Effect of Electric Field Treatment on Unsaturated Fatty Acid in Crude Avocado Oil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of the fatty acids in avocado oil when the product is subjected to different conditions of electric field treatment (voltage: 5 kV cm^?1; frequency: 720 Hz; treatment time: 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 min). Fatty acids were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the mid-infrared region. Electric field is a suitable method to preserve the oil quality and composition with minimal modifications in unsaturated fatty acids.     

Standing in the canine precision medicine knowledge gap: Improving annotation of canine cancer genomic biomarkers through systematic comparative analysis of human cancer mutations in COSMIC

The accrual of cancer mutation data and related functional and clinical associations have revolutionised human oncology, enabling the advancement of precision medicine and biomarker-guided clinical management. The catalogue of cancer mutations is also growing in canine cancers. However, without direct high-powered functional data in dogs, it remains challenging to interpret and utilise them in research and clinical settings. It is well-recognised that canine and human cancers share genetic, molecular and phenotypic similarities. Therefore, leveraging the massive wealth of human mutation data may help advance canine oncology. Here, we present a structured analysis of sequence conservation and conversion of human mutations to the canine genome through a ‘caninisation’ process. We applied this analysis to COSMIC, the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer, the most prominent human cancer mutation database. For the project's initial phase, we focused on the subset of the COSMIC data corresponding to Cancer Gene Census (CGC) genes. A total of 670 canine orthologs were found for 721 CGC genes. In these genes, 365 K unique mutations across 160 tumour types were converted successfully to canine coordinates. We identified shared putative cancer-driving mutations, including pathogenic and hotspot mutations and mutations bearing similar biomarker associations with diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic utility. Thus, this structured caninisation of human cancer mutations facilitates the interpretation and annotation of canine mutations and helps bridge the knowledge gap to enable canine precision medicine.     

Long-term conservation of living fungal pathogens

Three simplified freeze drying methods have proved partieularly successful for the long-term conservation of phytopathogenie fungi. Tests revealed no loss of vitality after up to 25 years of storage. The determination of the maximum lethal temperature allows the storage life of lyophilised fungi to be estimated.     

Direct detection of residual cyanide in cassava using spectroscopic techniques

Fluorescence, infrared, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques have been applied to monitor the effect of processing mode on the residual cyanogens in cassava roots. The processed samples' infrared spectra have shown that only the boiled sample contains residual cyanide. SEM micrographs have revealed that irregularly shaped granules of about 100-microm size contain cyanide, while spherical granules of about 10-microm size do not. X-ray diffraction patterns have shown that the intensities of peaks are not affected by the presence of cyanide in the cassava samples. Fluorescence and UV-visible studies have detected the presence of cyanide converted to cyanate in water used for soaking processes. The thermal behavior of cassava samples with respect to the cyanide content and the role of oxygen and different ions present in water used for soaking processes are also discussed.     

Female leadership raises aspirations and educational attainment for girls: a policy experiment in India

Exploiting a randomized natural experiment in India, we show that female leadership influences adolescent girls' career aspirations and educational attainment. A 1993 law reserved leadership positions for women in randomly selected village councils. Using 8453 surveys of adolescents aged 11 to 15 and their parents in 495 villages, we found that, relative to villages in which such positions were never reserved, the gender gap in aspirations closed by 20% in parents and 32% in adolescents in villages assigned a female leader for two election cycles. The gender gap in adolescent educational attainment was erased, and girls spent less time on household chores. We found no evidence of changes in young women's labor market opportunities, which suggests that the impact of women leaders primarily reflects a role model effect.     

Risk factors of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in rural livestock production systems of Ethiopia

This study shows a representative stratified cluster sample survey of the prevalence of comparative intradermal tuberculin test in cattle from four regions in Ethiopia. Using a cut-off for positivity of 2 mm, it assesses possible risk factors for tuberculin-positive reaction in cattle. Seventy-three villages in 24 kebeles (administrative units) were randomly selected, from which 2216 cattle from 780 owners were tested. In addition, 450 of these cattle owners were interviewed for risk factor assessment. Ninety-nine percent of the tested cattle in this rural livestock production system were traditional zebus. The individual overall prevalence of cattle bovine tuberculosis (BTB)e was 3%, with the highest found in Meskan Mareko, in Central Ethiopia (7.9%) and the lowest in Woldia, in the North East edge of the Rift Valley (1.2%). Generalised Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) with random effect on kebeles was used to analyse risk factors of cattle reactors and human tuberculosis (TB) infection. Purchase of cattle and presence of other livestock in the herd were statistically significant, with OR: 1.7, p-values of 0.03 and OR: 2, p = 0.05, respectively. Family members diagnosed with TB or showing clinical signs of extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) were reported in 86 households (19%). None of the assessed potential risk factors of disease transmission between cattle and human (food consumption, livestock husbandry and presence of BTB-positive cattle) were statistically significant.     

Influence of time on the genetic heterogeneity of Spanish porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus isolates

The aim of the present study was to establish the degree of diversity of porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) isolates that circulate in the same geographical area in different years. Nucleotide sequences of open reading frame (ORF) 5 were determined for 28 Spanish field PRRSV isolates from different years and three European-type modified live virus vaccines. Sequences were aligned using Clustal W software and a phylogenetic tree constructed using the neighbour joining method. The results of pairwise homology comparisons of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of these PRRSV isolates indicate a tendency for heterogeneity to increase with time. The study of the phylogenetic tree revealed that Spanish PRRSV isolates constitute two well-defined clades and a group of unrelated sequences. The observed heterogeneity does not appear to be due to temporal evolution exclusively. Early and recent isolates group themselves into different clusters independently of the time of isolation, indicating the co-circulation of different variants and the maintenance of variants of the original isolates in the field.     

Scintigraphic findings in 120 hyperthyroid cats

The aim of this study was to characterise the scintigraphic findings in a large population of hyperthyroid cats in order to determine the location of thyroid pathology in newly diagnosed hyperthyroid cats and those that had previously undergone thyroidectomy. A specific aim was to identify the proportion of cats with ectopic hyperfunctional thyroid tissue and characterise the scintigraphic and clinical features of this subset of cats. Nearly one in five hyperthyroid cats was identified to have multiple areas of hyperfunctional thyroid tissue and/or intrathoracic hyperfunctional thyroid tissue where surgical thyroidectomy would not be curative. In addition, this study demonstrated that scintigraphy cannot reliably distinguish between thyroid carcinoma and adenoma. Owners should always be warned about the possibility of ectopic thyroid tissue before thyroidectomy is performed. In this study, intrathoracic hyperfunctional thyroid tissue and multiple areas of increased radionuclide uptake (IRU) were a common feature of benign thyroid disease and responded well to treatment with low dose radioiodine.     

Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis

Maize is becoming the major food crop around Lake Victoria. Major constraints to its production are Striga, stem borer, and declining soil fertility. Innovative integrated technologies have been developed: the ‘push-pull’ system (intercropping with Desmodium and surrounded by Napier grass), soybean and Crotalaria rotations, and imidazolinone-resistant (IR) maize seed.In 12 demonstration trials in four villages in Siaya and Vihiga districts (Kenya) and two villages in Busia (Uganda) in 2003 and 2004, 504 farmers evaluated all cropping systems and a mono-cropped continuous maize, each cropped with IR or local maize, and supplemented or not with fertilizer, totaling 16 treatments. Farmers evaluated all treatments for yield, resistance to Striga and stem borer, improvement of soil fertility, and provided an overall evaluation score, using an ordered scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). Data were analyzed using ordinal regression, estimating log odds ratios.The results show significant preferences for all treatments over the control. Push-pull with IR and fertilizer had the highest log odds ratio (2.93), so the odds of farmers preferring this treatment are 18.7 times the odds that farmers prefer the control. The odds ratios for the other push-pull combinations were generally highest (9-15), followed by the rotation systems with Crotalaria (3.5-7.0), and soybeans, especially with IR maize and fertilizer (odds ratio of 5.7). In mono-cropping systems, IR maize was only appreciated in combination with fertilizer, and then only in 2004. Push-pull and Crotalaria were more appreciated in 2004 than in 2003. Farmers in Vihiga had a stronger preference for push-pull, and those in Busia for soybean rotations.Significant differences among farmers were observed, but the effects were small. Women appreciated push-pull more than men, while other technologies were gender-neutral. Older farmers were more likely to prefer push-pull and Crotalaria with fertilizer. Livestock ownership was not found to have an effect on technology preferences. Measured yield, stem borer and Striga infestation all had significant but small effects, although their inclusion did not eliminate the treatment effects, indicating that other factors are still important. OLS of the scores for different criteria on the overall score shows yield to be the most important criterion (coefficient of 0.40), followed by soil fertility enhancement (0.25) and Striga resistance (0.13). Labor saving (0.09) and stem borer resistance (0.03) are relatively minor criteria.This research shows that scoring and analysis with ordinal regression is a convenient way to solicit and analyze farmers’ preferences for new technologies, with wide applicability in farming systems and participatory research. Its application here shows that farmers like the new technologies, especially push-pull, but that there are substantial differences between years, sites and farmers. The use of this method can be very helpful to define and focus further research and formulate specific and targeted recommendations for agricultural extension.