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Microorganisms’ Growth Inhibition in Poultry Meat Using Bacillus spp.
No full textMeat processing enterprises are currently seeking ways to improve the efficiency of their operations. This study aimed to assess the presence of harmful microorganisms in poultry meat treated with a probiotic complex of Bacillus spp. bacteria during storage. Of the 2,516 meat samples collected from broiler chickens across six poultry processing enterprises in the Dnipropetrovsk region over three years, 1,845 samples tested positive for pathogens. Listeria spp. were isolated in 52.7% of meat samples, S. aureus in 28.7%, P. aeruginosa – in 6.9%, E. coli in 4.2%, and Salmonella spp. in 7.5%. The next stage of the study was the infection of 10 samples of poultry meat with pathogens of test cultures (Escherichia coli UNCSM - 007, Pseudomonas aeruginosa UNCSM - 012, Staphylococcus aureus UNCSM - 017, Listeria ivanovii UNCSM - 042, Salmonella Enteritidis UNCSM - 081), followed by aerosol treatment with a probiotic complex of Bacillus spp. (1.5×108 in ml (0.5 Mac Farland) administered at a dose of 1 ml per sample with daily registration of colony growth. Following pathogen contamination and a single aerosol treatment with the probiotic complex of Bacillus spp., the growth of E. coli and S. aureus was already suppressed on the second day of meat storage. The probiotic complex of Bacillus spp. was able to displace Salmonella Enteritidis on the third day and P. aeruginosa on day 4, but the growth of L. ivanovii could be observed only on day 5. The probiotic complex of Bacillus spp. formed visible biofilms from the five strains of microorganisms and remained viable for five days, forming a dense biofilm with a high accumulation rate of 4.73 D620. A distinctly noticeable ability to form microbial biofilms within three days was observed in planktonic forms of L. ivanovii up to 2.88 D620, followed by P. aeruginosa at 2.28 D620. Low biofilm density was observed for Salmonella Enteritidis (1.77 D620) and S. aureus (1.76 D620). The probiotic complex of bacteria of the genus Bacillus spp. shows potential for use in meat processing plants to prevent the growth of harmful microbial biofilms on meat products stored under refrigeration
The Use of Machine Learning Approach to Predict Pile Capacity in Non-Cohesive Soils
No full textExisting theoretical and empirical pile design methods cannot accurately model the complex interaction between piles and soil. Consequently, there is a growing trend towards utilizing machine learning techniques to better capture the nonlinear soil-pile interaction. This paper aims to predict the capacity of bored piles in cohesionless soils using a machine learning approach. The machine learning algorithm was trained using a database of 18 bored pile cases in non-cohesive soils and validated with a separate dataset of 8 bored piles in cohesionless soil. Moreover, the performance of the machine learning method was compared with that of a traditional pile design method (i.e., SA-SPT method) in Southern Africa. The evaluation was based on the ratio of measured capacity to predicted capacity (Qm/Qp) statistics and the coefficient of determination (R2). The results showed an R2 of 0.89 for the machine learning method compared to 0.85 for the SA-SPT method, indicating the superior accuracy of the machine learning approach in predicting pile capacity
Growth Traits as Predictors of Body Weight in Sheep: A Review
No full textThe sheep production industry affects most rural areas and communal farm enterprises in the tropics and sub-tropics as a source of income. The motivation behind the present literature review was to provide detailed literature from various sources on the estimation of body weight from the growth traits of sheep. The review was conducted to highlight the importance of body weight and the significance of growth traits (heart girth, withers height, body length, sternum height, and rump height) as parameters to predict body weight. The main reason for livestock practice is to ensure food security. Therefore, it is important to assess economic traits and determine the carcass merit of sheep. Linear body measurement is a practical, fast, easy, and cheap method broadly utilized in national breeding programs to predict body weight and improve meat productivity in rural areas. The current review indicated that growth traits could be used to predict the body weight of sheep since they importantly provide necessary information about the morphological structure and potential development of the animals. Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. © The Author(s) 202
The Effects of Saturated and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Reproductive Performance and Reproductive Hormonal Changes in Dairy Cows at the Transition Period
No full textReproductive success is crucial in dairy farming as it heavily relies on the consumption of a complete mixed ration for the diet. The current study investigated the effects of adding saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to dairy cows’ diets on reproductive performance and reproductive hormones during the transition period. A total of 30 Holstein dairy cows were randomly divided into three groups (10 animals in each group), based on parity and body condition score. The cows had an initial body weight of 567.5 ± 40.3 kg (mean ± SD), a body condition score of 3.5 ± 0.26 out of 5 (mean ± SD), and a parity of 1.7 ± 0.02 (mean ± SD). The control group received a balanced ration meeting all the nutrient requirements according to the National Research Council (NRC) guidelines. The SFA group received 1.4 of dry matter (DM) as palm oil (RumiFat®), while the omega group had 5 of DM as safflower (a source of n-6 fatty acids) added from 21 days before parturition to 21 days after, and 4 of DM as flaxseed (a source of n-3 fatty acids) added from 21 to 42 days after parturition. In the Omega group, estradiol concentration significantly increased on artificial insemination (AI) day (12.54 pg/mL). Additionally, serum prostaglandin F2-alpha concentration was significantly higher in the omega group (0.732 pg/mL on day 7 and 1.68 pg/mL on day 14) compared to other groups. The control group exhibited the highest progesterone concentrations at 14 and 21 days post-calving compared to the other groups, other groups. whereas the omega group highest concentration five days after AI. The omega group also showed a significantly higher mean number of follicles >10mm and larger ovulatory follicle diameter. Moreover, a higher percentage of pregnant cows at 120 days in milk, fewer open days, and lower service per conception were observed in the omega group compared to the other groups. In conclusion, supplementing dairy cows’ diets with PUFAs during the transition period positively influenced ovarian function, hormone levels, and reproductive performance. Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. © The Author(s) 202
Pig Slaughter Operators’ Perception of Stunning Benefits: A Comparative Analysis of Electrical and Captive Bolt Effectiveness
No full textThe pre-slaughter phase, which includes stunning, aims to reduce animal stress, ensuring a more compassionate and efficient process in the meat industry. Various methods are often used in slaughtering pigs, with electrical, mechanical, and chemical stunning being the most common techniques. Several studies have shown that selecting the appropriate method requires operators to comprehensively understand the slaughter process. Therefore, this study focused on evaluating the comprehension of pig slaughter operators regarding the benefits and effectiveness of electrical and captive bolt stunning methods. A total of 17 pigs slaughtered from seven slaughterhouses were selected as samples. Data collection was carried out using questionnaires, interviews, and direct observation. The results showed that operators clearly understood the benefits of stunning in terms of speed and ease. However, their comprehension regarding pig stress reduction before death remained limited. Although captive bolt stunning was known to have various benefits, such as shortening the duration of leg movements after slaughter, it required longer operation time, compared to the electrical method. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is no ideal stunning method as both methods of electrical and captive bolt stunning have their respective advantages and disadvantages. © The Author(s) 2024. All Rights Reserved
Molecular Detection of Entamoeba spp. in Monkeys (Macaca spp.) in Babylon Province, Iraq
No full textAmoebiasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica), affecting various hosts, such as humans, birds, and pigs. This study aimed to investigate Entamoeba spp. in monkeys (Macaca spp.) diagnose them using molecular methods. A total of 33 fecal samples were collected from monkeys (Macaca spp.) aged 3-5 years in Babylon province to investigate a common and zoonotic parasitic disease. Initially, microscopic examination was conducted on all samples, and those yielding positive results were preserved for molecular study. The DNA was extracted, and conventional PCR was carried out with a pair of primers to detect the 857 bp fragment of E. histolytica SSU rRNA gene. PCR results for 19 fecal samples, previously identified as positive by the direct smear method, from monkeys in the reserves of Babylon province indicated that the presence of the SSUrRNA gene with an 857 bp was 45 in only 15 samples. Sequencing of the SSUrRNA gene revealed 98-100 similarity with E.histolytica sequences deposited in International GenBank, which have the sequence numbers OP522013, OP522014, OP522015, OP522016, OP522017, Op626161, Op626162, Op626163, Op626164, and Op626165. © The Author(s) 2024. All Rights Reserved
Carcass Characteristics and Blood Biochemical Parameters of Cobb-500 and Hubbard Chicken Strains Fed on Commercial and Farm-Formulated Diets
No full textThe limits of commercial diets, their quality, and their rising costs are some of the major challenges to broiler production in Ethiopia. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate carcass yield characteristics and blood biochemical parameters of Cobb-500 and Hubbard chicken strains fed on farm-formulated diets (T1) and three different commercial diets (T2, T3, and T4). A total of 384 mixed-sex day-old chicks (192 per strain) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with four replicates, each consisting of 12 broilers. The experiment was set up as a 2 × 4 factorial design, providing each strain with four diets in a completely randomized design. After 42 days of the experiment, one male and one female of each strain from each pen (eight birds per treatment) were slaughtered for carcass yield and hematological analysis. Although diets had a significant impact on live body weight, feed conversion ratio, and feed consumption among the study treatments, they had no significant effect on the mortality rate of the broilers as a whole. There was a significant effect of strains on the weight of eviscerate, dress, thigh, drumstick, breast, neck, back, and eviscerate yield percentage, with Cobb 500 showing higher values than Hubbard broilers. The farm-formulated diet (T1) significantly increased the weight of non-edible offal compared to the commercial diets, except for the weight of crops and lungs, which were similar to those in commercial diet group T4. The Hubbard strain showed a higher least square mean for packed cell volume than the Cobb-500 strain. Sex was found to have no significant impact on the hematological parameters. The farm-formulated diet (T1) also resulted in a higher marginal return rate than that of the commercial diet (T3) in the Cobb-500 strain. These findings suggest that locally sourced farm-formulated diets could be a viable alternative to commercial diets for broiler chickens in the study area
Effects of Resampled DEM on Watershed Characteristics and Prediction of Sediment Load in Oyun Watershed, Kwara, Nigeria
No full textUnderstanding the terrain and its impact on watershed characteristics, streamflow, and sediment loading is crucial for effective water resource management. This study investigates the influence of resampled Digital Elevation Models (DEM) on the prediction of watershed characteristics, streamflow, and sediment loading upstream of Oyun River Watershed, Nigeria. Various DEM resolutions, ranging from 30-meter to 90-meter, were analysed to assess their effects on hydrological predictions. To delineate the watershed, a DEM of 90-meter resolution was sourced from the space Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and the ASTER global DEM data sources. The 90-meter resolution was resampled to four different resolutions which are 75-meter, 60-meter, 45-meter, and 30-meter resolutions. The watershed and streamline were delineated, and the hydrologic simulation was performed using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The research findings revealed that changes in DEM resolution had a negligible impact on streamflow predictions within the Oyun River Watershed. However, a noticeable impact was observed in the prediction of sediment concentration. The 90-meter resolution DEM yielded the lowest predicted sediment concentration, measuring 2.28 mg/l, while the 30-meter resampled DEM produced the highest value at 5.21mg/l. Similarly, the sediment yield (SYLD t/ha) exhibited considerable variation across the different DEM resolutions, with the 90-meter DEM demonstrating the lowest value of approximately 528.90 t/ha, and the 30-meter DEM registering the highest at 2145.57 t/ha. Overall, this research highlights the necessity of careful DEM selection in hydrological modelling to ensure a comprehensive understanding of watershed dynamics, particularly in regions where sediment transport and water quality are of paramount concern
Stakeholders Influence on Construction Project Success
No full textFor the past decade Botswana’s construction industry has been embroiled in a lot of controversies based on construction project constraints. These are characterized by construction project delays, budget overruns as well as scope creep and some of these construction projects have been deemed unsuccessful by different stakeholders. To find a mitigating factor for these problems, construction project constraints must be investigated beyond just the triple constraints to provide a solution for the Botswana construction industry. Therefore, the overall purpose of this study was to investigate how construction project constraints and stakeholders influence the outcome of a project. The study adopted a qualitative approach through face-to-face interviews with selected stakeholders such construction professionals, clients and other beneficiaries in the Gaborone and greater Gaborone areas. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The findings of the study established that the success of a construction project is subjective and is based on who is being asked, the construction professionals, the client and other beneficiaries had different perspectives on success of a project. The study revealed that initial constraints in a construction project tend to be carried along to the final stages of a construction project. However new few construction project constraints also emerge at the final stages of a construction project. The study found that stakeholders such as the client and other beneficiaries have a significant impact on construction projects due to their influence both positive and negative depending on the level of engagement
Flexible Vegetation Behavior under Varying Areal Densities and Effects on Flow Structures: Numerical Observations
No full textThis study carried out extensive numerical studies on a refined “One dimensional (1-D) Reynolds Averaging Navier-Stokes (RANS) Model” for vegetated open channel flow. In the 1-D RANS model, the Spalart Allmaras closure model was used to model the turbulence caused by eddies within the vegetation zone and the interface between the top of the vegetation and the clear water zone. In this work, numerical simulations using 1-D RANS model are carried out using dataset obtained from the laboratory under different hydraulic conditions of varying areal vegetation densities. Three classes of highly flexible vegetation densities were simulated: low, medium and highly dense vegetation. The model predictions in terms of mean vertical stream-wise velocity profile and Reynolds Shear Stresses were compared with the laboratory flume experimental results. The 1-D RANS model performances were satisfactory for low and medium densities. However, discrepancies were seen in the model prediction for highly dense vegetation. Hence, the hydraulic roughness parameters in the numerical model has been modified for model re-calibration to capture the position of zero-displacement of velocities. Using the modified parameters, the velocity profiles and the Reynolds Shear Stresses were predicted with very low uncertainty