Decision-tree-based ion-specific dosing algorithm for enhancing closed hydroponic efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

The maintenance of ion balance in closed hydroponic solutions is essential to improve the crop quality and recycling efficiency of nutrient solutions. However, the absence of robust ion sensors for key ions such as P and Mg and the coupling of ions in fertilizer salts render it difficult to effectively manage ion-specific nutrient solutions. Although ion-specific dosing algorithms have been established, their effectiveness has been inadequately explored. In this study, a decision-tree-based dosing algorithm was developed to calculate the optimal volumes of individual nutrient stock solutions to be supplied for five major nutrient ions, i.e., NO3, K, Ca, P, and Mg, based on the concentrations of NO3, K, and Ca and remaining volume of the recycled nutrient solution. In the performance assessment based on five nutrient solution samples encompassing the typical concentration ranges for leafy vegetable cultivation, the ion-selective electrode array demonstrated feasible accuracies, with root mean square errors of 29.5, 10.1, and 6.1 mg·L-1 for NO3, K, and Ca, respectively. In a five-step replenishment test involving varying target concentrations and nutrient solution volumes, the system formulated nutrient solutions according to the specified targets, exhibiting average relative errors of 10.6 ± 8.0%, 7.9 ± 2.1%, 8.0 ± 11.0%, and 4.2 ± 3.7% for the Ca, K, and NO3 concentrations and volume of the nutrient solution, respectively. Furthermore, the decision tree method helped reduce the total fertilizer injections and carbon emissions by 12.8% and 20.6% in the stepwise test, respectively. The findings demonstrate that the decision-tree-based dosing algorithm not only enables more efficient reuse of nutrient solution compared to the existing simplex method but also confirms the potential for reducing carbon emissions, indicating the possibility of sustainable agricultural development.

Effects of Synbiotic Preparation Containing Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 on Body Fat in Obese Dogs: A Pilot Study.

Obesity is an important health concern in humans and dogs. It can cause a variety of secondary problems, including low bacterial diversity. Several approaches have been tried to solve this problem; one of them is probiotic supplementation. Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 is derived from breast milk and has been proven to be effective for obesity in humans. However, there have been no studies using a synbiotic preparation containing L. gasseri BNR17 for obesity management in dogs. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of a synbiotic preparation containing L. gasseri BNR17 in reducing body fat in obese dogs. A group of obese dogs were fed a synbiotic preparation for 10 weeks. Obesity variables included body weight, body condition score, subcutaneous fat thickness, subcutaneous fat mass and proportion of the fat mass. In addition, feces collected at 0-week and 10-week time points were analyzed for the intestinal microbiome. Results showed a significant decrease in body weight, body condition score, and subcutaneous fat mass and proportion at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. Diversity and functional analysis of the microbiota in obese dogs showed increased microbial diversity, and increased abundance of metabolism of carbohydrate, and lipid after supplementation with a synbiotic preparation. This study was conducted as a pilot study, and the results demonstrated that a synbiotic preparation containing L. gasseri BNR17 may play a role in reducing body fat and resolving the obesity in dogs.

Anti-obesity effects of Celastrus orbiculatus extract containing celastrol on canine adipocytes.

From 50 to 60% of companion animals in the United States are overweight or obese and this obesity rate is rising. As obesity is associated with a number of health problems, an agent that can help weight loss in pets and assist in clinically managing obesity through veterinary prescription foods and medication would be beneficial. Many studies have shown that celastrol, a phytochemical compound found in Celastrus orbiculatus extract (COE), has anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects, although these effects have not yet been determined in canine or canine-derived cells. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of celastrol on the adipogenic differentiation and lipolysis of canine adipocytes. Primary preadipocytes were isolated from the gluteal region of a beagle dog and the primary adipocytes were differentiated into mature adipocytes by adipocyte differentiation media containing isobutylmethylxanthine, dexamethasone, and insulin. In a water-soluble tetrazolium (WST) assay, the cell viability of mature adipocytes was decreased after treatment with COE (0, 0.93, 2.32, and 4.64 nM celastrol) in a concentration-dependent manner, although preadipocytes were not affected. Oil Red O (ORO) staining revealed that COE inhibited the differentiation into mature adipocytes and lipid accumulation in adipocytes. In addition, treatment with COE significantly reduced triglyceride content and increased lipolytic activities by 1.5-fold in canine adipocytes. Overall, it was concluded that COE may enhance anti-obesity activity in canine adipocytes by inhibiting lipid accumulation and increasing lipolytic activity.

De 50 à 60 % des animaux de compagnie aux États-Unis sont en surpoids ou obèses et ce taux d'obésité est en augmentation. Comme l'obésité est associée à un certain nombre de problèmes de santé, un agent qui peut aider à la perte de poids chez les animaux de compagnie et à la gestion clinique de l'obésité au moyen d'aliments et de médicaments sur ordonnance vétérinaire serait bénéfique. De nombreuses études ont montré que le célastrol, un composé phytochimique présent dans l'extrait de Celastrus orbiculatus (COE), a des effets anti-obésité et anti-inflammatoires, bien que ces effets n'aient pas encore été déterminés dans les cellules canines ou dérivées de canins. L'objectif de cette étude était d'étudier les effets du célastrol sur la différenciation adipogène et la lipolyse des adipocytes canins. Des pré-adipocytes primaires ont été isolés de la région fessière d'un chien beagle et les adipocytes primaires ont été différenciés en adipocytes matures par des milieux de différenciation adipocytaires contenant de l'isobutylméthylxanthine, de la dexaméthasone et de l'insuline. Dans un essai au tétrazolium hydrosoluble (WST), la viabilité cellulaire des adipocytes matures a diminué après traitement avec du COE (0, 0,93, 2,32 et 4,64 nM de célastrol) d'une manière dépendante de la concentration, bien que les pré-adipocytes n'aient pas été affectés. La coloration Oil Red O (ORO) a révélé que le COE inhibait la différenciation en adipocytes matures et l'accumulation de lipides dans les adipocytes. De plus, le traitement avec le COE a considérablement réduit la teneur en triglycérides et augmenté les activités lipolytiques de 1,5 fois dans les adipocytes canins. Dans l'ensemble, il a été conclu que le COE peut améliorer l'activité anti-obésité dans les adipocytes canins en inhibant l'accumulation de lipides et en augmentant l'activité lipolytique.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

Water Nitrate Remote Monitoring System with Self-Diagnostic Function for Ion-Selective Electrodes.

The detection of nitrate pollutants is a widely used strategy for protecting water sources. Although ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) have been considered for the determination of ion concentrations in water, the accuracy of ISE technology decreases owing to the signal drift and decreasing sensitivity over time. The objectives of the present study were: (1) to develop an online water monitoring system mainly consisting of an Arduino board-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) device and nitrate ISEs; and (2) to propose a self-diagnostic function for monitoring and reporting the condition of the ISEs. The developed system communicates with the cloud server by using the message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) protocol and provides monitoring information through the developed cloud-based webpage. In addition, the online monitoring system provides information on the electrode status, which is determined based on a self-diagnostic index (SDI, with a range of 0-100) of the electrode drift and sensitivity. The diagnostic method for monitoring and reporting the electrode status was validated in a one-month-long laboratory test followed by a field test in a stream near an agricultural facility. Moreover, a self-diagnostic index (SDI) was applied in the final field experiments with an accuracy of 0.77.

Hybrid Signal-Processing Method Based on Neural Network for Prediction of NO3, K, Ca, and Mg Ions in Hydroponic Solutions Using an Array of Ion-Selective Electrodes.

In closed hydroponics, fast and continuous measurement of individual nutrient concentrations is necessary to improve water- and nutrient-use efficiencies and crop production. Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) could be one of the most attractive tools for hydroponic applications. However, signal drifts over time and interferences from other ions present in hydroponic solutions make it difficult to use the ISEs in hydroponic solutions. In this study, hybrid signal processing combining a two-point normalization (TPN) method for the effective compensation of the drifts and a back propagation artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm for the interpretation of the interferences was developed. In addition, the ANN-based approach for the prediction of Mg concentration which had no feasible ISE was conducted by interpreting the signals from a sensor array consisting of electrical conductivity (EC) and ion-selective electrodes (NO3, K, and Ca). From the application test using 8 samples from real greenhouses, the hybrid method based on a combination of the TPN and ANN methods showed relatively low root mean square errors of 47.2, 13.2, and 18.9 mg∙L-1 with coefficients of variation (CVs) below 10% for NO3, K, and Ca, respectively, compared to those obtained by separate use of the two methods. Furthermore, the Mg prediction results with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 14.6 mg∙L-1 over the range of 10-60 mg∙L-1 showed potential as an approximate diagnostic tool to measure Mg in hydroponic solutions. These results demonstrate that the hybrid method can improve the accuracy and feasibility of ISEs in hydroponic applications.

Comparison of the clinical performance of OmniPlex-HPV and GeneFinder HPV for the detection and genotyping of human papillomaviruses in cervical specimens.

PURPOSE: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women is known to promote the development of cervical neoplasia. Specific HPV genotypes are more highly associated with disease, and therefore detection and genotyping of HPV infection is critical for preventing and effectively treating cervical cancer. Consequently, various assays using diverse technologies have been developed to detect HPV genotype. Recently the OmniPlex-HPV and GeneFinder HPV methods, based on PCR and Luminex xMAP liquid bead microarray technologies, were developed for the detection of 40 and 32 HPV genotypes, respectively. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical performance of OmniPlex-HPV and GeneFinder HPV. METHODOLOGY: The study included 300 cytology-confirmed cervical swab specimens. In cases where there was a discrepancy between the two assay results, type-specific direct sequencing was performed. RESULT: We found a high overall agreement between OmniPlex-HPV and GeneFinder HPV for detecting the presence or absence of high-risk HPV (HR HPV) (90.7 %, κ=0.810). However, OmniPlex-HPV showed greater sensitivity than GeneFinder HPV in the identification of multiple genotype-infected samples. Specifically, diagnostic sensitivities for HR HPV positivity in high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions (HSIL) were 100.0 % for OmniPlex-HPV and 96.8 % for GeneFinder HPV. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that OmniPlex-HPV and GeneFinder HPV are highly comparable for the detection and genotyping of HPV, but OmniPlex-HPV displays greater accuracy in cases of multiple HPV infection.

Effects of electromagnetic fields on osteogenesis of human alveolar bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

This study was performed to investigate the effects of extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF-PEMFs) on the proliferation and differentiation of human alveolar bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hABMSCs). Osteogenesis is a complex series of events involving the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to generate new bone. In this study, we examined not merely the effect of ELF-PEMFs on cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and mineralization of the extracellular matrix but vinculin, vimentin, and calmodulin (CaM) expressions in hABMSCs during osteogenic differentiation. Exposure of hABMSCs to ELF-PEMFs increased proliferation by 15% compared to untreated cells at day 5. In addition, exposure to ELF-PEMFs significantly increased ALP expression during the early stages of osteogenesis and substantially enhanced mineralization near the midpoint of osteogenesis within 2 weeks. ELF-PEMFs also increased vinculin, vimentin, and CaM expressions, compared to control. In particular, CaM indicated that ELF-PEMFs significantly altered the expression of osteogenesis-related genes. The results indicated that ELF-PEMFs could enhance early cell proliferation in hABMSCs-mediated osteogenesis and accelerate the osteogenesis.

Enhanced osteogenesis of human alveolar bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells for tooth tissue engineering using fluid shear stress in a rocking culture method.

This study instituted a simple approach to stimulate alveolar bone regeneration for tooth tissue engineering by controlling effects of low fluid dynamic shear stress (LFDSS) on growth and differentiation in vitro. Human alveolar bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hABMSCs) harvested from human mandibular alveolar bone were cultured with LFDSS to generate cultures containing bone-like formations. To distinguish between osteodifferentiation and bone-like formation, cells were cultured either with or without fluid shear stress. The calcium content and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of hABMSCs were used as indicators of osteogenesis. Cell viability and proliferation after stimulating with LFDSS for 10-60 min/day were higher than with longer stimulations. Mineralized nodules formed when osteoblasts were cultured with an induction medium, a marker of osteogenic differentiation. ALP activity tended to increase after 10 and 60 min/day of stimulation. In addition, LFDSS conditions also increased gene expression of IBSP, RUNX2, COL-I, ALP, OCN, and OPN, as shown by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. From the results of a proteomics array, LFDSS groups were intensely expressed with several factors (EGF, HGF, IGF, TGF, and PDGF). Furthermore, CD146 and Stro-1 expression increased in cells treated with 30 min/day and decreased in cells treated with 120 min/day, as determined by cell surface antigen analysis by fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis. These results strongly showed that LFDSS at the proper intensity and time enhanced the differentiation and maturation of hABMSCs. In conclusion, an appropriate level of LFDSS can potently and positively modulate proliferation and differentiation in hABMSCs.