Global trends and research frontiers on heat stress in poultry from 2000 to 2021: A bibliometric analysis.

Background: Heat stress remains a major environmental factor affecting poultry production. With growing concerns surrounding climate change and its antecedent of global warming, research on heat stress in poultry has gradually gained increased attention. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the current status, identify the research frontiers, and highlight the research trends on heat stress in poultry research using bibliometric analysis. Methods: The literature search was performed on the Web of Science Core Collection database for documents published from 2000 to 2021. The documents retrieved were analyzed for their publication counts, countries, institutions, keywords, sources, funding, and citation records using the bibliometric app on R software. Network analysis for co-authorship, co-occurrence, citation, co-citation, and bibliographic coupling was visualized using the VOSviewer software. Results: A total of 468 publications were retrieved, and over the past two decades, there was a gradual increase in the annual number of publications (average growth rate: 4.56%). China had the highest contribution with respect to the number of publications, top contributing authors, collaborations, funding agencies, and institutions. Nanjing Agricultural University, China was the most prolific institution. Kazim Sahin from Firat University, Turkey contributed the highest number of publications and citations to heat stress in poultry research, and Poultry Science was the most productive and the most cited journal. The top 10 globally cited documents mainly focused on the effects of heat stress, alleviation of heat stress, and the association between heat stress and oxidative stress in poultry. All keywords were grouped into six clusters which included studies on "growth performance", "intestinal morphology", "heat stress", "immune response", "meat quality", and "oxidative stress" as current research hotspots. In addition, topics such as; "antioxidants", "microflora", "intestinal barrier", "rna-seq", "animal welfare", "gene expression", "probiotics", "feed restriction", and "inflammatory pathways" were identified for future research attention. Conclusion: This bibliometric study provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the global research trends on heat stress in poultry over the last two decades, and it is expected to serve as a useful reference for potential research that will help address the impacts of heat stress on poultry production globally.

A systematic and thematic analysis of the top 100 cited articles on mRNA vaccine indexed in Scopus database.

The success of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 implies that this technology can be applied to target any pathogen. However, the scientific production and research trends using the bibliometric method are still unknown. The top 100 most cited articles on mRNA vaccine research were obtained from the Scopus database from 1995 to 2021. Bibliometrix, an R-Package, and VOSviewer 1.6.11 were used for data analysis. There is a rapid growth in scientific outputs with a gradual increase in 2021. The United States produced 45 (45%) of the articles, followed by Germany with 15 (15%) and Israel with 10 (10%). The New England Journal of Medicine published the most papers in this field 13 (13%), followed by Nature 6(6%). Barney S. Graham was the most productive author among the top 100 most cited mRNA vaccine articles. University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, US, was the top ranking institution, having 37 (37%). The visualization map clearly and spontaneously displayed the current state and research hot spots of mRNA research from a specific perspective. The most frequent keywords were COVID-19, vaccine, mRNA vaccine, mRNA, SARS-CoV-2, and immunogenicity, among others. A systematic review of the articles provided evidence that out of 100 articles, approximately 25 (25%) were focused on vaccine production and evaluation, followed by 26 (26%) in mRNA vaccine safety and efficacy, 23 (23%) were into mRNA vaccination, 23 (23%) considered risk factors associated with mRNA vaccination, while 8 (8%) of the articles covered the issue of mRNA vaccine delivery. In addition, 42% of the articles focused on COVID-19, 17% on cancer, 8% on influenza virus, 4% on COVID-19 and kidney disease, 3% COVID-19 and myocarditis, and 3% on rabies virus, among others. The findings of this systematic and thematic analysis provided the knowledge basis for further research on mRNA vaccines globally.

A Comparison Between Working and Nonworking Donkeys Welfare Issues in Nyala City, South Darfur, Sudan.

In impoverished nations, donkeys help people make a living. The welfare of donkeys in Sudan is neglected compared with developed countries. However, there is no information available about donkey welfare in Nyala. This study aimed to assess the welfare of donkeys in Nyala. Donkeys were divided into two groups (n = 50), working and nonworking. The donkeys' physical, emotional, and clinical parameters and an owner's interview were assessed. There were significant differences in body condition scores: 37% and 47% of working and nonworking donkeys, respectively, had ideal body condition scores, while 13% of working donkeys were emaciated. Of the working and nonworking 33% and 19% had hoof problems, respectively. Fifteen percent of working donkeys had ocular discharge, and 25% had wounds. In working donkeys, 7% and 5% depressive and aggressive behavioral responses, respectively, were observed. Furthermore, there were significant differences in tools used for hitting donkeys, with 33% and 17% of owners using a stick and whip, respectively, for hitting working donkeys. Eighty-two percent of owners feed their donkeys one to three times daily (50% working and 32% nonworking donkeys), and free access feeding was only observed in 18% of nonworking donkeys. There were no significant differences (P > .06) in emotional parameters. We conclude that working donkeys suffer from multiple welfare problems more than nonworking donkeys in Nyala. More awareness, veterinary services, and research are needed to improve donkey care in Nyala.

Genomic signatures for drylands adaptation at gene-rich regions in African zebu cattle.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous Sudanese cattle are mainly indicine/zebu (humped) type. They thrive in the harshest dryland environments characterised by high temperatures, long seasonal dry periods, nutritional shortages, and vector disease challenges. Here, we sequenced 60 indigenous Sudanese cattle from six indigenous breeds and analysed the data using three genomic scan approaches to unravel cattle adaptation to the African dryland region. RESULTS: We identified a set of gene-rich selective sweep regions, detected mostly on chromosomes 5, 7 and 19, shared across African and Gir zebu. These include genes involved in immune response, body size and conformation, and heat stress response. We also identified selective sweep regions unique to Sudanese zebu. Of these, a 250 kb selective sweep on chromosome 16 spans seven genes, including PLCH2, PEX10, PRKCZ, and SKI, which are involved in alternative adaptive metabolic strategies of insulin signalling, glucose homeostasis, and fat metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that environmental adaptation may involve recent and ancient selection at gene-rich regions, which might be under a common regulatory genetic control, in zebu cattle.

Smart films fabricated from natural pigments for measurement of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content of meat for freshness evaluation: A systematic review.

Major databases were searched from January 2012 to August 2021 and 54 eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis to estimate the overall mean of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) in meat. The mean of TVB-N was 24.96 mg/100 g (95 % CI:23.10-26.82). The pooled estimate of naphthoquinone, curcumin, anthocyanins, alizarin and betalains were 25.98 mg/100 g (95 %CI:19.63-32.33), 30.03 mg/100 g (95 %CI: 24.15-35.91), 24.92 mg/100 g (95 %CI: 22.55-27.30), 23.37 mg/100 g (95 %CI:19.42-27.33) and 19.50 mg/100 g (95 %CI:17.87-21.12), respectively. Meanwhile, subgroups based on meat types showed that smart film was most used in aquatic products at 27.19 mg/100 g (95 %CI:24.97-29.42), followed by red meat at 19.69 mg/100 g (95 %CI:17.44-21.94). Furthermore, 4 °C was the most storage temperature used for testing the performance of smart films at 25.48 mg/100 g (95 %CI:23.05-27.90), followed by storage at 25 °C of 25.65 mg/100 g (95 %CI:22.17-29.13). Substantial heterogeneity was found across the eligible studies (I2 = 99 %, p = 0.00). The results of the trim-and-fill method demonstrated publication bias was well controlled.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Cancer Research: A Systematic and Thematic Analysis of the Top 100 Cited Articles Indexed in Scopus Database.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer is a major public health problem and a global leading cause of death where the screening, diagnosis, prediction, survival estimation, and treatment of cancer and control measures are still a major challenge. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques and their applications in various fields have brought immense value in providing insights into advancement in support of cancer control. METHODS: A systematic and thematic analysis was performed on the Scopus database to identify the top 100 cited articles in cancer research. Data were analyzed using RStudio and VOSviewer.Var1.6.6. RESULTS: The top 100 articles in AI and ML in cancer received a 33 920 citation score with a range of 108 to 5758 times. Doi Kunio from the USA was the most cited author with total number of citations (TNC = 663). Out of 43 contributed countries, 30% of the top 100 cited articles originated from the USA, and 10% originated from China. Among the 57 peer-reviewed journals, the "Expert Systems with Application" published 8% of the total articles. The results were presented in highlight technological advancement through AI and ML via the widespread use of Artificial Neural Network (ANNs), Deep Learning or machine learning techniques, Mammography-based Model, Convolutional Neural Networks (SC-CNN), and text mining techniques in the prediction, diagnosis, and prevention of various types of cancers towards cancer control. CONCLUSIONS: This bibliometric study provides detailed overview of the most cited empirical evidence in AI and ML adoption in cancer research that could efficiently help in designing future research. The innovations guarantee greater speed by using AI and ML in the detection and control of cancer to improve patient experience.

The use of analytical techniques coupled with chemometrics for tracing the geographical origin of oils: A systematic review (2013-2020).

The global market for imported, high-quality priced foods has grown dramatically in the last decade, as consumers become more conscious of food originating from around the world. Many countries require the origin label of food to protect consumers need about true characteristics and origin. Regulatory authorities are looking for an extended and updated list of the analytical techniques for verification of authentic oils and to support law implementation. This review aims to introduce the efforts made using various analytical tools in combination with the multivariate analysis for the verification of the geographical origin of oils. The popular analytical tools have been discussed, and scientometric assessment that underlines research trends in geographical authentication and preferred journals used for dissemination has been indicated. Overall, we believe this article will be a good guideline for food industries and food quality control authority to assist in the selection of appropriate methods to authenticate oils.

Global scientific research progress in mycetoma: a bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease that attracts little attention in regard to research and publications and hence this study was undertaken to determine the trends and global scientific research output in mycetoma-related fields. METHODS: Mycetoma data were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. The MeSH Browser was used to extract relevant keywords. Biblioshiny software (R-studio cloud), VOSviewer v. 1.6.6 and SPSS software were used for data management. RESULTS: Research trends on mycetoma increased globally from 1999 to 2020. The results were 404 documents (4444 citations) in WoS and 513 documents (5709 citations) in Scopus, and the average number of citations per article was 11 in WoS and 11.13 in Scopus. There was a significant association between the total number of citations and the total citations per year in both WoS (r=0.833, p<0.0001) and Scopus (r=0.926, p<0.0001). Sudan, India, the Netherlands and Mexico were the top-ranking productive countries for mycetoma publications in WoS, while India, the USA and Mexico were the top-ranking countries in Scopus. Articles on mycetoma were mainly published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the International Journal of Dermatology and the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. A. H. Fahal from the Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Sudan, had the highest number of citations in mycetoma research during 1999-2020, followed by W. W. J. van de Sande from the Erasmus Medical Centre, University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, during 2003-2020. CONCLUSION: The analysis provides insight into a global overview of Mycetoma research. In addition, the analysis holds a better understanding of the development trends that have emerged in Mycetoma over the past 21 years, which can also offer a scientific reference for future research.

Addressing Africa's pandemic puzzle: Perspectives on COVID-19 transmission and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

To date, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has spread to almost every region of the world, infecting millions and resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Although it was predicted that Africa would suffer a massive loss of life due to this pandemic, the number of COVID-19 cases has been relatively low across the continent. Researchers have speculated that several factors may be responsible for this outcome in Africa, including the extensive experience that countries have with infectious diseases and the young median age of their populations. However, it is still important for African countries to adopt aggressive and bold approaches against COVID-19, in case the nature of the pandemic changes. This short review will summarize the status of the outbreak in Africa and propose possible reasons for current trends, as well as discuss interventions aimed at preventing a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the future.

Polyphenolic composition, enzyme inhibitory effects ex-vivo and in-vivo studies on two Brassicaceae of north-central Italy.

In this study, three different extracts (soxhlet, microwave and decoction) from two species of broccoli: Brassica oleracea L. convar. Italica botrytis (L.) Alef. var. cymosa Duch. (Broccolo Fiolaro) and Brassica oleracea acephala L. convar. acephala (DC.) Alef. var. sabellica L. (Cavolo Nero), which are commonly spread in north-central Italy, were tested for their enzyme inhibitory effects. Enzyme inhibitory effects were investigated against cholinesterases, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The soxhlet extracts had the highest inhibitory AChE effects with 1.08 mgGALAE/g (in Cavolo Nero) and 0.90 mgGALAE/g (in Broccolo Fiolaro). The significant tyrosinase inhibitory effect was observed in the soxhlet extract of Cavolo Nero with 11.93 mgKAE/g. In addition, we evaluated the antioxidant activity of Broccolo Fiolaro and Cavolo Nero on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated bladder, kidney and liver specimens, ex vivo. We observed a significant reduction of both nitrite and malondialdehyde (MDA) following treatment that indicates a significant inhibitory effect on oxidative/nitrosative stress and lipoperoxidation, respectively. Additionally, the blunting effect induced by extracts on LPS-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity further support a protective effect by both Broccolo Fiolaro and Cavolo Nero in bladder, kidney and liver. HPLC analysis revealed that catechin, epicatechin, vanillic and 3-hydroxy benzoic acids were the major components. The phenolic components may contribute to the observed enzyme inhibitory effects. in vivo tests also demonstrated that the extracts decreased the biochemical parameters in diabetic rats. Particularly, we observed the reduction of plasma glucose levels, urea and total cholesterol following oral administration, with the higher inhibitory effects exerted by Broccolo Fiolaro compared to Cavolo Nero. Overall, our results could provide new insights on the use of these Broccoli species not only as foods but also as functional and nutraceutical supplements.

Gum Arabic extracts protect against hepatic oxidative stress in alloxan induced diabetes in rats.

Gum Arabic (GA) from Acacia seyal and Acacia senegal is a branched-chain polysaccharide which has strong antioxidant properties, and has been used to reduce the experimental toxicity. Yet, the effects of GA on oxidative stress in type I diabetic rats have not been reported. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of GA on oxidative stress in Alloxan induced diabetes in rats. The rats were divided into 3 groups (n=20 of each): control group, diabetic group injected with allaoxan, and diabetic group given 15% GA in drinking water for 8 weeks. Oxidative damage to liver tissue was evaluated by measurement of key hepatic enzymes, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes and expression of oxidative stress genes. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were significantly (P<0.05) increased in GA group compared to diabetic and control groups. Treatment of GA decreased liver malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased glutathione (GSH). In addition, GA was significantly (P<0.05) reduced the activities of key liver enzymes, including alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). SOD, GPx and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) mRNA were significantly increased in GA group compared to control and diabetic groups. Liver of all diabetic rats showed marked degeneration whereas slight degeneration was observed in GA treated rats compared to control. The results suggest that GA may protect liver by modulating the expression of oxidative stress genes, and thus can improve antioxidant status.