs syndrome (RLS - sleep-related movement disorders) than general population. This study aims to evaluate the behavior and locomotion of rats during pregnancy in order to verify if part of these animals exhibit some RLS-like features. We used 14 female 80-day-old Wistar rats that weighed between 200 and 250 g. The rats were distributed into control (CTRL) and pregnant (PN) groups. After a baseline evaluation of their behavior and locomotor activity in an open-field environment, the PN group was inducted into pregnancy, and their behavior and locomotor activity were evaluated on days 3, 10 and 19 of pregnancy and in the post-lactation period in parallel with the CTRL group. The serum iron and transferrin levels in the CTRL and PN groups were analyzed in blood collected after euthanasia by decapitation. There were no significant differences in the total ambulation, grooming events, fecal boli or urine pools between the CTRL and PN groups. However, the PN group exhibited fewer rearing events, increased grooming time and reduced immobilization time than the CTRL group (ANOVA, p<0.05). These results suggest that pregnant rats show behavioral and locomotor alterations similar to those observed in animal models of RLS, demonstrating to be a possible animal model of this sleep disorder.

Ocorrência, comportamento e impactos ambientais provocados pela presença de antimicrobianos veterinários em solos

Antimicrobials, among other veterinary drugs, are used worldwide in industry and agriculture to protect animal health and prevent economic loss. In recent years, they have been detected in various environmental compartments, including soil, surface and groundwater and have become a topic of research interest. Emphasizing this class of compounds, this review presents the different pathways which veterinary drugs enter in the environment, in particular contaminate soils. Also are presented regulatory aspects and guidelines, adsorption/desorption and degradation of these compounds in soils and the consequences of its dispersal in the environment.

Indicadores de bem-estar baseados em reações comportamentais de matrizes pesadas

Knowing the importance that the poultry industry represents for the Brazilian economy, this work, searched to understand and to identify new welfare pointers inherent to the animal that contributed for the increase of the productive effectiveness, studying different behavior reactions in broiler breeders, in climatic chamber. The experiment was delineated as a Latin Square 3x3x3, where the variable: temperature of air, birds ration and birds age had been controlled. The birds of different ages had been lodged in distinct boxes. Observations of the behavior of the birds in two schedules of the day had been made, being one in the morning and the other one in the afternoon, during a period of 15 minutes each through video cameras, installed in the ceiling of the climatic chamber, having no interference of human being in the register of the data. It was verified the influence of the controlled variables in diverse observed behaviors where it was concluded that the presence of food resulted in bigger occurrences of aggressiveness reactions.

Production and body composition traits of broilers in relation to breast weight evaluated by path analysis

Breast weight has great economic importance in poultry industry, and may be associated with other variables. This work aimed to estimate phenotypic correlations between performance (live body weight at 7 and 28 days, and at slaughter, and depth of the breast muscle measured by ultrasonography), carcass (eviscerated body weight and leg weight) and body composition (heart, liver and abdominal fat weight) traits in a broiler line, and quantify the direct and indirect influence of these traits on breast weight. Path analysis was used by expanding the matrix of partial correlation in coefficients which give the direct influence of one trait on another, regardless the effect of the other traits. The simultaneous maintenance of live body weight at slaughter and eviscerated body weight in the matrix of correlations might be harmful for statistical analysis involving systems of normal equations, like path analysis, due to the observed multicollinearity. The live body weight at slaughter and the depth of the breast muscle as measured by ultrasonography directly affected breast weight and were identified as the most responsible factors for the magnitude of the correlation coefficients obtained between the studied traits and breast weight. Individual pre-selection for these traits could favor an increased breast weight in the future reproducer candidates of this line if the broilers' environmental conditions and housing are maintained, since the live body weight at slaughter and the depth of breast muscle measured by ultrasonography were directly related to breast weight.

Parceria público x privada no desenvolvimento de pesquisa em melhoramento genético animal

O melhoramento genético animal é, normalmente, pesquisado e desenvolvido nas universidades e instituições públicas de pesquisa do Brasil. No entanto, os rebanhos de exploração zootécnica, verdadeiros objetivos desses estudos, pertencem à iniciativa privada. O melhoramento genético animal e as parcerias público-privadas constituem-se em um caso especial de grande sucesso, que é analisado no presente texto, com ênfase especial ao Grupo de Melhoramento Animal e Biotecnologia da Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos da Universidade de São Paulo, instituição de origem dos autores. O sucesso desse grupo, medido em atividades de pesquisa e suas conseqüentes publicações, de ensino e formação de recursos humanos e de extensão de serviços à comunidade, é apresentado como incentivo aos pesquisadores das mais diversas áreas ligadas à produção animal.

Serosurvey of selected avian pathogens in brazilian commercial Rheas (Rhea americana) and Ostriches (Struthio camelus)

Ratite farming of has expanded worldwide. Due to the intensive farming methods used by ratite producers, preventive medicine practices should be established. In this context, the surveillance and control of some avian pathogens are essential for the success of the ratite industry; however, little is known on the health status of ratites in Brazil. Therefore, the prevalence of antibodies against Newcastle Disease virus, Chlamydophila psittaci, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, and Salmonella Pullorum were evaluated in 100 serum samples collected from commercial ostriches and in 80 serum samples from commercial rheas reared in Brazil. All sampled animals were clinically healthy. The results showed that all ostriches and rheas were serologically negative to Newcastle disease virus, Chlamydophila psittaci, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, and Mycoplasma synoviae. Positive antibody responses against Salmonella Pullorum antigen were not detected in ostrich sera, but were detected in two rhea serum samples. These results can be considered as a warning as to the presence of Salmonella spp. in ratite farms. Therefore, the implementation of good health management and surveillance programs in ratite farms may contribute to improve not only animal production, but also public health conditions.

Nutraceuticals in reproduction of bulls and stallions

The industry has made available in the market a series of substances (nutraceuticals) which intent would be to optimize the use of nutrients in some metabolic paths, influencing positively reproductive performance in animals. However, the response to the use of nutraceuticals varies according to the animal. As the organism is highly complex and in order to achieve a perfect activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, an ideal interaction in molecular basis is needed, where the nutraceuticals can have their direct action. The aim of this study was to review the function and research results using the main nutraceuticals (β carotene, vitamin A, L-carnitine, omegas 3, 6 and 9 and Gamma-oryzanol) on reproductive characteristics of bulls and stallions.

Clonal relationship among atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from different animal species and humans

Forty-nine typical and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains belonging to different serotypes and isolated from humans, pets (cats and dogs), farm animals (bovines, sheep, and rabbits), and wild animals (monkeys) were investigated for virulence markers and clonal similarity by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The virulence markers analyzed revealed that atypical EPEC strains isolated from animals have the potential to cause diarrhea in humans. A close clonal relationship between human and animal isolates was found by MLST and PFGE. These results indicate that these animals act as atypical EPEC reservoirs and may represent sources of infection for humans. Since humans also act as a reservoir of atypical EPEC strains, the cycle of mutual infection of atypical EPEC between animals and humans, mainly pets and their owners, cannot be ruled out since the transmission dynamics between the reservoirs are not yet clearly understood.

Evaluation of Femtosecond Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Analysis of Animal Tissues

The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (fs-LIBS) for the determination of elements in animal tissues. Sample pellets were prepared from certified reference materials, such as liver, kidney, muscle, hepatopancreas, and oyster, after cryogenic grinding assisted homogenization. Individual samples were placed in a two-axis computer-controlled translation stage that moved in the plane orthogonal to a beam originating from a Ti:Sapphire chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) laser system operating at 800 mu and producing a train of 840 mu J and 40 fs pulses at 90 Hz. The plasma emission was coupled into the optical fiber of a high-resolution intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD)-echelle spectrometer. Time-resolved characteristics of the laser-produced plasmas showed that the best results were obtained with delay times between 80 and 120 ns. Data obtained indicate both that it is a matrix-independent sampling process and that fs-LIBS can be used for the determination of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, and P, but efforts must be made to obtain more appropriate detection limits for Al, Sr, and Zn.

Preclinical Studies with Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Different Animal Models for Muscular Dystrophy

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been widely investigated for cell-based therapy studies as an alternative source to bone marrow transplantation. Umbilical cord tissue is a rich source of MSCs with potential to derivate at least muscle, cartilage, fat, and bone cells in vitro. The possibility to replace the defective muscle cells using cell therapy is a promising approach for the treatment of progressive muscular dystrophies (PMDs), independently of the specific gene mutation. Therefore, preclinical studies in different models of muscular dystrophies are of utmost importance. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate if umbilical cord MSCs have the potential to reach and differentiate into muscle cells in vivo in two animal models of PMDs. In order to address this question we injected (1) human umbilical cord tissue (hUCT) MSCs into the caudal vein of SJL mice; (2) hUCT and canine umbilical cord vein (cUCV) MSCs intra-arterially in GRMD dogs. Our results here reported support the safety of the procedure and indicate that the injected cells could engraft in the host muscle in both animal models but could not differentiate into muscle cells. These observations may provide important information aiming future therapy for muscular dystrophies.

SOFT TISSUE INTEGRATION IN THE NECK AREA OF TITANIUM IMPLANTS - AN ANIMAL TRIAL

Dental implant materials are required to enable good apposition of bone and soft tissues. They must show sufficient resistance to chemical, physical and biological stress in the oral cavity to achieve good long-term outcomes. A critical issue is the apposition of the soft tissues, as they have provided a quasi-physiological closure of oral cavity. The present experiment was performed to study the peri-implant tissue response to non-submerged (1-stage) implant installation procedures. Two different implants types (NobelBiocare, NobelReplace (R) Tapered Groovy 4.3 x 10 mm and Replace (R) Select Tapered TiU RP 4.3 x 10 mm) were inserted into the right and left sides of 8 domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) mandibles, between canines and premolars and immediately provided with a ceramic crown. Primary implant stability was determined using ressonance frequency analysis. Soft tissue parameters were assessed: sulcus depth (SDI) and junctional epithelium (JE). Following 70 days of healing, jaw sections were processed for histology and histomorphometric examination. Undecalcified histological sections demonstrated osseointegration with direct bone contact. The soft tissue parameters revealed no significant differences between the two implant types. The peri-implant soft tissues appear to behave similarly in both implant types.

Renal denervation in an animal model of diabetes and hypertension: Impact on the autonomic nervous system and nephropathy

Background: The effects of renal denervation on cardiovascular reflexes and markers of nephropathy in diabetic-hypertensive rats have not yet been explored. Methods: Aim: To evaluate the effects of renal denervation on nephropathy development mechanisms (blood pressure, cardiovascular autonomic changes, renal GLUT2) in diabetic-hypertensive rats. Forty-one male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) similar to 250 g were injected with STZ or not; 30 days later, surgical renal denervation (RD) or sham procedure was performed; 15 days later, glycemia and albuminuria (ELISA) were evaluated. Catheters were implanted into the femoral artery to evaluate arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate variability (spectral analysis) one day later in conscious animals. Animals were killed, kidneys removed, and cortical renal GLUT2 quantified (Western blotting). Results: Higher glycemia (p < 0.05) and lower mean AP were observed in diabetics vs. nondiabetics (p < 0.05). Heart rate was higher in renal-denervated hypertensive and lower in diabetic-hypertensive rats (384.8 +/- 37, 431.3 +/- 36, 316.2 +/- 5, 363.8 +/- 12 bpm in SHR, RD-SHR, STZ-SHR and RD-STZ-SHR, respectively). Heart rate variability was higher in renal-denervated diabetic-hypertensive rats (55.75 +/- 25.21, 73.40 +/- 53.30, 148.4 +/- 93 in RD-SHR, STZ-SHR-and RD-STZ-SHR, respectively, p < 0.05), as well as the LF component of AP variability (1.62 +/- 0.9, 2.12 +/- 0.9, 7.38 +/- 6.5 in RD-SHR, STZ-SHR and RD-STZ-SHR, respectively, p < 0.05). GLUT2 renal content was higher in all groups vs. SHR. Conclusions: Renal denervation in diabetic-hypertensive rats improved previously reduced heart rate variability. The GLUT2 equally overexpressed by diabetes and renal denervation may represent a maximal derangement effect of each condition.

Fluorescence spectroscopy for the detection of tongue carcinoma - validation in an animal model

The efficacy of fluorescence spectroscopy to detect squamous cell carcinoma is evaluated in an animal model following laser excitation at 442 and 532 nm. Lesions are chemically induced with a topical DMBA application at the left lateral tongue of Golden Syrian hamsters. The animals are investigated every 2 weeks after the 4th week of induction until a total of 26 weeks. The right lateral tongue of each animal is considered as a control site (normal contralateral tissue) and the induced lesions are analyzed as a set of points covering the entire clinically detectable area. Based on fluorescence spectral differences, four indices are determined to discriminate normal and carcinoma tissues, based on intraspectral analysis. The spectral data are also analyzed using a multivariate data analysis and the results are compared with histology as the diagnostic gold standard. The best result achieved is for blue excitation using the KNN (K-nearest neighbor, a interspectral analysis) algorithm with a sensitivity of 95.7% and a specificity of 91.6%. These high indices indicate that fluorescence spectroscopy may constitute a fast noninvasive auxiliary tool for diagnostic of cancer within the oral cavity. (C) 2008 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Hybrid layer-by-layer assembly based on animal and vegetable structural materials: multilayered films of collagen and cellulose nanowhiskers

Layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly was used to combine crystalline rod-like nanoparticles obtained from a vegetable source, cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs), with collagen, the main component of skin and connective tissue found exclusively in animals. The film growth of the multilayered collagen/CNW was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy and ellipsometry measurements, whereas the film morphology and surface roughness were characterized by SEM and AFM. UV-Vis spectra showed the deposition of the same amount of collagen, 5 mg m(-2), in each dipping cycle. Ellipsometry data showed an increment in thickness with the number of layers, and the average thickness of each bilayer was found to be 8.6 nm. The multilayered bio-based nanocomposites were formed by single layers of densely packed CNWs adsorbed on top of each thin collagen layer where the hydrogen bonding between collagen amide groups and OH groups of the CNWs plays a mandatory role in the build-up of the thin films. The approach used in this work represents a potential strategy to mimic the characteristics of natural extracellular matrix (ECM) which can be used for applications in the biomedical field.