Identifying NH emission mitigation techniques from farm to field using a Bayesian network.

This study addresses the challenge of reducing ammonia (NH) emissions from agriculture by evaluating various mitigation techniques. The research utilized a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) to integrate quantitative data on NH volatilization reduction with qualitative stakeholder perceptions, aiming to identify the best available techniques (BATs) that balance environmental, economic, and socio-cultural factors for farmers in the Veneto region of Italy. The BBN framework established probabilistic dependencies between variables related to livestock, crop type, manure storage, fertilization management, and pedo-climatic conditions.

Development of an efficient NUPR1 inhibitor with anticancer activity.

Pancreatic cancer is highly lethal and has limited treatment options available. Our team had previously developed ZZW-115, a promising drug candidate that targets the nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1), which is involved in pancreatic cancer development and progression. However, clinical translation of ZZW-115 was hindered due to potential cardiotoxicity caused by its interaction with the human Ether-à-go-go-Related Gene (hERG) potassium channel.

Qualitative behavioral assessment of dogs with acute pain.

Free Choice Profiling (FCP) methodology allows observers to qualitatively assess animal behavior using their own vocabulary. This study aims to investigate the ability of 3 different observer groups to recognize pain-related emotions in 20 dogs using FCP methodology, and to compare FCP data with the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale-Short Form (GCPS- SF) scores. The observer groups consisted of 10 dog owners, 10 veterinary students and 10 veterinarians.

Spiritual issues, beliefs, needs, and resources in palliative healthcare providers: An Italian qualitative study.

The significance of spirituality in navigating the meaning of illness and death has been well-established. However, healthcare professionals working with palliation also grapple with their own spiritual dimensions when confronted with these circumstances. This study aimed to explore spirituality from a subjective standpoint among a sample of palliative care professionals, investigating its role and associated needs.

Sensor-based behavioral patterns can identify heat-sensitive lactating dairy cows.

Heat stress impairs the health and performance of dairy cows, yet only a few studies have investigated the diversity of cattle behavioral responses to heat waves. This research was conducted on an Italian Holstein dairy farm equipped with precision livestock farming sensors to assess potential different behavioral patterns of the animals. Three heat waves, defined as at least five consecutive days with mean daily temperature-humidity index higher than 72, were recorded in the farm area during the summer of 2021.

Seasonal Variation in Raw Milk VOC Profile within Intensive Feeding Systems.

The study aimed to assess the seasonal variation in raw milk volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from three indoor feeding systems based on maize silage ( = 31), silages/hay ( = 19) or hay ( = 16). After headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), VOC profiles were determined by gas chromatography (GC). Chemical and VOC (log transformations of the peak areas) data were submitted to a two-way ANOVA to assess the feeding system (FS) and season (S) effects; an interactive principal component analysis (iPCA) was also performed.

Loss of Personal Autonomy and Dignity-Related Distress in End-Of-Life Cancer Patients.

The objective of this cross-sectional study is to investigate Dignity-Related Loss of Personal Autonomy (DR-LPA) intended as loss of relational independence causing dignity-related distress. Moreover, it analyzes its possible relationships with demoralization, spirituality, quality of life, hope, and coping styles in a sample composed of 207 end-of-life cancer patients. These variables have been assessed through the following rating scales: Patient Dignity Inventory - Italian version, Demoralization Scale - Italian version, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale - General Measure, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being, Brief Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced, and Herth Hope Index.

The Role of Environmental Enrichment and Back Fat Depth in the Intensity of Aggressive Behavior Performed by Sows during the Establishment of the Dominance Hierarchy.

For sows introduced into new groups, the aggressive behavior associated with establishing a social hierarchy represents a period of severe stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of providing sows with an improved pen environment (straw in racks and ropes) on aggressive behavior after mixing and to understand the role played by sow back fat thickness and parity order. At 29 d post-service, sows were mixed into IMPROVED or CONTROL pens with individual feeding stalls (6 groups/treatment, 20 sows/group).

Undocked Tails, Mycoplasma-like Lesions and Gastric Ulcers in Slaughtering Pigs: What Connection?

Tail biting is an economical and behavioral problem in the pork production system worldwide and systematic tail docking has been applied for decades to decrease the risk of its onset. However, legal and market-driven requirements are leading pig producers to rear undocked animals. The aim of this work was to monitor tail, pluck (lungs, pleurae, and liver), stomach, carcass, and thigh lesions in slaughtering pigs belonging to either docked or undocked batches.

Development of an equation to screen for solar hemorrhages from digital cushion ultrasound texture analysis in veal calves at slaughter.

Claw disorders are a relevant welfare issue in the cattle industry, fast and accurate diagnoses are essential for successful treatment and prevention. The present study aimed to develop an equation to assess the presence of solar hemorrhages from real-time ultrasound images texture analysis at slaughter. Eighty-eight hind feet were collected at the slaughterhouse from 44 Holstein male veal calves.

Brief Research Report: How Do Claw Disorders Affect Activity, Body Weight, and Milk Yield of Multiparous Holstein Dairy Cows?

Claw disorders are among the most relevant health problems in dairy herds. Despite being often not clearly visible and not easily detectable for farmers, they may appear as peculiar cow behavioral and performance patterns. This retrospective study aimed to assess cow's behavior and production variations associated with claw disorders.

Multivariate modelling of milk fatty acid profile to discriminate the forages in dairy cows' ration.

Although there are many studies on the importance of fatty acids (FA) in our diet and on the influence of dairy diets on FA metabolism, only a few investigate their predictive capacity to discriminate the type, amount and conservation method of farm forages. This research quantifies differences in milk FA concentrations and, using a supervised factorial discriminant analysis, assesses potential biomarkers when replacing maize with other silages, grass/lucerne hays or fresh grass. The statistical modelling identified three main clusters of milk FA profiles associated with silages, hays and fresh grass as dominant roughages.

Efficacy of Intra-Operative Topical Wound Anaesthesia to Mitigate Piglet Castration Pain-A Large, Multi-Centred Field Trial.

Piglet castration results in acute pain and stress to the animal. There is a critical need for effective on-farm methods of pain mitigation. Local anaesthesia using Tri-Solfen (Animal Ethics Pty Ltd.

Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and natural plant extracts against Listeria monocytogenes in a dry-cured ham-based model.

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a widespread common contaminant in food production facilities during preparation, storage, and distribution, and minimally processed ready-to-eat products are considered at high risk of contamination by this bacterium. Increased antibiotic resistance has led researchers to search for plant-based natural alternatives to control pathogenic microorganisms. Among these products, essential oils and plant extracts have previously shown antimicrobial activity and are possible alternatives to manage food pathogens.

The Use of the General Animal-Based Measures Codified Terms in the Scientific Literature on Farm Animal Welfare.

The approach to farm animal welfare evaluation has changed and animal-based measures (ABM), defined as the responses of an animal or effects on an animal, were introduced to assess animal welfare. Animal-based measures can be taken directly on the animal or indirectly and include the use of animal records. They can result from a specific event or be the cumulative outcome of many days, weeks, or months.

Prevalence of fibrinous pericarditis in heavy pigs (170 kg) and its association with other pluck lesions at slaughter inspection.

This study determined the prevalence of fibrinous pericarditis and its correlation with other pluck lesions in 658 batches of pigs from 236 intensive farms located in Northern Italy over a 12-month period. All pigs were slaughtered at 170 kg, and a total 57,943 plucks (approximately 90 pigs/batch) were individually assessed for the presence of fibrinous pericarditis, pneumonia, pleuritis, and liver milk spots. There was no seasonal variation in the prevalence of plucks with fibrinous pericarditis and annual mean prevalence was 5.

Demoralization in End-of-Life Cancer Patients' Family Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of demoralization in a sample of end-of-life cancer patients' family caregivers and investigate the association between demoralization and different factors, such as distress, hope, quality of life, and caregiver burden.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design and 142 participants were sampled. Family caregivers were included if they were caring for a cancer patient in palliative care with a limited life expectancy.

Potential Benefits to Dairy Cow Welfare of Using a Ceftiofur-Ketoprofen Combination Drug for the Treatment of Inflammatory Disease Associated with Pyrexia: A Field Clinical Trial on Acute Puerperal Metritis.

This study aimed at investigating the benefits of using a drug combining ceftiofur and ketoprofen in a single injection on dairy cow welfare in the case of inflammatory disease with pyrexia, such as acute puerperal metritis (APM). Cows of an Italian dairy farm were examined between 5 and 14 days of calving: those with APM were randomly treated either with combined ceftiofur-ketoprofen (CD) or ceftiofur alone (C), starting from Day 0, and an equal number of healthy cows served as a control (CTR). Clinical examination and blood sampling were performed until Day 7 in each group according to specific schedules.

Assessment of Rumen Mucosa, Lung, and Liver Lesions at Slaughter as Benchmarking Tool for the Improvement of Finishing Beef Cattle Health and Welfare.

Abattoir inspections offer a useful tool for animal disease surveillance. The present cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the prevalence of rumen mucosa, lung, and liver lesions in 153 randomly selected batches of finishing beef cattle through a inspection at the abattoir. At least 15 animals per batch were inspected at slaughter by two veterinarians for a total of 2,161 animals (1,376 bulls; 785 heifers) coming from 80 Italian commercial farms.

The Welfare of Beef Cattle in the Scientific Literature From 1990 to 2019: A Text Mining Approach.

Beef cattle are the third most numerous terrestrial farmed animals worldwide. Factors such as geographical region, animal category, breed, and rearing system pose specific animal welfare challenges that can have an impact on animal and public health. This article uses text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) to explore the scientific literature on beef cattle welfare published in English from 1990 to 2019.

Hope in end-of-life cancer patients: A cross-sectional analysis.

Objective: Hope promotes oncology patients' adaptability to their illness, regardless of the stage of cancer. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hope in a sample of end-of-life patients and to investigate the possible relationships between hope and a set of clinical and psychosocial measures.

Method: Three hundred and fifty end-of-life oncology patients, with a presumed life expectancy of 4 months or less and a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) of 50 or lower, were administered the Italian validated versions of a set of rating scales during their first consultation with a psychologist.

Personality Traits and Sense of Dignity in End-of-Life Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Context: Patients' personality traits can play an important role in the end-of-life care process.

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between personality traits and dignity in cancer patients nearing death. In addition, the associations between personality traits and physical, psychological symptoms, and coping strategies during the end-of-life stage were explored.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal, liver and claw disorders in veal calves fed large amounts of solid feed through a cross-sectional study.

The impact of the current practice of feeding veal calves with large amounts of solid feed (SF) on the prevalence of specific disorders on rumen, abomasum, liver and claws was investigated through a post-mortem inspection at the abattoir. Forty-one batches ("batch" referred to a group of calves of the same breed, coming from the same farm and belonging to the same slaughter group) of crossbred male calves from dairy breed were randomly inspected at 213.6 days old.