Environmental conditions affect the nutritive value and alkaloid profiles of forage: Opportunities and threats for sustainable ruminant systems.

The identification of crops that simultaneously contribute to the global protein supply and mitigate the effects of climate change is an urgent matter. Lupins are well adapted to nutrient-poor or contaminated soils, tolerate various abiotic stresses, and present relevant traits for acting as ecosystem engineers. Lupins are best studied for their seeds, but their full foraging potential needs further evaluation.

Upcycling post-harvest biomass residues from native European species: from straws and pod shells production to nutritive value and alkaloids content for ruminant animals.

The production of seeds for food and feed is increasing worldwide, which results in large amounts of post-harvest biomass residues, considered of low value and left in the field to be burned or incorporated in the soil. To valorize these agricultural wastes, this work aimed to assess their potential as an alternative feed for ruminants. Thus, the production yield, nutritive value, and alkaloid content of straws and pod shells from three native European species, 'Estoril' (white), 'Tango' (narrow-leafed), and 'Cardiga' (yellow), cultivated in two locations, were evaluated.

Predictive Models of Dairy Cow Thermal State: A Review from a Technological Perspective.

Dairy cattle are particularly sensitive to heat stress due to the higher metabolic rate needed for milk production. In recent decades, global warming and the increase in dairy production in warmer countries have stimulated the development of a wide range of environmental control systems for dairy farms. Despite their proven effectiveness, the associated energy and water consumption can compromise the viability of dairy farms in many regions, due to the cost and scarcity of these resources.

The in vivo performance of an alkali-free bioactive glass for bone grafting, FastOs BG, assessed with an ovine model.

Although bioactive glasses are successfully used as bone substitutes, recent studies have revealed that the high alkali content in these glasses leads to fast in vivo degradation rates that may not match the rate of new bone ingrowth. This prompted us to design and develop novel bioactive glasses that are devoid of alkali but still demonstrate high bioactivity in vitro. This article describes the in vivo performance of an alkali-free bioactive glass with the following composition (Wt %): 13.

A glass-reinforced hydroxyapatite and surgical-grade calcium sulfate for bone regeneration: In vivo biological behavior in a sheep model.

A glass-reinforced hydroxyapatite (HA) composite (Bonelike®) was developed for bone grafting. This biomaterial is composed of a modified HA matrix with α- and β-tricalcium phosphate secondary phases, resulting in higher solubility than single HA type of materials. Several in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that Bonelike® has a highly bioactive behavior, which was also confirmed by employing granular forms of this biomaterial in orthopedics and dental applications.