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Simple Summary: Paper mulberry (PM) is an unconventional protein feed material, and silage is its main processing method. The present study aimed to investigate the health benefits and meat quality of supplementing Yangzhou geese with paper mulberry silage. Results indicated that paper mulberry silage supplementation had a promotional effect on the growth of Yangzhou geese, the sensory quality of the breast muscles improved, and the nutritional quality enhanced. Untargeted metabolomics analysis demonstrated that PM treatment enhanced guanidinoacetic acid levels in breast muscles and facilitated the metabolism of amino acids and the role of substances in lipid antioxidant pathways. Consequently, paper mulberry could be considered to be a novel protein feed option capable for geese. There have been few investigations into the health benefits and meat quality of supplementing Yangzhou geese with paper mulberry silage. One hundred and twenty 28-day-old Yangzhou geese were selected for the experiment and randomly divided into two groups: a control group (CON) and a paper mulberry silage group (PM), with six replicates in each group. The experiment lasted for a total of 6 weeks. The experiment found that compared with CON, PM had a promoting effect on the average daily weight gain of Yangzhou geese (p = 0.056). Sensory and nutritional analysis of breast muscles revealed a decrease in a* value (p < 0.05) and an increase in protein content (p < 0.05) following PM treatment. Through untargeted metabolomics analysis of breast muscle samples, it was found that 11 different metabolites, including guanidinoacetic acid and other substances, had a positive effect on amino acid metabolism and lipid antioxidant pathways of PM treatment. Overall, the strategy of feeding Yangzhou geese with paper mulberry silage is feasible, which can improve the sensory quality and nutritional value of goose meat. The experiment provides basic data for the application form of goose breeding, so exploring the impact of substances within paper mulberry on goose meat should be focused on in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study was conducted to estimate the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of canaries' cages and those of other exotic pet birds, in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship. Furthermore, we determined the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates for antibiotics and commercial disinfectants. One pool of 258 cage paper pools was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%). Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, this is the first study conducted in Argentina on Salmonella spp. isolation from these materials of pet birds. However, Salmonella ser. Glostrup isolated strains could be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks, and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. Birds, including canaries and other birds, have become increasingly popular as pets. Bird fairs, where breeders gather and show their production in a championship setting, present a setting for possible Salmonella spp. contamination and transmission. Therefore, this study estimated the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers, located in the bottom of cages of exotic pet birds, including canaries. Collected Salmonella isolates were used to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile to 52 antibiotics and 17 commercial disinfectants, based on pure or a mixture of acids, alcohols, aldehydes, alkalis, halogens, peroxygen, and quaternary ammonium compounds. The samples consisted of 774 cage papers taken in the 2015 Argentinean canary breeder championship, pooling three cage papers into one sterile sampling bag. Only one pool of the cage papers was positive for Salmonella spp. (0.4%), which belonged to the sample from three frill canary cages. Two strains of Salmonella serotype Glostrup were isolated, which were only resistant to sulfonamides and erythromycin and sensitive to alkali-based product PL301 AS. Although the rate of Salmonella spp. isolation from cage papers in an Argentinean canary breeder championship is low, it should not be discounted because Salmonella ser. Glostrup can be a source of human Salmonella outbreaks and they show high resistance to disinfecting products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The article studies the research output on sheep and goats from Greece; a country where small ruminant farming is the most important terrestrial animal farming business. Milk production from sheep and goats exceeds that from cattle and over 90% of total milk produced from sheep and goats is used for dairy products. Research output on sheep and goats have increased significantly from 1997 to 2022. The bulk of publications, 87.5% of relevant papers, has originated from four establishments: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; University of Thessaly; Agricultural University of Athens and Hellenic Agricultural Organization—Dimitra. Papers were published most frequently in the journals Small Ruminant Research and Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society. The most frequent general topics of study were animal health-welfare and animal products. The findings have indicated that research has focused on milk production and diseases of the udder of small ruminants; moreover, there was accumulation of relevant research in Greece in some establishments only. The findings of the study can be used by researchers; stakeholders and Government entities to improve relevant research and to better allocate resources in the country. The study is a scientometrics evaluation of published articles performed in Greece on sheep and goats during the last 25 years, a period coinciding with implementation of reforms to shape and consolidate tertiary education and research establishments in the country. Objectives were: evaluation of the relevant publications and presentation of quantitative characteristics regarding scientific content and bibliometric details. The Web of Science platform was used (search terms: [[sheep OR goat*] OR [Ovis aries OR Capra hircus]] (1997–2022)) and 1080 papers were considered in detail. Throughout the study period, there was a clear progressive increase in numbers of papers published. The papers originated from 39 different entities, most from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (34.0%), University of Thessaly (28.0%), Agricultural University of Athens (21.2%) and Hellenic Agricultural Organization—Dimitra (13.6%). Papers were published in 318 different journals. Journals with more published papers were Small Ruminant Research and Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society. The most frequent general topic of study in the papers was health and welfare (46.7% of papers); second most frequent topic was animal products (18.6%). The papers have received 16,558 citations, i.e., οn average 15.4 citations per paper; the h-index was 56, the i10-index was 518 and the yearly citations per paper were 1.71. Papers on goats had higher impact than papers on sheep. There were 1711 individual authors, of which 728 were first or last authors. In total, 24 authors have each co-authored ≥2.5% of all papers; five authors were each first or last in that proportion of all papers. The findings have indicated that relevant research has focused on milk production and diseases of the udder of small ruminants; moreover, there was accumulation of relevant research in Greece in some establishments only. The findings of the study can be employed to initiate improved relevant research approaches in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: With the growing popularity of snakes in the pet trade, investigation into environmental enrichment preferences in snakes is critical to their captive welfare. Unfortunately, small, minimalistic enclosures are predominantly used by both pet owners and breeders alike to house captive snakes. Recently, a handful of studies have shown the benefits that arise from the correct use of enrichment with climbing snakes, but none have observed this aspect in popular pet snakes that burrow, such as western hognose snakes. This study found that hognose snakes significantly prefer environmental enrichment when given a choice between enrichment and minimalistic conditions. This encourages further investigation into the welfare needs of other captive snake species that may be improperly housed, leading to chronic stress and poor health. The environmental enrichment needs of snakes are often disregarded. Using preference testing, we aimed to shed light on the enrichment preferences of a popular pet species, the western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus). Snakes' enclosures were divided into enriched and standard sides. The enriched half had substrate for burrowing, interactive stimuli, and a large water dish. The standard half had paper towel substrate and a small water dish. Each side also contained a single shelter. We provided belly heat to create a thermal gradient on one side of the cage. Snakes were observed for 6 days, four times daily. We predicted a preference for enriched conditions and, as snakes are ectothermic, a preference for the warmer side. Snakes were additionally given an exploration assay, to explore whether differences in preference for environmental enrichment interact with boldness levels. We found that hognose snakes preferred enrichment, and the strength of this preference increased over time. Preference for enrichment was stronger when the enriched side was cooler. This may be due to the burrowing tendencies of these snakes. We found no relationship between preference and boldness. These findings emphasise the importance of preference testing in establishing research-informed enrichment opportunities for reptiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Considering that there are many ways to approach animal welfare, we aimed to study the value attributed to the animals themselves in scientific papers about farm animals published in animal welfare (AW) and animal production (AP) journals over time. All the papers were analyzed by five assessors, resulting in moderate agreement because the language used in the animal welfare scientific literature is ambiguous in relation to why and for whom it is performed. The overall mean score was 5.60, showing a low consideration of the interest of animals, close to neutrality. While AW journal scored higher and improved over the decades, the AP average score was below 5.0 and did not improve with time. The statement of the main justification for animal welfare papers, with an explicit declaration of their motivational priorities is important for the improvement of animal welfare science. There are, in the literature, distinct ways to approach animal welfare. The objective of this work was to study the value attributed to farm animals in the scientific papers published in animal welfare and animal production journals at three different points in time, separated by a decade each. The first ten papers mentioning "animal welfare" or "animal well-being" in their objectives or hypotheses from each journal and each focus year were selected. The 180 papers were blindly scored by five assessors between 1 and 10, according to the degree of intrinsic value attributed to animals. The overall mean score and standard deviation were 5.60 ± 2.49, with 6.46 ± 2.29 and 4.74 ± 2.40 for AW and AP journals, respectively, and 5.37 ± 2.44, 5.68 ± 2.52 and 5.75 ± 2.41 for the focus years of 2000, 2010 and 2020, respectively. There was an interaction between focus year and publication area: papers from AW journals scored better over time, in contrast with papers from AP journals, for which scores remained similar over decades. The inter-assessor agreement is moderate, which may reflect the subject complexity, as the language used in the papers studied was ambiguous in relation to why and for whom it is performed. The low overall mean score evidenced that the animal welfare scientific publications are, on average, not prioritizing the interests of the animals. Thus, our results evidenced the presence of animal welfarism in animal welfare science, a problem that seems not to be intrinsic to animal welfare science itself, but rather to the way research is frequently conceived, conducted, interpreted, summarized and applied. Therefore, it seems urgent to further study the motivation for animal welfare research. The statement of the main justification for animal welfare papers, with an explicit declaration of the motivational priorities that constitute each scientific animal welfare study, may be an interesting recommendation for the improvement of animal welfare science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Equids, such as horses, donkeys, and mules, play vital roles in various types of work globally, with their use differing significantly across countries of different income levels. We conducted a thorough review of research literature to examine if and how terms related to working equids are used in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Our findings indicate that studies focusing on higher-income countries tend to produce more research papers on equids, except for when using the terms "working equid" and "draft equid", which are more common in studies focusing on lower-income countries, and these terms often refer to animals in low-resource rural settings and marginalised communities. We suggest that "working equid" should be defined as "any equid engaged in physical labour that provides a significant or direct contribution to the economic livelihood, sustenance or support of the owner/user's family, typically within a low resource setting". The lack of a standard definition complicates policy making and welfare legislation, especially in lower-income countries where equids are crucial for livelihoods but are often overlooked by policy. This study highlights the need for more inclusive and culturally aware terminology to improve welfare standards and policies for working equids worldwide. Equids are engaged in myriad types of work across the world, with contexts and industries varying widely between high-, middle- and low-income countries as classified by the World Bank. Through a comprehensive abstract search and literature review, we examined the usage and context of terms associated with working equids in high-income countries (HICs), upper-middle-income countries (UMICs), lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), and low-income countries (LICs). Analysis showed that the search term used was significantly associated with World Bank country income classification. All search terms except two returned a significantly higher number of papers for higher-income countries compared to lower-income countries. The two exceptions were "working equid" and "draft equid", which returned significantly more papers for lower-income countries than higher-income countries. Both terms also returned papers from high-income and upper-middle-income countries, but these were always in the context of low-resource settings and rural or marginalised communities, of which we provide examples in the discussion. We propose that the term "working equid" should be used to describe "any equid engaged in physical labour that provides a significant or direct contribution to the economic livelihood, sustenance or support of the owner/user's family, typically within a low resource setting". Our review highlights the intricate interplay between socioeconomic factors and examines how equids are described in the literature. The lack of a universally accepted definition leads to challenges in policy formulation, resource allocation, and welfare standards development, particularly in LMICs and LICs where working equids are crucial to livelihoods. This study underscores the need for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to terminology, advocating for future research to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps in understanding working equids globally. Such efforts are vital for equitable and effective welfare standards and policy development for these animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a summary of a special issue of the journal Animals, which focuses on the welfare, ethics, and behavior of animals in zoos and aquariums. The authors emphasize the importance of continually improving animal welfare in these settings through transparent and scientifically rigorous research. They acknowledge the diversity of philosophical views on keeping animals in captivity and highlight the role of zoos and aquariums in conservation efforts. The papers in this issue cover a range of topics, including the ethics and legal concerns of zoo and aquarium species, strategies for improving animal welfare, and the need to critically evaluate data on controversial topics. The authors stress the need for ongoing dialogue and collaboration to advance animal welfare in these settings. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: This review seeks to understand how scientific research on trace elements in beef cattle has been developed and how the interaction of this theme with topics related to animal, environmental and human health has been established. Given the duality of many of the trace elements, being known as nutrients in small amounts or toxic when they exceed small concentrations, we brought the One Health perspective to analyse how researchers approach this research theme. In this work, we propose a path through scientific production to promote innovation, sustainability of animal production, food safety and human health. The objective was to investigate the context, approach and research topics present in the papers that analysed trace elements in beef cattle to identify gaps and scientific perspectives for the sustainable management of trace elements in livestock. The main research groups came from the United States, Spain, Japan, Brazil, India and Slovakia, which represented 31% of the papers produced. Only 37% of studies addressed aspects that integrated animal, environmental and human health. The reviewed papers concerned 56 elements and 15 bovine tissues (Cu, Zn, Pb, liver, muscle and kidney highlighted). The main gaps were (1) lack of research in developing countries, (2) the need to understand the impact of different environmental issues and their relationship to the conditions in which animals are raised, and (3) the need to understand the role of many trace elements in animal nutrition and their relationship to environmental and human health. Finally, we highlight possible ways to expand knowledge and provide innovations for broad emerging issues, primarily through expanding collaborative research networks. In this context, we suggest the adoption of the One Health approach for planning further research on trace elements in livestock. Moreover, the One Health approach should also be considered for managers and politicians for a sustainable environmental care and food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The present work presents a snapshot of the state of the art of Equine-Assisted Intervention (EAI) research, including published articles and the most cited research as well as the most used keywords, and prolific authors and co-authors and their countries. To our knowledge, no other bibliometric studies have been performed, so it can be a tool to support future research. Equine Assisted Interventions (EAIs) integrate the active participation of horses in therapeutic or educational interventions. A bibliometric analysis was carried out on this topic, using traditional bibliometric laws and recommendations. For this purpose, a search on the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database was carried out, obtaining 333 documents. Annual publications followed an exponentially increasing trend (R2 = 86%), pointing out that this topic is a growing interest among researchers, publishers, and journals. The USA was the most productive country worldwide and Jeong-yi Kwon and Ji Lee were the prolific co-authors. The WoS category with the highest number of papers was Rehabilitation (84 papers). The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, and Pediatric Physical Therapy were the journals with the highest number of publications. The most cited paper was "State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy". The most used author keywords were rehabilitation, balance, and those related to specific populations such as Cerebral Palsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder. These results suggest that EAIs is a topic of increasing interest for researchers, editors, and professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Different reproductive biotechnologies have been applied to sheep, such as cloning, which has been successfully applied in this species. In this context, the aim of the present study was to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature on cloning applied to sheep reproduction, since the first report was published, to identify the most cited articles, main authors and collaboration among them, published journals, institutions with more published papers, most prolific countries and the network collaboration among them, and research topics. This study collected bibliographic data from 124 papers relating to cloning of sheep. The articles that were cited more often addressed topics related to the generation of transgenic animals, recovery of wild species, and xenotransplants. So far, no bibliometric studies have been conducted about cloning of sheep. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a reproductive biotechnology with great potential in the reproduction of different species of zootechnical interest, including sheep. This study aimed to carry out a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published on the application of SCNT in sheep reproduction during the period 1997–2023. The search involved the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index databases of the main collection of the Web of Sciences with different descriptors. A total of 124 scientific papers were analyzed for different bibliometric indicators using the VOSviewer software. Since 2001, the number of SCNT-related papers that have been published concerning sheep reproduction has increased and it has fluctuated in ensuing years. The main authors, research groups, institutions, countries, papers, and journals with the highest number of papers related to the application of SCNT in sheep reproduction were identified, as well as the topics that address the research papers according to the terms: somatic cell, embryo, oocyte, gene expression, SCNT, and sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Through gesture recognition and detection of sika deer, farmers can observe the gestures of sika deer without physical contact, providing data and technical support for the intelligent and welfare-oriented breeding of sika deer. This study is based on the YOLOv8 network model. By optimizing the convolution module, incorporating the attention mechanism, and enhancing the detection head module, a new method for detecting sika deer poses was developed. The method was assessed using four behavioral datasets, which included standing, lying, eating, and attacking. The pose-recognition accuracy of sika deer significantly improved to an average of 91.6%, laying a foundation for the health assessment and information management of sika deer. As the sika deer breeding industry flourishes on a large scale, accurately assessing the health of these animals is of paramount importance. Implementing posture recognition through target detection serves as a vital method for monitoring the well-being of sika deer. This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of their physical condition, ensuring the industry can maintain high standards of animal welfare and productivity. In order to achieve remote monitoring of sika deer without interfering with the natural behavior of the animals, and to enhance animal welfare, this paper proposes a sika deer individual posture recognition detection algorithm GFI-YOLOv8 based on YOLOv8. Firstly, this paper proposes to add the iAFF iterative attention feature fusion module to the C2f of the backbone network module, replace the original SPPF module with AIFI module, and use the attention mechanism to adjust the feature channel adaptively. This aims to enhance granularity, improve the model's recognition, and enhance understanding of sika deer behavior in complex scenes. Secondly, a novel convolutional neural network module is introduced to improve the efficiency and accuracy of feature extraction, while preserving the model's depth and diversity. In addition, a new attention mechanism module is proposed to expand the receptive field and simplify the model. Furthermore, a new pyramid network and an optimized detection head module are presented to improve the recognition and interpretation of sika deer postures in intricate environments. The experimental results demonstrate that the model achieves 91.6% accuracy in recognizing the posture of sika deer, with a 6% improvement in accuracy and a 4.6% increase in mAP50 compared to YOLOv8n. Compared to other models in the YOLO series, such as YOLOv5n, YOLOv7-tiny, YOLOv8n, YOLOv8s, YOLOv9, and YOLOv10, this model exhibits higher accuracy, and improved mAP50 and mAP50-95 values. The overall performance is commendable, meeting the requirements for accurate and rapid identification of the posture of sika deer. This model proves beneficial for the precise and real-time monitoring of sika deer posture in complex breeding environments and under all-weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Through the non-destructive recognition and tracking algorithm of multi-objective behaviors of beef cattle, practitioners are able to obtain beef cattle feeding information in an all-round way, which lays the foundation for intelligent farming. This study is based on the deep learning recognition algorithm YOLOv8 and tracking algorithm Deep SORT. Through optimizing the convolution module, introducing the attention mechanism, improving the re-identification network, and the trajectory generation and matching process, a new method for the non-destructive identification and tracking of multi-target behaviors of beef cattle is constructed. The average accuracy of nine behaviors can be up to 96.5%, and the accuracy of multi-target tracking is up to 92.1%, which can provide technical support for beef cattle management. The method proposed in this paper provides theoretical and practical support for the intelligent recognition and management of beef cattle. Accurate identification and tracking of beef cattle behaviors are essential components of beef cattle production management. Traditional beef cattle identification and tracking methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive, which hinders precise cattle farming. This paper utilizes deep learning algorithms to achieve the identification and tracking of multi-object behaviors in beef cattle, as follows: (1) The beef cattle behavior detection module is based on the YOLOv8n algorithm. Initially, a dynamic snake convolution module is introduced to enhance the ability to extract key features of beef cattle behaviors and expand the model's receptive field. Subsequently, the BiFormer attention mechanism is incorporated to integrate high-level and low-level feature information, dynamically and sparsely learning the behavioral features of beef cattle. The improved YOLOv8n_BiF_DSC algorithm achieves an identification accuracy of 93.6% for nine behaviors, including standing, lying, mounting, fighting, licking, eating, drinking, working, and searching, with average 50 and 50:95 precisions of 96.5% and 71.5%, showing an improvement of 5.3%, 5.2%, and 7.1% over the original YOLOv8n. (2) The beef cattle multi-object tracking module is based on the Deep SORT algorithm. Initially, the detector is replaced with YOLOv8n_BiF_DSC to enhance detection accuracy. Subsequently, the re-identification network model is switched to ResNet18 to enhance the tracking algorithm's capability to gather appearance information. Finally, the trajectory generation and matching process of the Deep SORT algorithm is optimized with secondary IOU matching to reduce ID mismatching errors during tracking. Experimentation with five different complexity levels of test video sequences shows improvements in IDF1, IDS, MOTA, and MOTP, among other metrics, with IDS reduced by 65.8% and MOTA increased by 2%. These enhancements address issues of tracking omission and misidentification in sparse and long-range dense environments, thereby facilitating better tracking of group-raised beef cattle and laying a foundation for intelligent detection and tracking in beef cattle farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Accurate identification of individual Amur tigers is vital for their conservation, as it helps us understand their population and distribution. Existing identification methods often fall short in accuracy, and our study focuses on creating a more accurate method for identifying individual Amur tigers using advanced deep learning techniques. We improved an existing neural network model called InceptionResNetV2 by adding features like dropout layers and dual-attention mechanisms to better capture the unique stripe patterns of each tiger and reduce errors during training. We tested our model on a large dataset of tiger images and found it to be highly effective, achieving an average recognition accuracy of over 95% for different body parts, with left stripes reaching the highest 99.37%. This method significantly outperforms previous models and provides a reliable tool for wildlife researchers and conservationists to monitor and protect Amur tigers. By improving the ability to track individual tigers, our research offers practical benefits for preserving this endangered species and enhancing wildlife management practices globally. Accurate and intelligent identification of rare and endangered individuals of flagship wildlife species, such as Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), is crucial for understanding population structure and distribution, thereby facilitating targeted conservation measures. However, many mathematical modeling methods, including deep learning models, often yield unsatisfactory results. This paper proposes an individual recognition method for Amur tigers based on an improved InceptionResNetV2 model. Initially, the YOLOv5 model is employed to automatically detect and segment facial, left stripe, and right stripe areas from images of 107 individual Amur tigers, achieving a high average classification accuracy of 97.3%. By introducing a dropout layer and a dual-attention mechanism, we enhance the InceptionResNetV2 model to better capture the stripe features of individual tigers at various granularities and reduce overfitting during training. Experimental results demonstrate that our model outperforms other classic models, offering optimal recognition accuracy and ideal loss changes. The average recognition accuracy for different body part features is 95.36%, with left stripes achieving a peak accuracy of 99.37%. These results highlight the model's excellent recognition capabilities. Our research provides a valuable and practical approach to the individual identification of rare and endangered animals, offering significant potential for improving conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to explore and treat conditions within the abdomen. In equids, this procedure is generally performed standing, with animals sedated and restrained in stocks. Laparoscopic ovariectomy in equids has gained popularity as it avoids the risk of general anaesthesia, greatly improves visualisation and manipulation of the ovary and its blood supply, reduces the recovery period, and provides a superior aesthetic result. Indications for ovariectomy include neutering, fertility problems, ovarian tumours, hematomas or cysts, disorders of sexual development, and the elimination of undesirable behaviour related to oestrus. During the procedure, pain management is achieved with a combination of systemic or loco-regional anaesthesia. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate studies in the equine veterinary literature, published between 2003 and 2023, in which loco-regional anaesthesia was used during standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in equids to assess the different drugs, techniques, and outcomes. Laparoscopic ovariectomy is generally performed with equids in the standing position, with the animals heavily sedated and restrained in stocks. This procedure may be quite painful, and it is essential first to manage intraoperative pain to complete the surgery, respecting the animal's welfare and, at the same time, ensuring the safety of the operators. Laparoscopy requires multiple small incisions to introduce the instruments, with one to two incisions enlarged sufficiently to remove the ovary. The surgical procedure must be associated with effective pain control, usually obtained with loco-regional anaesthesia, mesovarian injection, mesovaric or ovarian topical anaesthesia, and epidural anaesthesia. This systematic review aims to discuss articles published from 2003 to 2023 on treating loco-regional anaesthesia in standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in association with an evaluation of pain. The literature review was undertaken according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines on three databases (NCBI-PubMed, Web of Science, and SciVerse Scopus). Despite the collected papers numbering 36, we identified only five eligible papers, demonstrating that few studies are performed in order to evaluate the quality of analgesia with loco-regional anaesthesia in standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in equids. The authors of this systematic review agree that the association of injectable and epidural anaesthesia is the best solution to manage intraoperative pain in standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in equids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a postscript to a collection of papers that explore the effects of human actions on the welfare of invertebrates in various contexts. The papers discuss topics such as breeding facilities, research laboratories, and the wild. The document emphasizes the importance of considering the welfare of invertebrates, both in captivity and in the wild, and highlights the need for more research and information on this topic. It also addresses the ethical considerations and attitudes towards invertebrates, as well as the impact of human activities on wild invertebrates. The document concludes by emphasizing the significant influence humans have on the planet and the need to prioritize the welfare of invertebrates. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: In the sorting process of Chinese softshell turtles, it is necessary to classify them based on their weight and accurately identify their plastron and carapace. This process requires heavy manual labor and complex mechanical processing methods. To improve processing efficiency and reduce costs, this article introduces machine vision technology, and a new image processing method is proposed. This method can estimate the weight of Chinese softshell turtles and accurately locate the positions of their plastron and carapace. The automation level of aquaculture can be greatly enhanced, and hardware costs can be reduced through software optimization through this approach. With the rapid development of the turtle breeding industry in China, the demand for automated turtle sorting is increasing. The automatic sorting of Chinese softshell turtles mainly consists of three parts: visual recognition, weight prediction, and individual sorting. This paper focuses on two aspects, i.e., visual recognition and weight prediction, and a novel method for the object detection and weight prediction of Chinese softshell turtles is proposed. In the individual sorting process, computer vision technology is used to estimate the weight of Chinese softshell turtles and classify them by weight. For the visual recognition of the body parts of Chinese softshell turtles, a color space model is proposed in this paper to separate the turtles from the background effectively. By applying multiple linear regression analysis for modeling, the relationship between the weight and morphological parameters of Chinese softshell turtles is obtained, which can be used to estimate the weight of turtles well. An improved deep learning object detection network is used to extract the features of the plastron and carapace of the Chinese softshell turtles, achieving excellent detection results. The mAP of the improved network reached 96.23%, which can meet the requirements for the accurate identification of the body parts of Chinese softshell turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a reply to a comment on a previous paper about possum elimination. The authors acknowledge an error in their previous paper regarding the size of the project area and provide corrected figures. They also discuss the monitoring methods used, including trail cameras and other detection tools. The authors present the results of their model, which estimates the number of possums in the area. They conclude that possum elimination was achieved and express interest in collaborating on further research. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: One may think that the number of pigs that can fit on a truck is a simple scientific question. It is not. It is vitally important that scientists can describe their work simply and concisely to the public, especially when that work is providing the basis for regulation in the public interest. Successful regulation of human behavior requires the regulated to agree with the rule. Commercial livestock transporters have an interest in loading a livestock compartment to the maximum to minimize costs. Livestock production academics, veterinarians, and animal welfare activists have been working for decades to determine the level of livestock crowding in transport containers that would be an appropriate threshold for regulatory enforcement. To date, there is no real consensus on this issue across species or animal size within a species. The EU countries agreed to a maximum floor pressure for market pigs of around 110 kg body weight to be 235 kgm−2 in 2005, while North American regulators have no legal standard. Current practice in North America allows for significant crowding of pigs in excess of the EU standard. Using the pig as an example, this paper examines the practical barriers that have for decades prevented emergence of a consensus on the "Is this truck full?" question. This paper focuses on the problem of numeracy when writing regulations, specifically how to describe a threshold for crowding of pigs during transport, considering transported pigs range in body mass from 5 to 500 kg. When scientific findings provide the basis for regulation in the public interest, those findings must be communicated in a consistent way to regulators and policymaking bodies. Numeracy is the ability to understand, reason with, and apply appropriate numerical concepts to real-world questions. Scientific understanding is almost always based on rational understanding of numerical information, numeracy. The threshold of administrative offenses is often a numerical description. Commercial livestock transporters have an interest in loading livestock compartments to the maximum to achieve the largest payload allowed by axle weight laws, as is the case in all bulk commodity transport. Maximizing payload minimizes costs and environmental hazards of fuel exhaust and can benefit the public with lower pork prices, but has a serious animal welfare risk. Livestock production academics, veterinarians, and animal welfare activists have been working for decades to determine the level of livestock crowding in transport containers that would be appropriate for regulatory enforcement. The scientific discourse has been plagued by a lack of numerical standardization when describing results of trials and forming recommendations. Exceeding specific numerical thresholds is the core to implementing enforcement actions. This paper examines the communication and other barriers that have prevented emergence of a consensus on this question and provides a direction toward resolution. Further confirmation of effects of crowding livestock in transit is needed. This paper suggests that articulating an enforceable standard in pig transport is possible. In inspection for compliance, discovering the LP50 (lethal pressure—50) for slaughter-weight pigs is an initial global benchmark goal. The LP50 is the loading floor pressure in a commercial transport compartment, under field conditions, that would result in the death of at least one pig in the group 50% of the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper aims to review the development of the cow–calf bonding process in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) via olfactory, tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. It will also discuss the neuroendocrine factors motivating buffalo cows to care for the calf. To develop cow–calf bonding, several olfactory, tactile, auditory, and visual cues need to be interchanged and processed by both the mother and the newborn. Sniffing, licking, grooming, and listening to the calf's vocalizations are the first inputs during calving. Oxytocin is the main hormone that mediates selective maternal behavior. Understanding the importance of the sensitive period and the endocrine changes required to elicit maternal behavior could help provide the appropriate stimulus to both the buffalo cow and the calf during calving. The cow–calf bonding is a process that must be developed within the first six hours after calving. Both the buffalo dam and the newborn calf receive a series of sensory cues during calving, including olfactory, tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. These inputs are processed in the brain to develop an exclusive bond where the dam provides selective care to the filial newborn. The limbic system, sensory cortices, and maternal-related hormones such as oxytocin mediate this process. Due to the complex integration of the maternal response towards the newborn, this paper aims to review the development of the cow–calf bonding process in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) via the olfactory, tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. It will also discuss the neuroendocrine factors motivating buffalo cows to care for the calf using examples in other ruminant species where dam–newborn bonding has been extensively studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Infrared thermography is a rapid, contactless technology that can provide real-time temperature measurements, with various applications in livestock science within the framework of precision livestock farming. The aim of the current review paper is to present the updated state of knowledge regarding the detection of mastitis in dairy ruminants using infrared thermography. Therefore, it summarizes the technological advancements, the diagnostic capacity, and the operational and analytical challenges of the method when applied under real-world conditions as a diagnostic tool for mastitis, while factors associated with the performance of the method are critically described and discussed to justify recognized strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of the method. Among the health issues of major concern in dairy ruminants, mastitis stands out as being associated with considerable losses in productivity and compromised animal health and welfare. Currently, the available methods for the early detection of mastitis are either inaccurate, requiring further validation, or expensive and labor intensive. Moreover, most of them cannot be applied at the point of care. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a rapid, non-invasive technology that can be used in situ to measure udder temperature and identify variations and inconsistencies thereof, serving as a benchmarking tool for the assessment of udders' physiological and/or health status. Despite the numerous applications in livestock farming, IRT is still underexploited due to the lack of standardized operation procedures and significant gaps regarding the optimum settings of the thermal cameras, which are currently exploited on a case-specific basis. Therefore, the objective of this review paper was twofold: first, to provide the state of knowledge on the applications of IRT for the assessment of udder health status in dairy ruminants, and second, to summarize and discuss the major strengths and weaknesses of IRT application at the point of care, as well as future challenges and opportunities of its extensive adoption for the diagnosis of udder health status and control of mastitis at the animal and herd levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Genomic selection (GS) is defined as a marker-assisted selection method that uses high-density molecular markers covering the entire genome combined with phenotypic data to estimate genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV). This paper reviews the principles, methods, and influencing factors of GS for breeding by using phenotypic information and genetic relationships simultaneously. It also covers the research progress of GS in meat, fiber, dairy, and reproductive traits in sheep and goats. Compared to other livestock, especially cattle, sheep and goat breeding is relatively small-scale and has lagged behind. GS combined with genomic information can help promote the breeding process and development in commercial farming of sheep and goats. We highlight the potential for phenotypic information and genetic relationships to work together to drive the breeding process, providing valuable insights for implementing GS in sheep and goat breeding. The advancement of sequencing technology and molecular breeding methods has provided technical support and assurance for accurate breeding. Genomic Selection (GS) utilizes genomic information to improve livestock breeding, and it is more accurate and more efficient than traditional selection methods. GS has been widely applied in domestic animal breeding, especially in cattle. However, there are still limited studies on the application and research of GS in sheep and goats. This paper outlines the principles, analysis methods, and influential factors of GS and elaborates on the research progress, challenges, and prospects of applying GS in sheep and goat breeding. Through the review of these aspects, this paper is expected to provide valuable references for the implementation of GS in the field of sheep and goat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection in sows results in reduced animal welfare, poor breeding herd performance, and economic loss to farmers. The best way to reduce the effects of PRRSV is to prevent its entry into swine breeding herds through improvements in farm biosecurity. To accomplish this goal, the concept of Next Generation Biosecurity (NGB) was developed. A recent publication demonstrated that the practice of a comprehensive, science-based program of biosecurity (NGB COMPLETE) which incorporated science-based biosecurity protocols targeting direct and indirect routes of PRRSV transmission, significantly reduced PRRSV incidence risk in breeding herds compared to a partial program (NGB INCOMPLETE). This new communication follows up on this earlier paper and brings new information by reporting significant differences in key performance indicators between NGB COMPLETE breeding herds versus NGB INCOMPLETE herds over that original 2-year period across the same swine production system. It also supplements the earlier paper with data from a third consecutive year of reduced PRRSV incidence risk, resulting in a PRRSV incidence risk of 8.0% across all breeding herds for the entire three years. In closing, this is further evidence demonstrating that NGB, while not perfect, brings value to farmers through sustainable prevention of PRRS and improved productivity. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a globally significant pathogen of pigs. Preventing the entry of PRRSV into swine breeding herds enhances animal health and welfare. A recently published retrospective cohort study reported significant differences in PRRSV incidence risk between breeding herds that practiced Next Generation Biosecurity (NGB) COMPLETE, versus herds that practiced a partial approach (NGB INCOMPLETE) over a 2-year period. This follow-up communication builds on this previous publication and brings new information regarding statistical differences in key performance indicators (KPIs) from 43 NGB COMPLETE herds and 19 NGB INCOMPLETE herds during disease years 1 and 2. Statistically significant differences included higher total born/farrow and pigs weaned/female along with a reduced pre-weaning mortality and wean to 1st service interval, as well as a 0.91 increase in the number of pigs weaned/mated female/year. In addition, this communication reports that PRRSV incidence risk throughout disease years 1–3 was 8.0%, and that the association of NGB status (COMPLETE vs. INCOMPLETE) and disease burden for the cumulative 3-year period was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). These findings support previously published data that NGB, while not perfect, provides sustainable prevention of PRRSV, and may help improve herd productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In the process of large-scale cage chicken breeding, using inspection robots instead of manual detection can solve the problems of large workload and low detection efficiency. However, poor driving stability of an inspection robot will lead to low inspection accuracy. In order to ensure high efficiency, accuracy, and stability of detection, this study takes the stability of visual navigation for inspection robots as the optimization goal, and designs an efficient and accurate road extraction algorithm and a navigation line fitting algorithm with better robustness. The experimental results show that the algorithm proposed in this study can improve the stability of detection, achieve a faster running speed, and achieve a better detection effect and a higher detection efficiency while keeping the detection effect unchanged. The navigation algorithm can accelerate the automation process of large-scale cage chicken breeding and promote the realization of fast and accurate monitoring. The speed and accuracy of navigation road extraction and driving stability affect the inspection accuracy of cage chicken coop inspection robots. In this paper, a new grayscale factor (4B-3R-2G) was proposed to achieve fast and accurate road extraction, and a navigation line fitting algorithm based on the road boundary features was proposed to improve the stability of the algorithm. The proposed grayscale factor achieved 92.918% segmentation accuracy, and the speed was six times faster than the deep learning model. The experimental results showed that at the speed of 0.348 m/s, the maximum deviation of the visual navigation was 4 cm, the average deviation was 1.561 cm, the maximum acceleration was 1.122 m/s2, and the average acceleration was 0.292 m/s2, with the detection number and accuracy increased by 21.125% and 1.228%, respectively. Compared with inertial navigation, visual navigation can significantly improve the navigation accuracy and stability of the inspection robot and lead to better inspection effects. The visual navigation system proposed in this paper has better driving stability, higher inspection efficiency, better inspection effect, and lower operating costs, which is of great significance to promote the automation process of large-scale cage chicken breeding and realize rapid and accurate monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Historically, one of the strategies the Myanmar Government employed to resolve human–elephant conflict was the capture of whole herds of elephants using the Kheddah system. This involved trapping the herd in a stockade, immediately followed by on-site post-capture taming. After taming, the captured elephants were trained to be utilized as logging elephants. The capture of wild elephants was formally banned in Myanmar in 1985, but occasional, small-scale, captures by the Kheddah system were allowed until 2013. These captures were under the strict control of the Myanmar Government and focused primarily on elephants involved in human–elephant conflict, rather than capturing to supplement the working elephant population. The method itself has largely fallen out of use because capturing an ecologically important, iconic animal is unacceptable and against current welfare requirements. This paper attempts to record the Kheddah system of elephant capture that was employed when the individually selected capture method was impractical for the emergency removal of a herd of marauding elephants. The author presents a description and assessment of the Kheddah method not to endorse it, but to document and discuss a method that was part of Myanmar's elephant-keeping history before it is forgotten. When standard methods of human–elephant conflict mitigation are not successful, free-ranging wild elephants may continue to come into close contact with people. This results in more frequent and severe conflict, with consequences ranging from crop raiding to loss of human and elephant lives. Understandably, in such situations, local communities may want to be rid of entire herds of elephants. Historically, one of the strategies the Myanmar Government practiced to resolve human–elephant conflict was the capture of whole herds using the Kheddah system. This involved trapping the herd in a stockade, immediately followed by on-site post-capture taming. After taming, the captured elephants were utilized as logging elephants. Elephants worked in timber extraction, retired at age 55 years and were then cared for by the Government until they died. The capture of wild elephants by the Kheddah system was formally banned in Myanmar in 1985 but occasional, small-scale, captures were allowed until 2013 under the strict control of the Myanmar Government. These operations were aimed primarily at capturing elephants involved in human–elephant conflict, rather than to supplement the working elephant population. One of the last Kheddah operations, organized and managed by the author, was conducted in 1996 at the Taikkyi township of the Yangon Region, as a last resort to end human–elephant conflict in an emergency. While chemical immobilization was being used at this time, it was not logistically possible with the high numbers of elephants engaged in the conflict. This review aims to record the history of an activity that was an important element of Myanmar's timber industry more than three decades ago. In this paper, the author presents a description of Kheddah not to endorse it, but to document (1) the Myanmar elephant population management strategy in the past, before it is forgotten, and (2) the practicality of the Kheddha operation when the singly selected commonly- used immobilization or noosing method of elephant capture is unfeasible. The author attempts to shed light on the modern veterinary procedures that may significantly reduce the notorious historical outcome of Kheddha, especially the resulting mortality of captured elephants, should the Kheddha system of capture ever be used as an emergency solution for ongoing problems of human–elephant conflict in the range states of Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Malathion (MLT) is one of the most widely used pesticides and may pose multiple hazards to humans and animals. Some therapeutic herbs have the potential to protect against these toxic activities. In this paper, we looked at thyme and oregano essential oils (ThEO and OEO, respectively) as possible compounds for anti-toxic therapies following MLT exposure. This paper offers an experimental therapeutic approach using natural antitoxins, thereby providing a solution to the problems of raising livestock that are exposed to nutritional toxicity. The widespread use of MLT may pose numerous hazards to animal breeding, health, and resilience due to the presence of MLT residues in animal feedstuffs, pastures, hay, and cereals. Many medicinal plants provide what is called a generalized anti-toxic remedy. The current study examined hazardous biochemical and histological reactions to MLT and the efficiency of ThEO and OEO essential oils as anti-toxic therapies to return to a natural state after MLT exposure. A total of 75 male albino rats were randomly assigned to two groups: (i) C − MLT, comprising 25 rats, served as the control group; and (ii) C + MLT, with 50 rats that were exposed to 5 mg/kg/BW. After exposure to MLT for 21 days, a return to normal status was determined by subdividing the C + MLT group into two equal groups: ThEO and OEO were used as treatments, with 100 mg/kg body weight of thyme and oregano essential oils, respectively, being administered for 21 days. The results showed a significant decrease in body weight gain (BWG) and final weight (FW) compared to C − MLT, while the therapeutic effects of ThEO and OEO enhanced FW and BWG. Our results indicated that MLT exposure resulted in deficient serum liver function, but that OEO and ThEO therapy brought about a significant improvement in liver enzyme function. Although there was no significant difference in serum aspartate transaminase (AST) or alkaline phosphatase (ALK-Ph) and a significant drop in alanine transaminase (ALT) and acetyl choline-esterase (AChE) levels, the C + MLT group showed hepatic fibrosis in the third stage. Furthermore, histological sections of the OEO and ThEO groups showed reduced hepatocellular damage, inflammation, and hepatic fibrosis. However, there was a significant increase in serum creatinine between the C + MLT and C − MLT groups following exposure to MLT. Histological sections of renal tissue from rats treated with OEO and ThEO showed reduced tubular damage, reduced interstitial inflammation, and preserved renal tissue architecture. In conclusion, OEO and ThEO are potential compounds for use as anti-toxic therapies to return to a natural state after MLT exposure. These compounds could serve as an experimental therapeutic approach against natural toxins, providing a solution to the problems of raising livestock that are exposed to nutritional toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: African swine fever (ASF) presents a significant challenge in Asia, where outbreaks have devastated the pork industry and threatened food security due to high mortality rates in pigs. The disease, caused by the ASF virus genotype II, has spread rapidly across the region since its emergence in China in 2018. This paper discusses the introduction and implications of vaccines such as NAVET-ASFVAC and AVAC ASF Live in Vietnam, emphasizing the necessity for rigorous testing and regulatory oversight. Despite the potential use of vaccines to control the disease, concerns about the safety of live attenuated vaccines (LAVs), including their ability to revert to virulence or create new recombinant strains, highlight the complexity of ASF management. Effective vaccine strategies, alongside strict biosecurity measures, and rapid diagnostics are essential to mitigate the economic and social impacts of ASF and ensure the stability of pig populations in Asia. This paper explores the significance of quality vaccines in managing ASF in Asia, where it poses a substantial threat to the pork industry. It emphasizes the risks associated with substandard vaccines, including the emergence of new virus strains that complicate disease control. Highlighting recent advancements in vaccine deployment in Vietnam, the paper calls for rigorous testing and regulations to guarantee vaccine effectiveness and safety. The authors advocate for the implementation of vaccines with the inclusion of differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA), which enhances disease management strategies in both endemic and non-endemic regions. The conclusion underscores the necessity of stringent standards in vaccine development and strict adherence to regulatory guidelines to ensure successful ASF management and maintain public trust in the vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dmrt3 plays pivotal roles in testicular development, but the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of medaka (Oryzias latipes) dmrt3 (dmrt3a) in testis development. This paper demonstrates that dmrt3a can maintain the number of germ cells and sperm motility, and it is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of human oligospermia and asthenospermia. Research across various species has demonstrated that the doublesex and mab-3-related transcription factor 3 (dmrt3) plays pivotal roles in testis development. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of dmrt3 remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of dmrt3 (dmrt3a) in testis development using the model organism medaka (Oryzias latipes). SqRT-PCR and ISH analyses revealed that dmrt3a is predominantly expressed in the testis, especially in the spermatid and spermatozoon. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated two dmrt3a homozygous mutants (-8 bp and -11 bp), which exhibited significantly reduced fertilization rates and embryo production. Additionally, the number of germ cells and sperm motility were markedly decreased in the dmrt3a mutants, manifesting as the symptoms of asthenozoospermia and oligozoospermia. Interestingly, RNA-Seq analysis showed that the deficiency of dmrt3a could lead to a significant downregulation of numerous genes related to gonadal development and severe disruptions in mitochondrial function. These results suggested that dmrt3a is essential for spermatogenesis and spermatozoa energy production. This paper provides new insights and perspectives for further exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying spermatogenesis and addressing male reproductive issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The behaviours and needs of nocturnal animals can be overlooked by humans, potentially because of our poor night vision and diurnal waking hours. Despite certain challenges in studying many nocturnal animals, appropriate provisions for their welfare should be supported in both wild and managed environments. To investigate this issue and explore ways to offer technology-enhanced welfare, husbandry practices and enrichment opportunities for nocturnal species, we conducted a multidisciplinary workshop (Moon Jam). During the event, species experts provided animal welfare briefs that related to specific challenges for nocturnal animals in different contexts. Teams of participants addressed these challenges in collaborative design sessions, producing a collection of hand-crafted models to share their ideas. An important aspect of the workshop was to be inclusive of all the stakeholders involved, including zoo management teams, animal stewards and zoo visitors, as well as the individual species. In this paper, we present our reflections on managed nocturnal animal welfare, framing these within current practices and Moon Jam workshop outputs. We contribute a set of guidelines for those involved with caring for zoo-housed nocturnal species, emphasizing the provision of technology-enhanced husbandry and enrichment opportunities. This paper addresses the potential for technology to support husbandry and enrichment opportunities that enhance the welfare of zoo and sanctuary-housed nocturnal and crepuscular species. This topic was investigated through the medium of a multidisciplinary workshop (Moon Jam) that brought together species experts, zoo designers, Animal-Computer Interaction researchers and post-graduate students in collaborative discussions and design sessions. We explain the context through an examination of existing research and current practices, and report on specific challenges raised and addressed during the Moon Jam, highlighting and discussing key themes that emerged. Finally, we offer a set of guidelines to support the integration of technology into the design of animal husbandry and enrichment that support wellbeing, to advance the best practices in keeping and managing nocturnal and crepuscular animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are a significant burden on the global economy, public, and animal health. These events are predominantly zoonotic (60.3%), with the majority (75%) originating from wildlife. In Italy, there are hundreds of research, monitoring, and surveillance activities targeting wildlife-related pathogens. The objective of this review is to highlight the importance of hunters in the context of disease research and surveillance in wild populations. A total of 192 papers, 16 theses, and 94 congress abstracts were selected by applying a specific string and inclusion criteria. The contribution of hunters amounts to nearly 400,000 sampled animals. These results underscore the paradigm of One Health in wildlife health surveillance, emphasizing the crucial role of hunters in sample availability, which forms the foundation of current health surveillance activities. In Italy, there are hundreds of research, monitoring, and surveillance activities targeting emerging and re-emerging pathogens. These activities heavily rely on hunters for sample collection and early identification of morbidity/mortality events. The objective of this review is to describe and quantify the contribution of hunters in the context of disease research, monitoring, and surveillance in wild populations. A literature review and descriptive summary statistics were performed following PRISMA-2020 guidelines; articles were obtained from major scientific databases, abstracts from national and international conferences, proceedings, graduate-level theses from online library repositories, and direct contact with academic experts. The contribution of hunters in terms of sample collection for health-related activities on wildlife amounts to 400,000 sampled animals. Wild boars were involved in 158 surveillance systems/research studies, followed by red deer (71), foxes (63), and roe deer (59). The pathogens under surveillance were mainly zoonotic (Salmonella spp.), emerging (Hepatitis E virus), and/or vector-borne (West Nile virus). The temporal distribution of scientific papers followed a positive trend that reflects the growing interest in wildlife from different sectors. These results highlight how wildlife health-related efforts are a paradigm of the concept of One Health, in which the role of hunters is crucial to ensure sample availability, and it constitutes the base of much current wildlife health research, monitoring, and surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this paper, we developed and assessed a method for measuring the energy expenditure of ruminants using data collected from wearable inertial sensors that monitor accelerations. The measured values were compared with reference ones for animal expended energy, as reported in the literature, to evaluate the quality of the measurement. A results comparison allowed us to verify that the obtained values were within the reported reference ranges, which is very promising as it is a specific method with a low impact on animals' daily lives. Albeit not offering precision comparable to direct measurements, the measurement produced can be integrated with other complementary sources of information, (e.g., the evolution of the animal's weight, ingestion time) and can thus provide extremely useful information for the animals' feed management process. Indirect methods of measuring the energy expenditure of grazing animals using heartbeat variation or accelerometers are very convenient due to their low cost and low intrusiveness, allowing animals to maintain their usual routine. In the case of accelerometers, it is possible to use them to measure activity, as well as to classify animal behavior, allowing their usage in other scenarios. Despite the obvious convenience of use, it is important to evaluate the measurement error and understand the validity of the measurement through a simplistic method. In this paper, data from accelerometers were used to classify behavior and measure animal activity, and an algorithm was developed to calculate the energy expended by sheep. The results of the energy expenditure calculations were subsequently compared with the values reported in the literature, and it was verified that the values obtained were within the reference ranges. Although it cannot be used as a real metering of energy expended, the method is promising, as it can be integrated with other complementary sources of information, such as the evolution of the animal's weight and ingestion time, thus providing assistance in animals' dietary management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Today's zoos and aquariums claim to be shifting from being entertainment facilities to centers for the conservation of biodiversity. To make this shift, scientific research, including understanding the biology of endangered species and improving the environment of captive animals, is essential. Several studies have examined the trends in the number of research papers published by zoos and aquariums globally and indicated that this number has increased over the past few decades. In this study, we examined the trends in the number of papers published by Japanese zoos and aquariums over the past 62 years to determine whether research activities are also developing in Japan. We found that the number of research papers has significantly increased and that the research fields have diversified since around 1990. However, we also found some problems: about a quarter of the institutions have published no papers, research targets in zoos were biased toward captive mammals and that aquariums conducted little research on animal welfare. Addressing these issues, we would argue, will help Japanese zoos and aquariums to make further progress. With the shift in their social roles, modern zoos and aquariums are required to develop scientific research. Although zoos and aquariums worldwide have reported an increase in the number of papers they publish and the diversification of their fields in recent decades, the specific circumstances in Japan are slightly unclear. We listed peer-reviewed papers authored by Japanese zoos and aquariums using search engines and quantitatively evaluated the changes in the number of papers published over 62 years. Our results showed that papers published in Japan have increased remarkably since the 1990s, and research fields have diversified as in the rest of the world. In particular, joint research with research institutes has seen an upward trend, and the instances of English-language papers have increased. Meanwhile, the content of the research was biased. In zoos, research on animal welfare has been increasing, but the focus was heavily biased toward captive mammals. Aquariums contributed to the understanding of local ecosystems through the fundamental study of wildlife, but there were fewer papers on improving husbandry. Our results indicated that while research by Japanese zoos and aquariums is developing, research on welfare, conservation, and education regarding native endangered species must still be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Visitors in zoos have a variable impact on animals; principally categorised as positive, negative or neutral. This paper quantifies the impact of visitors in non-primate species, based on 105 papers found in the literature. In total, there were 252 non-primate species studied. The number of papers published has increased since 2012, with a range of animal groups now assessed (including avian, reptilian, amphibian, fish, mammalian and invertebrates). Amphibians responded negatively to visitors more frequently than would be expected, birds responded neutrally more frequently than would be expected and fish responded neutrally and 'unknown' more frequently than would be expected. A number of animal-based metrics have been used to assess the impacts of visitors on animals, with measures used varying across taxa. It is recommended that moving forwards researchers incorporate a suite of measures, particularly those which are meaningful in terms of being representative of individual animal experiences and animal welfare, collected in a manner which should capture those metrics accurately. Visitors are a prominent feature in the lives of zoo animals, and their presence can cause a range of impacts on zoo animals (typically classed as positive, negative or neutral impacts), commonly referred to as the 'visitor effect'. This paper quantitatively collates the literature on the visitor effect in non-primate species, investigates the types of measures used to assess impacts of visitors on animals and considers whether impacts vary across non-primate species in zoos. In total, there were 105 papers which had investigated the impact of zoo visitors on 252 non-primate species/species groups. There has been a steady increase in visitor effect research in zoos since 2012 and this body of work incorporates species from avian (28% study species), reptilian (9%), amphibian (2%), fish (4%) and invertebrate taxa (1%). However, there is still a bias towards mammalian species (56%). The response to visitors varied across taxa. Amphibians responded negatively to visitors more frequently than would be expected by chance (p < 0.05), birds responded neutrally more frequently than would be expected by chance (p < 0.05) and fish responded neutrally and 'unknown' more frequently than would be expected by chance (p < 0.05). This review highlighted a number of animal-based metrics which have been used to assess the impacts of visitors on animals, with measures used varying across taxa. Moving forwards, it is recommended that moving forwards researchers incorporate a suite of measures, incorporating those which are meaningful in terms of being representative of individual animal experiences and animal welfare, collected in a manner which should capture those metrics accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a response to comments made by researchers from the Universidad de Sevilla regarding a paper on extending climate justice to animals. The authors of the response agree with the commenters that the Iberian Lynx population has increased due to conservation efforts, but they clarify that their paper was not intended as a critique of these measures. The purpose of their paper is to discuss how to help wild animals cope with climate change, using the Iberian Lynx as an illustrative case. They argue that while the population has increased, the species is still at risk of extinction due to climate change. The authors also address the commenters' mention of the lack of originality in their proposed conservation measures, stating that their intention was to examine the moral implications of intervention strategies. Overall, the authors emphasize the importance of climate justice for animals, including the Iberian Lynx. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Improving the accuracy of day-age detection of chickens is of great importance for chicken rearing. This paper focuses on the problem of classifying the age of chickens within 100 days. This paper proposes a high-precision federated learning-based model that can be applied to edge computing scenarios. Finally, our method can achieve an accuracy of 96.1%, which can fully meet the needs of application scenarios. Due to the booming development of computer vision technology and artificial intelligence algorithms, it has become more feasible to implement artificial rearing of animals in real production scenarios. Improving the accuracy of day-age detection of chickens is one of the examples and is of great importance for chicken rearing. This paper focuses on the problem of classifying the age of chickens within 100 days. Due to the huge amount of data and the different computing power of different devices in practical application scenarios, it is important to maximize the computing power of edge computing devices without sacrificing accuracy. This paper proposes a high-precision federated learning-based model that can be applied to edge computing scenarios. In order to accommodate different computing power in different scenarios, this paper proposes a dual-ended adaptive federated learning framework; in order to adapt to low computing power scenarios, this paper performs lightweighting operations on the mainstream model; and in order to verify the effectiveness of the model, this paper conducts a number of targeted experiments. Compared with AlexNet, VGG, ResNet and GoogLeNet, this model improves the classification accuracy to 96.1%, which is 14.4% better than the baseline model and improves the Recall and Precision by 14.8% and 14.2%, respectively. In addition, by lightening the network, our methods reduce the inference latency and transmission latency by 24.4 ms and 10.5 ms, respectively. Finally, this model is deployed in a real-world application and an application is developed based on the wechat SDK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A bibliometric analysis was carried out to know the evolution of research on genes associated with meat tenderness, of interest for the development of selection programs. Since 1993, studies have been limited to a few researchers in high-income countries due to the costs associated with the techniques. The main findings showed that the scientific production had a discontinuous growth because science experienced a significant change since approximately 2010. Marker-assisted selection was widely used, evaluating mainly CAPN (calpain) and CAST (calpastatin) genes for their contribution to meat tenderness, especially in cattle. However, the effects are small; therefore, genomic selection was implemented by genotyping thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for further explanation of genetic variation. The results shown are important for scholars to identify emerging methodologies and gaps in the literature and to know who the prolific authors and institutions in the field for possible collaborations, etc., are. Tenderness is one of the main characteristics of meat because it determines its price and acceptability. This is the first bibliometric study on the trend of research on the role of genes in meat tenderness. A total of 175 original and English-language articles published up to 2021 were retrieved from Scopus. The bibliometric analysis was carried out with VOSviewer (version 1.6.18, Eck and Waltman, Leiden, Netherlands) and complemented with the Analyze search results service from Scopus. Erroneous and duplicate data were eliminated, and incomplete information was added to standardize the results. Scientific production was evaluated by means of quantity, quality and structure indicators. As a first glance, 8.816% of authors have published more than 50% of papers mainly related to genes encoding the calpain (CAPN)-calpastatin (CAST) system and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Among other findings, a strong link was found between the contribution of the main countries (led by the United States with) and their institutions (led by the USDA Agricultural Research Service with) to their gross domestic product. Most studies on the topic are published in the Journal of Animal Science, and other journals with high impact according to the number of citations and different metrics. Finally, when evaluating the most cited articles, the occurrence and association of the main keywords, it was confirmed that research is focused on the role of CAPN and CAST genes and of SNPs in beef tenderness. The change in science was emphasized; although marker-assisted selection is still used, genes have an infinitesimal effect on complex traits. Therefore, since about 2010, new research groups adopted genomic selection to evaluate dense panels of SNPs and better explain genetic variation in meat tenderness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Artificial intelligence has become essential for aiding in different knowledge domains by improving knowledge extraction from raw data and process automation. In dairy production, artificial intelligence offers promising applications in detecting and managing bovine mastitis, the most critical disease affecting the mammary gland in dairy cows, impacting milk production and profitability in dairy farms. This research evaluated the evolution of artificial intelligence applications in bovine mastitis between 2011 and 2021 using the Scopus database and the frequency of terms cited in titles, abstracts, and keywords. We selected the 62 papers that were the most relevant according to their citation index. Our results pointed out that the terms "machine learning" and "mastitis" were the most cited, with a significant increase between 2018 and 2021. There was an increase in artificial intelligence applications for bovine mastitis per country, showing applications primarily aimed at improving the current mastitis detection systems. The most cited model was artificial neural networks. We concluded that using artificial intelligence in bovine mastitis was related to mastitis detection as a vital tool to prevent this disease, considering its major impacts on dairy production and economic return. Mastitis, an important disease in dairy cows, causes significant losses in herd profitability. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for adequate control. Studies using artificial intelligence (AI) models to classify, identify, predict, and diagnose mastitis show promise in improving mastitis control. This bibliometric review aimed to evaluate AI and bovine mastitis terms in the most relevant Scopus-indexed papers from 2011 to 2021. Sixty-two documents were analyzed, revealing key terms, prominent researchers, relevant publications, main themes, and keyword clusters. "Mastitis" and "machine learning" were the most cited terms, with an increasing trend from 2018 to 2021. Other terms, such as "sensors" and "mastitis detection", also emerged. The United States was the most cited country and presented the largest collaboration network. Publications on mastitis and AI models notably increased from 2016 to 2021, indicating growing interest. However, few studies utilized AI for bovine mastitis detection, primarily employing artificial neural network models. This suggests a clear potential for further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Some large-breed dogs are at high risk of a life-threatening gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) when the stomach twists and cuts off the blood supply. This must be treated surgically with gastropexy. Gastropexy can be also performed before GDV occurs through open surgery or laparoscopically (keyhole). Laparoscopic gastropexy can be performed in various ways, and one of the newer trends is the use of semi-robotic instruments, such as the FlexDex device (Infiniti Medical, Brighton (US). This paper reports on a learning curve of a specialist surgeon with prior expertise starting to use the FlexDex device. Because this novel tool offers great range of movement, laparoscopic suturing is much easier with it, and within 12 cases, the operating time dropped by 73%, from 52 to 14 min. This is significant because many surgeons shy away from keyhole procedures due to the lengthy time to gain sufficient skills. Reducing surgical time also represents shorter, therefore, safer anaesthesia as well as lower costs of anaesthetic drugs and agents. Using advanced instruments decreases the technical difficulties related with keyhole surgery and laparoscopic suturing in particular. Objectives: Keyhole gastropexy is becoming increasingly popular, and the new development facilitates shorter surgical times. This paper reports on the learning curve in two-port laparoscopic gastropexy using FlexDex in a specialist's hands. FlexDex is a novel tool combining aspects of robotic surgery without requiring an expensive robot theatre setting. Methods: Cohort of 16 dogs >25 kg and at high risk of gastric volvulus and dilatation (GDV) undergoing elective laparoscopic gastropexy were enrolled in the study consecutively from 5/2022 to 9/2023. All patients were operated on by one surgeon (FM), and surgical time was recorded to assess learning curve. Competence was defined as plateauing surgical time. Detailed follow-up at 1 day, 7 days, 14 days, 2 months, 6 months, and long-term was recorded for success rate and complications. Ultrasound examination was scheduled at 4–6-month review to confirm lasting success of the gastropexy. Results: All 16 patients were operated on successfully without any significant complications, as confirmed on the ultrasound. The surgical time of laparoscopic gastropexy reduced from 52 to 14 min (reduction of 38 min/73%) and reached plateau after the 12th case of the 16, making it a very steep learning curve in specialist hands. There were no serious complications, and success rate was 100% at the 6-month ultrasound assessment. Clinical Significance: This is the first paper to report on the learning curve with the FlexDex device in a two-port laparoscopic gastropexy setting. It effectively halves the operating time to 30 min, making the surgery safer for the patient and more cost-efficient, without compromising the result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has broad potential as an adjuvant therapy for various medical and surgical conditions with potential preoperative use in the preservation and/or preparation of the surgical bed. However, further studies on their effects on healthy individuals are required. This study explored the effects of HBOT on hemogram, serum biochemistry and hemostatic parameters in female dogs undergoing laparoscopic-assisted ovariohysterectomy. Thirty adult, mixed-breed, healthy female dogs were randomly separated into three groups: HBOT + SURG group (exposure to two ATAs for 45 min followed by video-assisted OVH), HBOT group (exposure to two ATAs for 45 min) and SURG group (video-assisted OVH). Blood samples were collected at T0 (at the admission), at T1, 24 h after T0 (immediately after HBOT in the HBOT + SURG and HBOT groups, and immediately before anesthetic premedication in the SURG group), and at T2, 48 h after T0 (24 h after HBOT and anesthetic premedication). Laboratory assessments included erythrocyte, leukocyte and platelet count, renal and hepatic serum biochemistry, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) and bloodstain area in a hygroscopic paper (BA). In conclusion, a session of HBOT at two ATAs for 45 min did not cause changes in the BMBT and BA of healthy bitches. Some modifications in leukocyte, neutrophil and lymphocyte count, as well as in alkaline phosphatase, PT and APTT were observed in the different groups considered, mostly dependent on the use of HBOT. Background: This study explored the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on hemogram, serum biochemistry and hemostatic variables in female dogs undergoing laparoscopic-assisted ovariohysterectomy (OVH). Materials: Thirty adult, mixed-breed, healthy female dogs were randomly divided into the following three groups: HBOT + SURG (exposed to two absolute atmospheres (ATAs) for 45 min followed by laparoscopic-assisted OVH), HBOT (exposed to two ATAs for 45 min) and SURG (laparoscopic-assisted OVH). Blood samples were collected at T0 (at the admission), at T1, 24 h after T0 (immediately after HBOT in the HBOT + SURG and HBOT groups, and immediately before anesthetic premedication in the SURG group), and at T2, 48 h after T0 (24 h after HBOT and anesthetic premedication). Methods: Assessments included erythrogram, leukogram, thrombogram, renal and hepatic serum biochemistry, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) and bloodstain area (BA) on hygroscopic paper collected at the BMBT. Results: Both the HBOT + SURG and SURG groups presented neutrophilia (p ≤ 0.0039) at T2 and an increase of ALP at T2 (p ≤ 0.0493), the SURG group presented an increase in leukocyte count at T2 (p = 0.0238) and the HBOT + SURG group presented a reduction in lymphocyte count at T2 (p = 0.0115). In the HBOT + SURG group, there was a reduction in PT and APTT in relation to the baseline value (p ≤ 0.0412). Conclusions: A session of HBOT at two ATAs for 45 min did not cause changes in the BMBT or BA in healthy female dogs. Some blood parameters investigated (neutrophil and lymphocyte count, ALP, PT and APTT) were affected by the use of HBOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dairy farming is a significant source of pollutant gas emissions, contributing to climate change and air quality degradation. Understanding these emissions in milk production promotes productive efficiency and sustainable resource use. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions in dairy farming, utilizing bibliometric analysis methods. Articles featuring experimental data collection were selected, exclusively in English. The databases considered were Scopus and Web of Science. The analyses were conducted using Bibliometrix version 4.0.0 and VOSviewer version 1.6.20 tools to create knowledge maps visualizing information on research countries, institutions, author collaborations, and keyword networks. The search yielded 187 articles related to major pollutant gases such as methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and hydrogen sulfide. This study provided valuable insights into gas emission sources, air quality, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, as well as identifying gaps and critical points in research on the topic. Ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions in dairy farming are crucial for climate change mitigation and sustainable agriculture. This research can contribute to academic interests while enhancing agricultural practices and informing environmental policies. The relevance of this research will persist with the growing demand for sustainable practices, as more researchers and organizations recognize the importance of gas emissions and mitigation research. A deeper understanding of gas emissions in milk production is crucial for promoting productive efficiency, sustainable resource use, and animal welfare. This paper aims to analyze ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions in dairy farming using bibliometric methods. A total of 187 English-language articles with experimental data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases (January 1987 to April 2024) were reviewed. Publications notably increased from 1997, with the highest number of papers published in 2022. Research mainly focuses on ammonia and methane emissions, including quantification, volatilization, and mitigation strategies. Other gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and hydrogen sulfide were also studied. Key institutions include the University of California–Davis and Aarhus University. Bibliometric analysis revealed research evolution, identifying trends, gaps, and future research opportunities. This bibliometric analysis offers insights into emissions, air quality, sustainability, and animal welfare in dairy farming, highlighting areas for innovative mitigation strategies to enhance production sustainability. This research contributes to academia, enhancing agricultural practices, and informing environmental policies. It is possible to conclude that this research is a valuable tool for understanding the evolution of research on gas emissions in dairy cattle facilities, providing guidance for future studies and interventions to promote more sustainable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There has been a growing focus on the utilization of copra meal, the byproduct of coconut oil production, as an alternative feed ingredient to supplement the growing demands of the ruminant livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industries. It provides a locally available and inexpensive source of protein, which is essential in tropical and subtropical regions, where coconut production is robust while conventional feed ingredients are scarce and prices are often unstable. This paper presents up-to-date information on the advancements in using copra meal as an animal feed ingredient and the various methods employed to enhance its nutritional and feeding value. It also offers a comprehensive overview of the physical and chemical properties of copra meal, emphasizing the need for further research to fully exploit its potential due to the limited understanding of its physical properties and the variability in quality resulting from different processing operations. This review paper also focuses on other potential applications for copra meal, which is crucial given the substantial global production volume with limited value addition. This could play a significant role in boosting the profitability of the coconut sector, reducing agricultural waste, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Copra meal, the byproduct of coconut oil production, has been widely available at low cost but has been underutilized, with huge portions still becoming waste. Extensive research on different species have been performed to improve its use as an alternative feed ingredient, aiming to reduce the impact of fluctuating feed prices in some parts of the world where coconut is a major commodity. As for any biological product, the physical and chemical properties of copra meal play a crucial role in its use and limitations. In the case of copra meal, studies have found that additional treatments are needed to improve its nutritional composition and make it readily and efficiently available for ruminant and monogastric animals, poultry, and aquaculture applications. This paper presents a summary of up-to-date information on the physical and chemical characteristics of the product, as well as discussions on the various methods employed to improve and optimize its biological value as animal feed. There have been limited studies that have explored other effective and economical means of utilizing copra meal outside the livestock and feed industry. Hence, this paper also aims to provide a lens on future prospects and diverse applications involving copra meal, as well as to present the gaps and challenges that have to be addressed to maximize its product value and biological potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Archaeozoological investigation of the horse remains discovered in Alba Iulia-CX 143 complex of the La Tène period reveals the existence of a small-sized male horse (Equus caballus) of 1200–1300 mm in height with slender extremities that died at the age of 7–8 years with no evident paleopathological changes characteristic to horseback riding but showing distinctive elements of bit wear. The present paper deals with the archaeozoological investigation carried out on a horse skeleton discovered in a Late Iron Age La Tène tomb (coded CX 143) in Alba Iulia, Romania. The paper presents all the results of the investigation, with a description of finds, adding a detailed assessment of the dentition with some interesting conclusions on the usage of a horse bit and the possible consequences of this use. The morphological features of the horse indicate a 7–8-year-old male individual, with a recalculated height of 1200–1300 mm. What is also stressed in the investigated sample is the lack of the characteristic pathological lesions typical for horseback riding but showing distinctive elements of bit wear. A comparative perspective over the few findings from the same period is provided to ensure the framing of the identified individual into the much larger historical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This article discusses how to plan the transport of fattened pigs from farms to the abattoir efficiently when the farms are coordinated with the abattoir operation. In contrast to the papers published to date that have been concerned with the farmer's profit, this paper adopts the slaughterhouse perspective. Coordination with growers should help to better plan the collection of pigs by establishing the best routes for the trucks to ensure the optimal functioning of the abattoir. Starting from a real scenario, the study delves into a complex Team Orienteering Problem, taking into account factors such as stochastic production and maximum truck workload. The paper adopts the PJS heuristic and compares it with exact methods, revealing the computational infeasibility of the latter. Through scenario analysis, the study unveils insights into practical solutions, highlighting a positive relationship between the exploration of alternative routes, the number of trips, transport costs, and maximum reward. In particular, greater variability in the number of pigs to be collected presents opportunities for a more efficient mix of loads, especially if one truck can visit at least one more farm. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing the pig transport logistics, potentially improving the profitability and sustainability. In the context of pig farming, this paper addresses the optimization problem of collecting fattened pigs from farms to deliver them to the abattoir. Assuming that the pig sector is organized as a competitive supply chain with narrow profit margins, our aim is to apply analytics to cope with the uncertainty in production costs and revenues. Motivated by a real-life case, the paper analyzes a rich Team Orienteering Problem (TOP) with a homogeneous fleet, stochastic demands, and maximum workload. After describing the problem and reviewing the related literature, we introduce the PJS heuristic. Our approach is first compared with exact methods, which are revealed as computationally unfeasible. Later, a scenario analysis based on a real instance was performed to gain insight into the practical aspects. Our findings demonstrate a positive correlation between the number of alternative routes explored, the number of trips, the transportation cost, and the maximum reward. Regarding the variability in the number of pigs to collect, when a truck can visit more than one farm, better solutions can be found with higher variability since the load can be combined more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Simple Summary: During the ethanol creation process, ethanol and ethanol co-products are created. Ethanol plants take these co-products and market them in a secondary market. While originally just additional revenue streams, coproducts have evolved into valuable commodities themselves. Analyzing existing research, the study finds that most of the current economic understanding is for distillers' grains, a common coproduct used in animal feed. Newer coproducts like pelletized or high-protein grains are less studied. Moreover, alternative uses for coproducts such as plastics and CO2 have remained largely unexplored. The research underscores the need for further investigation to optimize coproduct utilization and inform future decision-making. We suggest focusing on the economic pricing, marketing, and regulatory structure of newer ethanol co-products to add additional value to the ethanol industry. During the mid-2000s to the early 2010s, the domestic ethanol industry witnessed substantial growth, with ethanol coproducts emerging as vital elements for plant profitability and livestock feeding. Initially serving as supplementary revenue streams, coproducts from ethanol production have evolved into diverse value-added offerings, bolstering revenue streams, and sustaining profit margins. This study reviews existing economic research on ethanol coproducts, detailing methodologies, product focus, and research locations. Initially gathering 972 articles from 9 databases, 110 articles were synthesized. We find that most studies primarily examined the growth and future of the ethanol industry with a limited focus on specific coproducts. Feed-use distillers' grains, especially dried distillers' grains, were the most widely published while newer coproducts like pelletized, de-oiled, and high-protein distillers' grains were relatively understudied. Non-feed-use products were notably overlooked, highlighting the need for exploration beyond conventional applications. The evolving market landscape for ethanol co-products has surpassed published academic understanding of the economic tradeoffs necessitating further research into product dynamics, pricing, marketing, market structures, and regulatory frameworks. This highlights and underscores the importance of investigating value-added grains across diverse commodities and geographic contexts to inform strategic decision-making and policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Developing sustainable livestock management requires knowledge and monitoring of which habitats within an enclosure the livestock prefers to stay in and in what way they utilise the available habitats. The technology of virtual fencing provides the ability to both monitor and adapt enclosures, thus adding value to the expense related to fencing for farmers and livestock managers. To this end, the possibilities this new technology offers need to be explored and methods developed. In this paper, we explore the monitoring capabilities of virtual fencing technology on a herd of cattle in a coastal dune landscape. We explore to what extent a herd of cattle prefers some habitats over others, and in what way they utilise each of the available habitats. We find clear differences in the amount of time the herd spends in each habitat and in the ways they utilise each habitat. The herd spend a disproportionately large amount of time in salt meadow, and likely spend most of their time there resting and ruminating. We conclude that the method for monitoring of cattle applied in this study, using existing virtual fencing technology, is a relatively precise method useful in year-round monitoring, with room for improvement. There has been an increased focus on new technologies to monitor habitat use and behaviour of cattle to develop a more sustainable livestock grazing system without compromising animal welfare. One of the currently used methods for monitoring cattle behaviour is tri-axial accelerometer data from systems such as virtual fencing technology or bespoke monitoring technology. Collection and transmission of high-frequency accelerometer and GNSS data is a major energy cost, and quickly drains the battery in contemporary virtual fencing systems, making it unsuitable for long-term monitoring. In this paper, we explore the possibility of determining habitat preference and habitat utilisation patterns in cattle using low-frequency activity and location data. We achieve this by (1) calculating habitat selection ratios, (2) determining daily activity patterns, and (3) based on those, inferring grazing and resting sites in a group of cattle wearing virtual fencing collars in a coastal setting with grey, wooded, and decalcified dunes, humid dune slacks, and salt meadows. We found that GNSS data, and a measure of activity, combined with accurate mapping of habitats can be an effective tool in assessing habitat preference. The animals preferred salt meadows over the other habitats, with wooded dunes and humid dune slacks being the least preferred. We were able to identify daily patterns in activity. By comparing general trends in activity levels to the existing literature, and using a Gaussian mixture model, it was possible to infer resting and grazing behaviour in the different habitats. According to our inference of behaviour the herd predominantly used the salt meadows for resting and ruminating. The approach used in this study allowed us to use GNSS location data and activity data and combine it with accurate habitat mapping to assess habitat preference and habitat utilisation patterns, which can be an important tool for guiding management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In response to the challenges posed by a growing global population, the livestock industry must increase food production while ensuring environmental sustainability. This paper explores how feed producers can tackle these challenges using advanced formulation techniques. By leveraging AI decision support systems, producers can optimize feed composition to promote animal health and environmental stewardship. The study's findings offer valuable insights into improving animal feed production, supporting the livestock industry in achieving sustainability goals and contributing to global environmental conservation efforts. The unprecedented challenges presented by the increase in global population have placed substantial demands on the livestock industry for human nutrition, necessitating heightened animal productivity and leading to an increased demand for natural resources to produce animal feed. Feed producers are leading the charge, consistently refining formulations to adapt to the evolving needs of livestock, driven in part by the cost of over 50% associated with feed production. This paper critically analyses the pressing issues within feed formulation, addressing the requirement for environmentally sustainable practices amidst the challenges of climate change. The exploration extends to how advanced decision support tools can enhance formulation techniques and profitability and contribute to environmental sustainability. Through an in-depth review of current feed formulation technologies, encompassing their applications and limitations, this study aims to enhance the existing knowledge base. Additionally, we examined future trends, highlighting the essential role of connecting technologies to establish a resilient and sustainable system. The emphasis is on the potential of formulation techniques to positively impact the environment and enhance the overall quality and performance of the animals. This paper provides actionable insights to improve animal production by examining feed formulation models and decision support tools. The anticipated outcome is a more informed and sustainable decision-making process, addressing the multifaceted challenges confronted by the livestock industry and making contributions to global efforts in climate change mitigation and environmental stewardship in animal production agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The United Nations' goals for sustainability, like Zero Hunger by 2030, urge us to find new ways to produce food without harming nature. As traditional resources for feed, like soymeal and fishmeal, become scarcer and more expensive, exploring alternative protein sources is one options. Research on using insect meal instead of fishmeal shows promise in terms of animal growth and feed efficiency. This paper assesses the socio-economic benefits and costs of production of insect meal to substitute fishmeal in feed, while also focusing on factors that would affect performance most. The study evaluates the economic value of insect-based products, waste, and greenhouse gas reduction as socio-economic benefits. Data from laboratory trials and case studies on black soldier fly and yellow mealworm reveal negative balances of socio-economic benefits and costs; however, it is possible that upscaling and more effective technologies could move this positively. Changes in nutrient market values could also shift the balance as well as prevent impact on marine ecosystems from reduction fishery; this was not evaluated but could contribute to the overall outcome. Thus, although the current assessment shows a negative balance, it does not necessarily mean that the production of insect meal for feed is not beneficial for society in the long term. Sustainability targets set by the United Nations, such as Zero Hunger by 2030, encourage the search for innovative solutions to enhance food production while preserving the environment. Alternative protein sources for feed, while conventional resources like soymeal and fishmeal become more expensive and scarcer, is one of the possibilities. Studies on substituting fishmeal with insect meal show promising results in terms of animal growth and feed efficiency. This paper aims to assess the socio-economic benefits and costs of insect meal substituting fishmeal in feed and to highlight the factors influencing performance most. The study evaluates the economic value of insect-based products, waste reduction, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions as socio-economic benefits. It combines empirical data derived from laboratory trials and two case studies covering black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor). Current analyses reveal negative socio-economic balances, emphasizing that reduction of operating and investment costs through upscaling and technological advancements can give a positive move, as well as factors such as current market valuations for nutrients can change significantly. Thus, a negative balance at the moment does not mean that insect rearing, and larva processing are not desirable from a long-term socio-economic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Assyrian Trade Colonies Age, from the EBA to MBA, marked a shift in the trading system between Anatolia and Mesopotamia due to increased mineral trade. Assyrian traders transported tin, textiles, and valuable stones and metals, paying taxes to local rulers. They established settlements and established Karum colonies in major cities and Wabartum stations in smaller ones. It is known that donkeys and mules were used as caravan animals towards the end of the Early Bronze Age in Central Anatolia. However, we have not identified enough archaeological material to prove the existence of mules in particular. Animal bone remains recovered from the Derekutuğun mining settlement were examined, and especially the teeth of equids were further examined by the researcher. This study mentions the existence of the oldest known possible mules, especially based on the dental remains of equids found in Derekutuğun. This paper discusses the discoveries of early donkey and the earliest mule remains in Central Anatolia from the site Derekutuğun. This site represents the remains of a village dating back to the Early Bronze Age and Assyrian Trade Colonies period, associated with mining. The archaeofaunal assemblage was studied by the author and his team using classical archaeozoological methods. The dental remains of the Equidae found at Derekutuğun have been re-examined and are described in this article. The dental evidence indicates that donkeys, and possibly the earliest mules ever found in Central Anatolia, were kept at this site. Although the paper is based on the archaeozoological remains, written sources from the period also support the faunal identification. Derekutuğun was a small settlement that specialized in processing copper ore, and which was an important hub for a trade network because of its extensive mining and extraction operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This research explores the initial skepticism and bewilderment among zoo staff about animal welfare and environmental enrichment introduced in Japanese zoos in the mid-1990s. Based on the results of a 2001 questionnaire survey conducted by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums and publicly available literature, this paper demonstrates that this skepticism and confusion are not simply due to wariness of a new initiative but to a complex combination of factors, including inadequate information, historical and cultural context, and differing perceptions of animal care in the legal system. For example, it was shown that in the early 2000s, environmental enrichment was misinterpreted as exhibit strategy, leading to resistance from zoo staff. This misinterpretation and resistance can be traced back to the post-World War II popularity of mobile zoos and the legal perception of animals as mere "living beings", not "sentient beings" under Japan's Animal Protection Law. Through the analysis of a case study in Japan in the early 2000s, this paper aims to identify some of the early challenges to introducing and practicing animal welfare and environmental enrichment in non-Western cultures and contribute to better understanding and practice. Despite regional differences, this study aims to contribute to understanding and improving the universal acceptance and application of animal welfare. This study examines the Japanese zoo staff's initial skepticism and bewilderment regarding animal welfare and environmental enrichment in the mid-1990s. Utilizing a 2001 questionnaire conducted by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums and existing literature reveals that this resistance stemmed from inadequate information, cultural history, and legal perspectives on animal care. Specifically, environmental enrichment was initially misunderstood as an exhibition strategy, partly due to post-WWII trends in mobile zoos and legal views of animals as non-sentient under Japan's Animal Protection Law. The research highlights the early hurdles in adopting animal welfare and environmental enrichment in non-Western settings, aiming to provide insights for other regions dealing with similar transitional challenges. It also addresses misperceptions about environmental enrichment in the context of empathetic relationships and professional ethics in Japanese zoology, offering insights into regions facing similar issues. Additionally, the paper discusses the progression of animal welfare practices in Japanese zoos and related managerial challenges, acknowledging cultural and institutional factors. Despite regional differences, this study aims to contribute to understanding and improving the universal acceptance and application of animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) remains a poorly understood clinical condition with significant impact on the quality of life of affected cats. An understanding of the pathogenesis of this inflammatory disease will enable the development of improved and targeted therapeutics beyond full-mouth extractions. Here, we collected sterile noninvasive plaque samples at ten distinct sites within the oral cavity in cats with FCGS (n = 12), healthy cats (n = 9), or cats with other oral conditions (n = 11). We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1–V9) to profile bacteria in the oral microbiome. We found that the microbiomes of cats with FCGS were distinct from those of healthy cats at multiple oral sites, indicating that dysbiosis is present throughout the oral cavity. The microbiomes of cats varied depending on their oral diagnoses, confirming that the various dental diseases impact the microbiome in different ways. Lastly, microbiome data obtained from swabs of the oral cavity were similar to those obtained using endodontic paper point plaque samples, suggesting this approach as another valuable method of sampling. Given these additional insights, future studies can focus on targeted therapeutics so that extraction of healthy teeth will no longer be the standard of care for this challenging condition. Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a chronic mucosal and gingival inflammatory disease in which pathogenesis remains unclear. Interactions between the host inflammatory process, the host immune response, and the oral microbiome are implicated in this pathogenesis. To begin to understand this disease and the impact of the microbiome to host inflammatory disease states, we collected sterile noninvasive plaque biofilm samples from ten distinct sites within the oral cavity in cats with stomatitis (n = 12), healthy cats (n = 9), and cats with tooth resorption or periodontitis (n = 11). Analysis of full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the microbiomes of cats with FCGS presented marked dysbiosis at multiple oral sites. Additionally, microbiome beta diversity varied with oral condition, indicating that stomatitis, periodontitis, and/or tooth resorption influence the microbiome differently. Lastly, we found that the microbiomes of swabs taken from the oral cavity were comparable to those taken from plaque using endodontic paper points, validating this as another sampling method. Collectively, our work furthers our understanding of the dysbiosis and composition of bacteria in the oral microbiome in FCGS, with hopes of contributing to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this challenging condition in felines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the current knowledge on the application of ultrasonography in the identification and removal of grass awns from various anatomic locations in dogs and cats. We selected and analyzed 46 papers on the application of ultrasonography in dogs and cats affected by migrating grass awns. The ultrasonographic appearance of grass awns is characteristic, although their size and location can influence visualization and removal attempt. In some cases, migrating grass awns are not directly visualized by ultrasonography, but lesions caused by their migration can be easily seen. Ultrasonography can be considered a useful diagnostic tool to localize and remove migrating grass awns; however, when the migration occurs in less accessible locations or discrete foreign bodies are present, this diagnostic tool should be considered as a part of a multidisciplinary approach with advanced diagnostic imaging modalities. Migrating grass awns are an important cause of disease in dogs and cats. Plant awns can migrate into several body tissues and cavities because of their fusiform shape and backward-pointing barbs. Their migration causes inflammatory tissue reaction and clinical signs depend upon their localization. Ultrasound has been described as a useful, noninvasive, and readily available tool to identify and guide vegetal foreign bodies removal in animals. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize current knowledge on the application of ultrasonography in the identification and removal of grass awns from various anatomic locations in dogs and cats. We selected and analyzed 46 papers on the application of ultrasonography in dogs and cats affected by migrating grass awns. The ultrasonographic appearance of grass awns is characteristic, although their size and location can influence the visualization and the attempt of removal. In some cases, migrating grass awns are not directly visualized by ultrasonography, but the lesions caused by their migration can be easily seen. Ultrasonography can be considered a useful diagnostic tool to localize and remove migrating grass awns; however, when the migration occurs in less accessible locations or discrete foreign bodies are present, this diagnostic tool should be considered as a part of a multidisciplinary approach with advanced diagnostic imaging modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]