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Clin Interv Aging 2018 15;13:2351-2358. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Republic of Korea,

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate the effect of hand-grip strength (HGS) on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score in women with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMDs) living in rural communities and examine whether upper extremity diseases affected upper extremity functional activity in each group (normal/low HGS) and whether grip strength (GS) was an effect modifier in upper extremity functional activity.

Methods: A total of 239 women older than 60 years who had completed a medical workup for epicondylitis, rotator cuff tears, and/or hand osteoarthritis were included in the final study. Functional activity was assessed by DASH, and muscle strength was measured by GS. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 19;9:2625. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.

Type 1 regulatory CD4 T (Tr1) cells express high levels of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 but not the master transcription factor Foxp3, and can suppress inflammation and promote immune tolerance. In order to identify and obtain viable Tr1 cells for research and clinical applications, co-expression of CD49b and LAG3 has been proposed as a unique surface signature for both human and mouse Tr1 cells. However, recent studies have revealed that this pattern of co-expression is dependent on the stimulating conditions and the differentiation stage of the CD4 T cells. Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari 61100, Pakistan.

Food security is confronted by major threats from crop yield stagnation and global climate change. The benefits of phenotypic plasticity across environments for given crop genotypes are thought to be imperative for high-yielding cropping systems. Given that 3D modeling is increasingly recognized for dissecting crop phenotypic plasticity, it requires an assessment of the potential benefits of architectural adaptation of super rice to different agronomic practices. Read More

Pest Manag Sci 2018 Nov 18. Epub 2018 Nov 18.

Stephen Moss Consulting, 7, Alzey Gardens, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 5SZ, UK.

Implementation of integrated weed management (IWM) has been poor, with little evidence of concomitant reductions in herbicide use. Non-chemical methods are often adopted as a means of compensating for reduced herbicide efficacy, due to increasing resistance, rather than as alternatives to herbicides. Reluctance to adopt non-chemical methods is not due to a lack of research or technology but to a lack of farmer motivation and action. Read More

Food Chem 2019 Mar 6;276:700-706. Epub 2018 Oct 6.

Department of Book & Article, AbtinBerkeh Scientific Ltd. Company, Isfahan, Iran. Electronic address:

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) from the Lamiaceae family is among the most important medicinal plants, and its seed fatty acid (FA) composition and quantity affects its nutritional and health values. It was hypothesized basil species and geographical properties significantly affect seed FA composition and quantity, which has not been previously investigated, to our knowledge. The collected seeds of the 18 basil populations were planted in a farmer's field, and the seed saturated (palmitic and stearic) and unsaturated (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic) FA were determined. Read More

Am J Health Promot 2018 Nov 8:890117118810247. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

2 Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.

Purpose:: To understand parental ethnotheories (ie, belief systems) and practices about preschoolers' healthy eating guided by the developmental niche framework.

Design:: Qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology.

Setting:: Home. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2018 16;5:255. Epub 2018 Oct 16.

Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections are a common constraint in pasture-based herds and cause a decrease in animal health, productivity and farm profitability. Current control practices to prevent production losses of GIN infections in livestock depend largely on the use of anthelmintic drugs. However, due to the continued use of these drugs over more than three decades, the industry is now increasingly confronted with nematode populations resistant to the available anthelmintics. Read More

J Agromedicine 2018 Oct 31:1-9. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

b Department of Health Education, Faculty of Medical Sciences , Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran.

Agriculture is one of the major sources of employment and income in many countries, especially in developing countries. Farmers are exposed to numerous harmful factors such as sunlight and ultraviolet radiation. These factors contribute to multiple diseases including skin cancer. Read More

PLoS One 2018 31;13(10):e0205352. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

On many dairy farms cows are kept indoors. Providing outdoor access is often considered desirable, but housing can protect animals from aversive climatic conditions. For example, by providing shade and fans, indoor housing can protect cows from heat stress they might otherwise experience on open pasture. Read More

Plant Pathol J 2018 Oct 1;34(5):367-380. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

Department of Plant Pathology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh.

Stems and pods of hyacinth bean cultivated in a farmer's field in Gazipur District, Bangladesh, were found rotted in nearly 5% hyacinth bean plants. A fungus having fluffy mycelium and large sclerotia was isolated from affected tissues. Combined results of morphological, molecular and pathological analyses identified the fungus as (Lib) de Bary. Read More

J Agromedicine 2018 Oct 15:1-6. Epub 2018 Oct 15.

a College of Health and Human Services , Western Kentucky University, Institute for Rural Health , 1906 College Heights Blvd. # 21038 Bowling Green, KY 42101 , United States.

Objectives: Farming is a hazardous occupation with a high incidence of fatal and non-fatal injuries. Little is known about the preparedness of Kentucky farmers to respond to farm emergencies. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, preparation, and concerns of Kentucky farmers relative to being prepared to take appropriate action in the event of a farm emergency. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Oct 4;8(1):14833. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.

Not all areas of a farmer's field are equal; some always produce more relative to the rest of the field, others always less, while still other areas fluctuate in their production capacity from one year to the next, depending on the interaction between climate, soil, topography and management. Understanding why the yield in certain portions of a field has a high variability over time-we call these areas unstable-is of paramount importance both from an economic and an environmental point of view, as it is through the better management of these areas that we can improve yields or reduce input costs and environmental impact. In this research, we analyzed data from 338 fields cultivated with maize, soybean, wheat and cotton in the US Midwest to understand how topographic attributes and rain affect yield stability over time. Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Jan 27;189:15-21. Epub 2018 Sep 27.

School of Public Health & Zoonoses, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab, India.

Zoonotic diseases cause significant health and economic impact in developing countries such as India. Many zoonotic diseases are prevalent in the livestock and as an occupational zoonosis in the livestock farmers in India. Lack of knowledge on the disease transmission, prevention and control measures is a potential high risk for the occurrence of zoonotic diseases in the livestock and its keepers in India. Read More

PLoS One 2018 13;13(9):e0204134. Epub 2018 Sep 13.

Laboratory of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.

Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection manifests itself mainly with chronic progressive arthritis affecting mainly carpal joints. The data from serological and questionnaire surveys were retrospectively analyzed to determine how the dissemination of SRLV infection in the herd influenced farmer's subjective opinion on the occurrence of swelling of carpal joints (considered as a proxy of arthritis). Between 1996 and 2017 153 different Polish dairy goat herds counting at least 20 adult goats were serologically screened for CAE and their owners were asked about their opinion on the occurrence of arthritis (never, rarely, often). Read More

Trop Anim Health Prod 2018 Sep 12. Epub 2018 Sep 12.

Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr.17, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany.

Artificial insemination (AI) and selective bull mating are considered as robust methods for dairy cattle breeding. Globally, these methods have been used to enhance productivity and realize rapid genetic gains. However, these technologies have had low adoption rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Feb 23;649:610-619. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources (ISWC), China.

iSQAPER project - Interactive Soil Quality Assessment in Europe and China for Agricultural Productivity and Environmental Resilience - aims to develop an app to advise farmers on selecting the best Agriculture Management Practice (AMPs) to improve soil quality. For this purpose, a soil quality index has to be developed to account for the changes in soil quality as impacted by the implementation of the AMPs. Some promising AMPs have been suggested over the time to prevent soil degradation. Read More

Int J Food Microbiol 2018 Dec 20;286:155-161. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Research Institute of Horticulture, Department of Microbiology, Konstytucji 3 Maja 1/3, 96-100 Skierniewice, Poland.

Microbiological analyses of lettuce, radish, carrot and beetroot were conducted to determine the effect of production system (organic and conventional) on the microbial quality of vegetables in Poland. During 2010-2014 growing seasons, 600 organic and 372 conventional samples were collected from certified farms. The vegetables were analyzed for aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and Escherichia coli according to Polish standards. Read More

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2018 08 20;15(1):80. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.

Background: Fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake can reduce risks for chronic disease, but is much lower than recommended amounts in most Western populations, especially for those with low income levels. Rigorous research is needed on practical, cost-effective interventions that address environmental as well as personal determinants of F&V intake. This paper presents the results of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of 'Live Well, Viva Bien' (LWVB), a multicomponent intervention that included discount, mobile fresh F&V markets in conjunction with nutrition education. Read More

J Integr Plant Biol 2018 Aug 20. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.

In C3 plants, photorespiration is an energy-expensive process, including the oxygenation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) by ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and the ensuing multi-organellar photorespiratory pathway required to recycle the toxic byproducts and recapture a portion of the fixed carbon. Photorespiration significantly impacts crop productivity through reducing yields in C3 crops by as much as 50% under severe conditions. Thus, reducing the flux through, or improving the efficiency of photorespiration has the potential of large improvements in C3 crop productivity. Read More

J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2018 Dec 6;9(6):1034-1041. Epub 2018 Aug 6.

Department of Preventive Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, South Korea.

Background: The aim of this study is to determine whether there is correlation between endothelial function and skeletal muscle function measured by hand grip strength in elderly women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data of NAMGARAM-2 cohort. The NAMGARAM-2 cohort consisted of a group of people living in three rural communities. Read More

Parasitol Res 2018 Oct 21;117(10):3183-3194. Epub 2018 Jul 21.

School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.

To identify the gastrointestinal helminths of veterinary, zoonotic and public health importance in farmers and their ruminant livestock in Ghana, faecal samples were collected from 95 farmers and their livestock (cattle = 328, sheep = 285 and goats = 217) and examined by microscopy and/or molecular techniques. Overall, 21 farmers tested positive for at least one gastrointestinal helminth, 80.9% of which were single infections and 19. Read More

J Vis Exp 2018 06 29(136). Epub 2018 Jun 29.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina;

Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing, is a destructive citrus disease ravaging citrus farms globally. This disease causes asymmetrical yellow leaf mottling, vein yellowing, defoliation, root decay, and ultimately, the death of the citrus plant. When infected, the citrus plants have stunted growth and produce flowers out of season. Read More

3 Biotech 2018 Jul 4;8(7):304. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), New Delhi, India.

In Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of India, natural resources (soil, water, and environment) are degrading under the conventional-till (CT)-based management practices in rice-wheat cropping system. A long-term field experiment was conducted to understand the soil bacterial diversity and abundance under different sets of management scenarios (Sc). The study comprised of four scenarios, namely, -Sc. Read More

Symbiosis 2018 4;75(3):179-188. Epub 2017 Dec 4.

Department of Crop Science and Production, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Private Bag 0027, A1 Sebele Content Farm, Gaborone, Botswana.

The low inherent soil fertility, especially nitrogen (N) constrains arable agriculture in Botswana. Nitrogen is usually added to soil through inorganic fertilizer application. In this study, biological nitrogen fixation by legumes is explored as an alternative source of N. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Jul;97(27):e11419

Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University.

Vitamin D concentration is known to correlate with various parameters. A major source of vitamin D is synthesis in the skin; thus, the duration of sun exposure is known to correlate with serum vitamin D levels. We compared serum levels of vitamin D between 2 occupational groups in Korea: the fisherman group, the most sun-exposed, and the general occupation group, relatively less sun-exposed. Read More

Vet Med Int 2018 27;2018:9173646. Epub 2018 May 27.

Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, PO BOX 188, Dschang, Cameroon.

Biosecurity plays an irreplaceable role in preventing diseases and increasing productivity on farm. The main objective of this study was to characterize pig farming and investigate factors influencing biosecurity on pig farms in the western highlands of Cameroon. Data were collected from May to July 2017 using a questionnaire and observations. Read More

Plant Methods 2018 15;14:49. Epub 2018 Jun 15.

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), PO Box 1041, Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Grain yield, ear and kernel attributes can assist to understand the performance of maize plant under different environmental conditions and can be used in the variety development process to address farmer's preferences. These parameters are however still laborious and expensive to measure.

Results: A low-cost ear digital imaging method was developed that provides estimates of ear and kernel attributes i. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Jun 18;8(1):9245. Epub 2018 Jun 18.

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Banos, Philippines.

Flooding is one of the major constraints for rice production in rainfed lowlands, especially in years and areas of high rainfall. Incorporating the Sub1 (Submergence1) gene into high yielding popular varieties has proven to be the most feasible approach to sustain rice production in submergence-prone areas. Introgression of this QTL into popular varieties has resulted in considerable improvement in yield after flooding. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018 07 18;115(27):7010-7015. Epub 2018 Jun 18.

School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.

Understanding the reasons for overuse of agricultural chemicals is critical to the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture. Using a nationally representative rural household survey from China, we found that farm size is a strong factor that affects the use intensity of agricultural chemicals across farms in China. Statistically, a 1% increase in farm size is associated with a 0. Read More

Virusdisease 2018 Jun 3;29(2):167-172. Epub 2018 Apr 3.

1Animal Health Division, ICAR-Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Umiam, Meghalaya 793103 India.

The aim of the present study was to characterize the virus from the lesions and histopathology of organs associated with mortality in Kuroiler (dual purpose variety of poultry developed and marketed by Keggfarms Pvt. Ltd, India) birds suspected of Marek's disease. Among 1047 birds from two farms of different location with 5. Read More

Front Microbiol 2018 1;9:1147. Epub 2018 Jun 1.

Institute of Plant Protection, Qingdao Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China.

Vegetables harboring bacteria resistant to antibiotics are a growing food safety issue. However, data concerning carbapenem-resistant (CRE) in ready-to-eat fresh vegetables is still rare. In this study, 411 vegetable samples from 36 supermarkets or farmer's markets in 18 cities in China, were analyzed for CRE. Read More

Plant Sci 2018 Aug 5;273:110-119. Epub 2018 Feb 5.

Plant Cell Biology and Chemistry, Botany and Plant Sciences Chemistry Genomics Building, University of California Riverside, CA, 92521, USA. Electronic address:

Since the dawn of modern biotechnology public and private enterprise have pursued the development of a new breed of drought tolerant crop products. After more than 20 years of research and investment only a few such products have reached the market. This is due to several technical and market constraints. Read More

Microorganisms 2018 May 21;6(2). Epub 2018 May 21.

Biology Department, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The fungal genus of the order (Wallemiomycotina, Basidiomycota) comprises the most xerotolerant, xerophilic and also halophilic species worldwide. spp. are found in various osmotically challenged environments, such as dry, salted, or highly sugared foods, dry feed, hypersaline waters of solar salterns, salt crystals, indoor and outdoor air, and agriculture aerosols. Read More

J Dairy Sci 2018 Aug 10;101(8):7487-7493. Epub 2018 May 10.

Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Saarentaus 04920 Finland.

The objective of this study was to survey drying-off practices and use of dry cow therapy (DCT) in Finland through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was accessible to all dairy farmers of the Finnish dairy herd recording system in 2016 (approximately 5,400 farms). In total, 715 dairy producers across the country, representative of the Finnish dairy industry, participated in the survey. Read More

Ital J Food Saf 2018 Mar 11;7(1):6980. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna.

The objective of this report is to describe an outbreak of pustular dermatitis in a flock of about 200 sheep, its clinical evolution and food safety implications. The onset of the symptoms was sudden and the lesions spread very quickly from ewe to ewe, so that in about 3 days almost all of the lactating sheep were stricken. Pustules from 5 different animals, six milk samples, two cheese samples, teat cup samples from the milking machine and farmer's hands were analysed. Read More

Qual Life Res 2018 Sep 2;27(9):2243-2250. Epub 2018 May 2.

Department of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju-daero, Jinju, 816-15, South Korea.

Purpose: We evaluated whether two disease-specific quality of life instruments (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand, DASH and Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, WOMAC) reflect a patient's perception of general disability using the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) and determined whether disability components are explained by upper and lower extremity HRQOL. Read More

Curr Opin Plant Biol 2018 Oct 21;45(Pt B):205-211. Epub 2018 Apr 21.

Department of Plant Breeding, 240 Emerson Hall, Cornell, Ithaca, NY 14853-1902, USA.

Development of climate resilient crops with accelerating genetic gains in crops will require integration of different disciplines/technologies, to see the impact in the farmer's field. In this review, we summarize how we are utilizing our germplasm collections to identify superior alleles/haplotypes through NGS based sequencing approaches and how genomics-enabled technologies together with precise phenotyping are being used in crop breeding. Pre-breeding and genomics-assisted breeding approaches are contributing to the more efficient development of climate-resilient crops. Read More

PLoS One 2018 20;13(4):e0195223. Epub 2018 Apr 20.

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.

Distance between rows and plants are essential parameters that affect the final grain yield in row crops. This paper presents the results of research intended to develop a novel method to quantify the distance between maize plants at field scale using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Using this method, we can recognize maize plants as objects and calculate the distance between plants. Read More

Water Res 2018 08 27;139:38-46. Epub 2018 Mar 27.

LimnoTech, 501 Avis Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA.

To address the management of eutrophication in aquatic systems, the behavioral mechanisms that drive change at the individual level must be considered when designing policy interventions. This analysis identifies the beliefs that are critical to behavioral change, and explores the likelihood that farmers will adopt two management practices believed to be critical to reducing nutrient loading to recommended levels in Lake Erie. We find that there is potential for farmers to adopt key infield practices needed to reduce nutrient inputs. Read More

Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi 2018 Apr;52(4):372-377

Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.

To obtain the serotype diversity and antimicrobial resistance of isolates recovered from retail chicken carcasses for sale in six regions of China. From August 2010 to March 2012, each month 20 retail chicken carcasses including freshly slaughtered, chilled and frozen samples were collected from supermarkets and farmer's markets in 7 monitoring sites in Beijing, Jilin province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Shanxi province, Jiangsu province and Guangdong province, respectively. Samples were routinely collected for 12 months for each site. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2018 Jul 20;156:205-215. Epub 2018 Mar 20.

Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Post Office Box L.G. 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Radiation, Entomology and Pest Management Centre, Ghana. Electronic address:

This study evaluated three herbicides active ingredients: Paraquat, Glyphosate and 2,4-D Amine in commercial formulations as Frankoquat, Roundup and Agriherb respectively under field conditions to determine their influence on soil dwelling macrobes and the physical state of soil. Herbicides were serially diluted to three treatment concentrations for each plus three controls. Herbicide concentrations were applied to the demarcated field on three consecutive occasions in splits. Read More

Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2018 7;7:35. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

1Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

Background: Administration of antimicrobials to food-producing animals is regarded as a major contributor to the overall emergence of resistance in bacteria worldwide. However, few data are available on global antimicrobial use and resistance (AMR) in livestock, especially from low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: We conducted a structured survey of 91 small-scale pig farms in the urban and peri-urban areas of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to assess the farmers' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to antimicrobial use in their pig production. Read More

Contemp Clin Trials 2018 Apr 5;67:81-86. Epub 2018 Mar 5.

Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, United States. Electronic address:

Background: Hispanic children are disproportionally overweight and obese compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts in the US. Community-wide, multi-level interventions have been successful to promote healthier nutrition, increased physical activity (PA), and weight loss. Using community-based participatory approach (CBPR) that engages community members in rural Hispanic communities is a promising way to promote behavior change, and ultimately weight loss among Hispanic children. Read More

Front Plant Sci 2018 14;9:141. Epub 2018 Feb 14.

Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States.

Preharvest sprouting (PHS), the germination of grain on the mother plant under cool and wet conditions, is a recurring problem for wheat farmers worldwide. α-amylase enzyme produced during PHS degrades starch resulting in baked good with poor end-use quality. The Hagberg-Perten Falling Number (FN) test is used to measure this problem in the wheat industry, and determines how much a farmer's wheat is discounted for PHS damage. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018 Feb 25. Epub 2018 Feb 25.

Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans, France.

Over-reliance on pesticides for pest control is inflicting serious damage to the environmental services that underpin agricultural productivity. The widespread use of systemic insecticides, neonicotinoids, and the phenylpyrazole fipronil in particular is assessed here in terms of their actual use in pest management, effects on crop yields, and the development of pest resistance to these compounds in many crops after two decades of usage. Resistance can only be overcome in the longterm by implementing methods that are not exclusively based on synthetic pesticides. Read More

J Public Health Res 2017 Dec 4;6(3):815. Epub 2018 Jan 4.

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans School of Public Health, LA, USA.

The aim of the present paper is to assess local residents' awareness of utilizing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase fresh produce at local farmers' markets, and to determine internet use and media preferences of study participants prior to implementation of a social marketing campaign. A needs assessment was conducted to collect baseline data in an underserved neighbourhood in New Orleans (La, USA). The study was carried out August 2014-May 2015. Read More

J Vet Sci 2018 May;19(3):331-338

Department of Occupational Health, College of Bio-Medical Sciences, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan 38430, Korea.

Indoor animal husbandry environments are inevitably contaminated with endotoxins. Endotoxin exposure is associated with various inflammatory illnesses in animals. This cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship between the degree of endotoxin exposure and the cellular and humoral immune profiles of fattening pigs. Read More

New Phytol 2018 Mar 23;217(4):1407-1419. Epub 2018 Jan 23.

SRUC (Scotland's Rural College), Peter Wilson Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK.

Contents Summary 1407 I. Introduction 1408 II. Technological advances and their utility for gene banks and breeding, and longer-term contributions to SDGs 1408 III. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018 Mar 11;25(7):6196-6208. Epub 2018 Jan 11.

School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India.

Earthworms also known as farmer's friends are natural tillers of soil. They belong to Phylum Annelida and class Oligochaeta. Acid soils with organic matter and surface humus maintain the largest fauna of worms and earthworms. Read More

PLoS One 2018 2;13(1):e0190489. Epub 2018 Jan 2.

School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.

The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. Read More