RIULS (Repository of Iași University of Life Sciences)
Not a member yet
5043 research outputs found
Sort by
Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic characterisation of rabies virus strains from Moldova and north-eastern Romania
Get PDFBackground
Rabies is the oldest fatal zoonotic disease recognised as a neglected tropical disease and is caused by an RNA virus belonging to the genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae.
Methodology/Principal findings
A deep molecular analysis was conducted on full-length nucleoprotein (N) gene and whole genome sequences of rabies virus from 37 animal brain samples collected between 2012 and 2017 to study the circulation of rabies virus (RABV) variants. The overall aim was to better understand their distribution in Moldova and north-eastern Romania. Both Sanger and high throughput sequencing on Ion Torrent and Illumina platforms were performed. Phylogenetic analysis of the RABV sequences from both Moldova and Romania revealed that all the samples (irrespective of the year of isolation and the species) belonged to a single phylogenetic group: north-eastern Europe (NEE), clustering into three assigned lineages: RO#5, RO#6 and RO#7.
Conclusions/Significance
High throughput sequencing of RABV samples from domestic and wild animals was performed for the first time for both countries, providing new insights into virus evolution and epidemiology in this less studied region, expanding our understanding of the disease
Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farming using The Cool Farm Tool
No full textClimate change is one of the greatest challenges mankind has ever faced and could lead to potentially devastating global problems, with a need for urgent mitigation and adaptation. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a major driver of climate change through its contribution to the total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The dairy sector has been identified as an important source of GHG emissions, mainly via carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). In this study, total CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions were assessed from a dairy farm (65 dairy cows) located in Romania using the Cool Farm Tool calculator (CFT). We specifically aimed to calculate: (1) the total CO2 equivalent (CO2e) and CO2e per kg FPCM (fat- and protein-corrected milk); (2) methane emissions from enteric fermentation; (3) GHGs resulting from feeding practices; (4) GHGs from manure management; and (5) a simulation of two different scenarios and their impact on GHG emissions. Our results showed annual GHG emissions of 553,170 kg CO2e, almost half of which were released through enteric fermentation. Lactating cows were the major contributor to total GHG emissions, while heifers released the lowest emissions. The two scenarios simulated in this study showed that both the changes made in dairy diet composition and livestock manure management could result in lower GHG emissions. These results confirm the importance and utility of the CFT for the quantification of GHG emissions in dairy farms and its important role as a decision support tool to guide the adoption of good agricultural practices
Comparative Analysis of Three WEEE Management Scenarios Based on LCA Methodology: Case Study in the Municipality of Iasi, Romania
No full textThe increasing consumption of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), correlated with the fast innovation pace in this field, generates a large amount of annual waste. The current established management practices cannot keep up with it, and the results are of increased significance given the negative effects on the environment and human health. Thus, the current study aimed to analyze the environmental impact of three different scenarios of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management, following population awareness campaigns regarding its collection in the Municipality of Iasi, Romania. Data processing was carried out considering Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology with the established functional unit for each scenario according to the collected amount. The results were quantified using the CML2001 and ReCiPe methods and showed that the highest environmental impact was obtained for scenario II (S2) (1.59 × 10−7 pers. equiv. using the CML2001 method and 32.7 pers. equiv. using the ReCiPe method), while the lowest for scenario I (S1) (6.42 × 10−8 pers. equiv. using the CML2001 method and 13.8 pers. equiv. using the ReCiPe method). The process with the highest contribution to the total environmental impact was the collection stage for all scenarios, with the exception of scenario S2, in which case the highest value was generated for the landfill process following the application of the ReCiPe method (39.93%). The current study provides value to a critical issue in the environmental area and supports the development of sustainable WEEE management processes
Influența materialelor plastice de tip PET și PS asupra procesului de ambalare prin termoformare a produselor lactate lichide și vâscoase
Get PDFPlastic has become a widely used material in the food packaging industry in the 21st century because it is easy to process, resistant to mechanical shocks, provides excellent protection for packaged food products, and is readily available. However, the use of plastic as a material for producing packaging intended to protect food products is a factor that generates large amounts of waste every year, which, if not properly managed, can have a significant polluting impact on the surrounding environment. Thus, the competent authorities of institutions responsible for environmental protection are constantly trying to find solutions to reduce the impact of plastic waste from the food industry on the environment, by decreasing the level of plastic pollution. One such solution is the use of more easily degradable plastic materials.
This paper proposes studying the impact of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PS (polystyrene) plastics on the thermoforming process of cup-type containers and the actual packaging of liquid and viscous dairy products
Influența tipului de substrat asupra caracterelor morfologice și ornamentale ale unor soiuri de Ipomoea batatas cultivate la ghivece
Get PDFThe aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the type of substrate on the morpho-decorative characters of three ornamental cultivars of Ipomoea batatas ('Heart Bronze', 'Black', 'Heart Lime') grown in pots. Four types of substrates were used, resulting from the mixing of various components (garden soil + peat; garden soil + peat + hydrogel; garden soil + peat + coconut fiber; garden soil + peat + coconut fiber + hydrogel). The results showed that the substrate composed of garden soil and peat favored, in all three cultivars studied, the increase in stem length and the number of leaves/plant, while in the cultivars ‘Black’ and ‘Heart Lime’, it also determined the increase in the degree of stem branching. The degree of stem branching was less influenced by the substrate, but it was dependent on the cultivar. The worst results were obtained in plants grown in a mixture composed of garden soil + peat + coconut fiber + hydrogel. Regarding the cultivars, ‘Heart Bronze’ stood out with a larger number of branches and leaves, and ‘Heart Lime’ with longer branches
Contribution to the study of fungi causing storage rot of some tree fruits
No full textPathogens can cause considerable quantitatively or qualitatively losses during storage both by degrading appearance,
taste also can be a major food safety problem for the consumer by producing mycotoxins. Thus, the knowledge and
study of the biology and morphology of the micromycetes present on fruits during storage is extremely important.
Studied biological material was taken from the natural ventilated warehouse of the horticultural farm ,,Vasile
Adamachi” from “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences (IULS), during December 2022 and March
2023 and it is represented by fruit trees as apple, pear and quince. The sampled fruits were brought to the laboratory,
sorted according to the species and the present pathological manifestations, and were prepared for the pathogens
identification. From the total of stored and analyzed fruits, was found that Monilinia fructigena fungus showed the
highest percentage of infection, by 45% followed by Penicillium spp. fungus which showed a percentage of 43%
Analysis of the Determinants of Agriculture Performance at the European Union Level
No full textIn the context of the increase in energy prices and, as a consequence, on other inputs on the global and European market, the study aims to analyze the performance of the European Union’s agriculture through the lens of the correlations and links that are established between different determinants/factors and which provide a much clearer picture of the agricultural sector than the analysis of the result/output and its contribution to GDP. The working methodology consisted in the comparative analysis of the statistical data related to the Member States and the aggregated general data for the EU 27 using the EUROSTAT data by processing them in order to achieve the proposed goal. The results indicate a high level of performance for a number of states that are not considered very important in this area and, in contrast, a lower level of performance for a number of states considered at the top of the pyramid in terms of performance. The derived indicators used and calculated within the research can represent basic elements in the fundamental analysis of the agricultural activity performance of a country and the European Union as a whole
Practices and models for monitoring and control of the microbial residue in pigs and poultry applied in Romania
Get PDFWithdrawal periods after antimicrobial treatment have been defined as preventing in meat the presence of residues
above the maximum residue limits (MRLs). However, errors can lead to residues above MRLs (Alban et al., 2023). The
aim of the study was to perform a microbial risk assessment on pork and broiler carcasses. In the European Union (EU),
the antimicrobial is prescribed by a veterinarian and the prescription contains information about the withdrawal period
needed before the animal can be sent for slaughter (EU Parliament and Council, 2019). (Background:) Study wants to
investigate the best practices applied in our country for monitoring microbial residues in pork and poultry carcasses.
Procedures are in place to help avoid delivery of milk to the dairy processor or animals to the abattoir prior to the end of
the withdrawal period. Still, residues can occasionally be present in animals sent for slaughter, with potential
consequences along the whole meat chain (Arsène et al., 2022). (Methods:) Research was based on a qualitative
analysis based on two questionnaires, one for business operators, the other to competent authority distributed to pigs
and poultry abattoirs and competent authority. A statistical method was carried out for questionnaires analysis.
(Results:) The results showed a variation in small or big facilities, abattoirs placing meat on national markets or to be
traded and exported. Two best practices models were developed equal applied for pork and poultry production