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Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete in Construction: A Review of Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects
No full textIn this study, the material compliterosition, mechanical strength (tensile strength, bending strength), alkali strength and durability properties of glass fiber reinforced concrete (GRC) and its sustainable place in construction technologies are evaluated based on a review of the literature. GRC is a composite material that stands out with its high mechanical performance, which is widely used especially in facade elements. In the research, it has been found that glass fibers positively affect the mechanical performance (tensile strength, bending strength)Â of concrete by preventing the formation of cracks in its microstructure, and its resistance to aging and environmental factors increases with pozzolanic and nanomaterial additives. In addition, the effects of fiber type, fiber content and fiber dimensions on GRC performance were compared; the gains achieved in both environmental sustainability and mechanical properties through the use of recycled materials and waste materials were emphasized. Experimental and theoretical studies in the literature have shown the increasing importance of GRC in the modern construction sector
A Holistic Approach to Bovine Brucellosis: Serological Tests, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Evaluation, and Risk Factor Identification on Dairy Farms of Ethiopia
No full textBrucellosis, a contagious bacterial disease affecting animals globally presents a substantial zoonotic risk that is frequently underestimated, hinders animal trade, and endangers livestock and human health. The present study was conducted from November 2023 to June 2024 in Central and North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. The current cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of brucellosis and to explore the related knowledge, attitudes, and practices within the specified region. A total of 384 serum samples were collected via random sampling from 20 dairy farms located in Ethiopia. Both local and cross-breed samples screened using the Rose Bengal Plate test and confirmed through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis for both tests was 17.71% overall, with 9.62% for Central Gondar and 27.27% for North Gondar. Extensive farms exhibited notably higher odds of brucellosis compared to intensive farms, with unadjusted crude odds ratios of 3.01 and adjusted odds ratios of 2.37, respectively. Medium-sized herds also demonstrated increased odds in the multivariate analysis compared with small herds. Young respondents displayed the highest awareness levels, followed by adults and older individuals, with statistically significant differences observed across all categories. Regarding a semi-structured survey from 150 farmers on the association between sociodemographic data and knowledge, females exhibited higher awareness levels, with 117 (80.14%) responding positively. Young respondents showed a higher positive response rate of 58% compared to adults (52.7%) and the elderly (36.54%). In conclusion, these results emphasize the need for comprehensive strategies to address the factors influencing bovine brucellosis prevalence and respondent awareness
Effects of Hygiene on Milk Quality and Milking Practices of Small Andean Herds during the Rainy Season
No full textDairy production in the Peruvian Andes is mainly based on small herds. However, there is little information on how hygiene affects milk quality during the rainy season. The study's objective was to evaluate the hygienic factors of milk and milking practices during the rainy season in small herds located at two high Andean altitudinal levels. The characteristics of the factors related to the milking process were recorded using an observation guide, and 108 raw milk samples were collected from 18 herds with Brown Swiss cows at two altitude levels. Samples were obtained from the milk collection containers and milk. The results showed that 56.5% of the samples analyzed were unhygienic, with no significant differences in bacterial counts between altitudinal levels. However, a strong correlation was identified between precipitation and the presence of coliforms (0.726) and mesophilic aerobes (0.861). Factors such as milking location, hand washing, and use of cleaning agents were associated with microbial contamination, acquiring odds ratios (OR) of 4.04, 5.26, and 4.71, respectively, during the months of heavy rain. The study concludes that the hygienic quality of milk in small high Andean herds significantly deteriorates during the rainy season, with counts of total coliform bacteria and mesophilic aerobes exceeding recommended levels, particularly during peak rainfalls. This finding highlights a direct relationship between the intensity of rainfall and the quality of milk, underscoring the need for improved milking practices in the rainy season to ensure the safety of the products
The Alternatives of Antibiotics in Poultry Production for Reducing Antimicrobial Resistance
No full textAntibiotics are natural, semi-synthetic, or chemical compounds that have anti-microbial activity and are used in livestock and poultry production for a variety of reasons, including therapeutic and growth promotion. The use of antibiotics in poultry production has been associated with the development of resistant bacteria. The present study attempted to explain the role of antibiotics as poultry growth promoters, bacterial resistance, and risks for human health, with a special focus on some selected bacterial species isolated from poultry farms and products. Furthermore, the manuscript reviewed the literature on alternative feed additives to reduce the reliance on antibiotics. Microbial resistance is a significant global health concern that has been a top global threat in the 21st century. The use of antibiotics in poultry production as non-therapeutic or growth promoters is at low doses and continuously, associated with developing resistant bacteria. Meanwhile, antibiotic-resistant genes in humans may have their roots in the diets of animals treated with antibiotics. Developing bacterial resistance has encouraged researchers to reduce the reliance on antibiotics by identifying potential feed additives, such as essential oils, bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides, probiotics, prebiotics, organic acid, and enzymes that improve the immune system functions, reduce morbidity and mortality, improve the growth performances of poultry, and preserve consumer health. 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
Protein Concentration, Anthelmintic Activity, and Microbial Contamination of the Laboratory-Produced Chitosan-Encapsulated Bromelain Batches
No full textBromelain has been shown to have potential as an anthelmintic for controlling livestock nematodes, such as Haemonchus (H.) contortus. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro quality of the laboratory-produced nanoencapsulated bromelain (NEB) and its activity against H. contortus. The acid-base extraction method was employed to extract four different batches of bromelain from the peels of fully ripened pineapples. It was encapsulated in chitosan to form the nano-encapsulated bromelain complex. Standard biochemical methods were employed to determine the bromelain concentration, protein concentration, in vitro anthelmintic activity against various stages of H. contortus (egg, larva, adult), and bacteria contamination for the four NEB batches. The mean concentration of extracted bromelain was 4.3 mg/ml in all four batches. There were no variations in the protein concentrations between the batches of NEB, which ranged from 1, 090 mg/ml to 1.205 mg/ml. Although there were no significant differences in different batches, a variation in NEB inhibitory concentration (IC50) was observed according to the different parasitic stages. The highest activity was for adult worms (LC50 =0.2454 ± 0.05 mg/ml), followed by the eggs (IC50 = 0.3 ± 0.07 mg/ml), and the larval stage (IC50 =0.9 ± 0.45 mg/ml). Despite the identification of certain bacterial species in the raw pineapple extract, the final product of all four batches of NEB remained free from any bacterial contamination. The current study indicated that NEB’s concentration, protein concentrations, and anthelmintic activity did not vary significantly across the different batches of NEB. Additionally, the encapsulation process ensured that the final product was free of bacterial contamination and thus safe for use in 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
Determining the Ideal Temperature and Fermentation Duration to Enhance Crude Protein Content and Reduce Crude Fiber in Rice Bran Using Solid-State Fermentation with Aspergillus niger (USM F4)
No full textSolid-state fermentation (SSF) offers a sustainable method for enhancing the nutritional quality of agricultural residues such as red rice bran. This study aimed to determine the optimal temperature and duration for SSF of red rice bran, focusing specifically on increasing the crude protein (CP) content and reducing the crude fiber (CF) content. SFF of rice bran with Aspergillus niger (A. niger) USM F4 was conducted over 14 consecutive days at three different temperatures (25°C, 35°C, and 45°C). A total of 63 samples of rice bran were divided into three temperature groups, each containing 21 samples. Three samples per group were collected at 48-hour intervals over the 14-day fermentation period. The fermentation process for the collected samples at 48-hour intervals was halted by oven drying at 60°C for 24 hours. The fermented products were subjected to proximate analysis for crude protein (CP), ash, ether extract (EE), and crude fiber (CF) contents using the methods outlined by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The results revealed a significant effect of temperature and fermentation duration on CP, ash, EE, and CF content when compared to the unfermented rice bran kept at room temperature (25oC). The peak values of CP and the highest degradation of CF across all temperature levels were observed on day 10 while the maximum increase in ash and EE content occurred on day 8. Among the temperature conditions, the highest CP values and the lowest CF values were recorded at 35°C. Conversely, the lowest improvements in CP and CF degradation were observed at 25°C on day 10. In conclusion, the optimal conditions for SSF of rice bran with A. niger to enhance CP content and degrade CF are a temperature of 35°C and a fermentation duration of 10 days
Effect of Leucaena leucocephala-based multi-nutrient lick blocks on the feed intake and growth performance of buffaloes
No full textRuminant production in the Philippines is often hindered by limited access to high-quality feed, leading to suboptimal animal growth and productivity. To address these challenges, this study evaluated the locally made multi-nutrient lick block (MNLB) containing ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala), a legume known for its nutritional value. A 30-day palatability test was conducted to assess the acceptability of the developed MNLB, using 5 male buffaloes with an average weight of 245 ± 5 kg. Additionally, a 90-day- feeding trial was carried out using 15 growing buffaloes (average age: 13.5 months, weight: 243.83 ± 5 kg), randomly assigned to three treatment groups: T1 or control (non-supplemented), T2 or commercial mineral block, and T3 or MNLB, to evaluate the growth performance, nutrient utilization, and economic viability of the legume-based MNLB. Results demonstrated that the MNLB was palatable to the animals, with an average daily consumption of 192.10 g/animal/day, providing adequate nutritional value to meet the buffaloes' daily requirements. Moreover, MNLB supplementation significantly enhanced dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) intake compared to control and commercial mineral block groups. The average DM intake for T3 was 9.88 kg, and the average CP intake was 1006 g, compared to T1 (9.56 kg DM intake and 983 g CP intake) and T2 (9.59 kg DM intake and 984 g CP intake). While the commercial mineral block showed positive results, the MNLB outperformed in terms of nutritional value. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the MNLB can serve as an alternative feed supplement for small- scale farmers, offering a lower- cost option compared to commercial feed supplements. The study concluded that the MNLB has potential as a practical solution to address the nutritional challenges faced by ruminant producers in resource-limited environments. By providing a nutrient-rich and safe feed supplement, the MNLB can contribute to improved animal health, productivity, and overall farm profitability
Heritability and Genetic Correlations of Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in White and Brown Strains of Japanese Quail
No full textSuccessful breeding programs for Japanese quails rely on accurately estimating genetic parameters linked to economically important traits such as body weight, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. The objective of the present study was to evaluate body weight (BW) characteristics, carcass attributes, and their genetic correlations with select meat quality traits in two strains of Japanese quail (white and brown). A total of 530 quail chicks, with 265 from each strain, were included in the analysis. At six weeks of age, the quails were slaughtered, and carcass traits as well as amino acid profiles were measured. For BW traits, the heritability (h2) estimates ranged from 0.27 at d 1 to 0.36 at d 42. The h2 estimated for carcass traits ranged from 0.19 for liver weight, to 0.42 for carcass yield (CY). The h2 estimated for drip loss (DL) of meat quality was 0.21, and the h2 estimate was 0.35 for the meat's ultimate Ph (Phu). White quail quails recorded the heaviest weight of all carcass traits. Also, white quails had the highest water-holding capacity (WHC), yellowness (b*), and lightness (L*) with the lowest level of DL, cooking losses (CL), and redness (a*) in muscles compared with brown quails. A high genetic correlation of 0.32 was noted between CW carcass weight (CW) and b*. For the pHU, a negative correlation of -0.11 was exhibited with BW. In contrast, L* appeared to have a positive but smaller relationship with CW and CY. High negative correlations were noted for b* with BW and CY -0.24 and -0.27, respectively. The CW showed a moderate relationship (0.19) with CL. In conclusion, the current study revealed that the white quail strain had high BW, as well as the finest carcass traits and meat quality. Therefore, white plumage Japanese quail might be preferred as a meat-producing strain
Comparison of 5 and 10 Storey Frame Buildings and 5 and 10 Storey Shear Wall-Frame Buildings Under the Effect of Maras Earthquake According to the Turkish Building Earthquake Code 2018
No full textIn this study, the differences in the displacements, base shear forces, relative storey drifts and foundation stresses under different earthquake data on different storeys of shear wall frame systems and framed systems are investigated by using SAP2000 program. Within the scope of the study, four buildings with 5-storey frame, 5-storey shear wall frame, 10-storey frame and 10 storey shear wall frame are modelled. All four buildings were designed to be identical with 4 spans in X and Y directions and each span was designed as 5 meters. The height of each floor is designed as 3 meters for all four buildings. In sheared structures, shear walls are designed to be 4 meters from the corner columns to the columns closest to them. The earthquake data to be influenced on all four structures are the earthquake data from the Earthquake Hazard Map of Turkey published by AFAD at the coordinates of 41° latitude, 27° longitude of Kırklareli province, Luleburgaz district. Another earthquake parameter was taken from station 4615 during the earthquake in Kahramanmaras. The data recorded by station 4615 for the 7.6 Mw earthquake in Kahramanmaras was applied to all four structures. These two earthquake data were imposed on these four structures in order to compare the resulting displacements, relative storey drifts, base shear forces and foundation stresses. Since the structures are all symmetrical in both X and Y directions, only one direction of the displacements was calculated. As a result, when both the earthquake data from the Earthquake Hazard Map and the Kahramanmaras earthquake data were applied to these four structures, it was observed that the maximum values of the displacements occurred at the top floors of all structures and the effect of the Kahramanmaras earthquake data was higher in the displacements, relative storey drifts, base shear forces and foundation stresses than the effect of the other earthquake data
Integrating Prophet Forecasting with Gaussian Mixture Model-Hidden Markov Model (GMM-HMM) for Early Warning System in Dam Deformation Monitoring
No full textEnsuring dam safety requires a monitoring system that can predict deformations and detect anomalies in real-time. This study combines the forecasting capabilities of the Prophet model with the real-time anomaly detection of a Gaussian Mixture Model-Hidden Markov Model (GMM-HMM) framework. The Prophet model analyses historical deformation data to forecast future deformations, enabling early issue identification. The GMM-HMM framework continuously monitors incoming data to detect deviations from predictions. Results shows that the GMM-HMM, with 10 components and a Mahalanobis distance threshold of 0.1, achieved a precision of 0.602, recall of 1.0, and F-1 score of 0.751, ensuring high sensitivity and accurate anomaly detection on. The GMM-HMM was then used to detect anomalies on Prophet forecasted radial deformations. Anomalies were detected on upper limit and lower limit deformations. This combined approach enhances dam safety by integrating predictive and real-time monitoring capabilities, offering a comprehensive early warning system for dam infrastructure