Investigating biosecurity risks associated with the delivery of feed to swine farms

Introduction Biosecurity protocols reduce the introduction and spread of pathogens among swine farms. For pigs, biosecurity ensures market stability, maintains export opportunities, and controls spread of production and public health diseases. Salmonella, the second most common cause of bacterial foodborne illness, causes gastrointestinal illness. Pigs can be asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria and pork products are a known source of salmonellosis in humans. Salmonella have been isolated from pigs, boots, flies, rodents, bird feces, feed, feed-ingredients, and feed trucks. The objective was to identify management factors to reduce the risk of disease spread among swine farms through feed trucks. Materials and Methods The study was conducted in two phases - the first phase included a series of focus groups and key-informant interviews; discussions held with swine producers and feed company personnel explored the protocols currently in place that reduce the risk of disease spread through the delivery of feed. Participants were asked to identify possible management changes that could further reduce the risk, and to rate these ideas in terms of their effect on disease control, and feasibility based on implementation and economics. This information was used to structure the second phase of the study – a pilot study. The pilot study was conducted over 6 weeks in the winter of 2013, and included 40 feed truck drivers from 3 Ontario feed companies. Truck drivers filled out log sheets as they delivered feed to swine farms, and provided information about the prevalence of the identified biosecurity risks during the day-to-day delivery of feed. Drivers were randomly assigned to be in either the treatment or control groups. Drivers in the control group delivered feed as they normally do. Drivers in the treatment group were: i) asked not to enter the barn unless absolutely necessary, and ii) were provided with re-usable, washable rubber over-shoes and were asked to wear a clean pair at each farm when they felt safe doing so. Chisquared tests were used to compare the usage of clean boots between drivers in the treatment and control groups. In total, 40 drivers from 3 companies, delivering feed to 2202 farms over 6 weeks (in the winter) collected descriptive data on the factors and compared use of different boots. Results The factors followed by the proportion of farms and drivers where the factor was found were found as follows: Most farms were: keeping areas (driveway, feed bin and barnyard) clean of mud and manure (82%), and dead-stock (91%) was appropriately disposed of and not visible to the driver. Some farms had an outbuilding to deliver bagged feed (24%). Other factors that were identified that producers should work on were to provide farm boots and coveralls for the driver if the driver needed to go into the barn, ordering the correct amount of feed to decrease the numbers of deliveries (or frequencies of deliveries) of feed, and notifying feed mill of a disease outbreak on the farm. Feed truck driver factors included wearing a separate pair of clean, disinfected, dried boots (25%) and gloves (50%) at each farm that is visited (even if the driver does not go into the barn, remaining outside the barn (92%); washing the steering wheel (49%), floor mat (77%) and outside of the truck (32%) every 24 hours. From these results, it may be advisable to increase the frequency of washing the truck. Another factor identified was for the driver to know and follow the farm biosecurity protocols. Half of the time, the driver left the feed bill outside barn (54%). Drivers given disinfected rubber boots were more likely to wear these on farms (42%) than plastic disposable boots (4%) (P<0.05). These drivers were also more likely to wear disinfected rubber boots than the control drivers (11%) (P<0.001). Conclusions and Discussion Biosecurity is a responsibility that is shared among all members of the industry. Feed personnel were encouraged to know more about disease transmission. Acknowledgments Canadian Swine Health Board for funding, feed company personnel and producers for participation

TGF-β Isoform Specific Regulation of Airway Inflammation and Remodelling in a Murine Model of Asthma

The TGF-β family of mediators are thought to play important roles in the regulation of inflammation and airway remodelling in asthma. All three mammalian isoforms of TGF-β, TGF-β1–3, are expressed in the airways and TGF-β1 and -β2 are increased in asthma. However, there is little information on the specific roles of individual TGF-β isoforms. In this study we assess the roles of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 in the regulation of allergen-induced airway inflammation and remodelling associated with asthma, using a validated murine model of ovalbumin sensitization and challenge, and isoform specific TGF-β neutralising antibodies. Antibodies to both isoforms inhibited TGF-β mediated Smad signalling. Anti-TGF-β1 and anti-TGF-β2 inhibited ovalbumin-induced sub-epithelial collagen deposition but anti-TGF-β1 also specifically regulated airway and fibroblast decorin deposition by TGF-β1. Neither antibody affected the allergen-induced increase in sub-epithelial fibroblast-like cells. Anti- TGF-β1 also specifically inhibited ovalbumin-induced increases in monocyte/macrophage recruitment. Whereas, both TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 were involved in regulating allergen-induced increases in eosinophil and lymphocyte numbers. These data show that TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 exhibit a combination of specific and shared roles in the regulation of allergen-induced airway inflammation and remodelling. They also provide evidence in support of the potential for therapeutic regulation of specific subsets of cells and extracellular matrix proteins associated with inflammation and remodelling in airway diseases such as asthma and COPD, as well as other fibroproliferative diseases

The influence of a Juvenile\u27s Abuse History on Support for Sex Offender Registration

We investigated whether and how a juvenile’s history of experiencing sexual abuse affects public perceptions of juvenile sex offenders in a series of 5 studies. When asked about juvenile sex offenders in an abstract manner (Studies 1 and 2), the more participants (community members and undergraduates) believed that a history of being sexually abused as a child causes later sexually abusive behavior, the less likely they were to support sex offender registration for juveniles. Yet when participants considered specific sexual offenses, a juvenile’s history of sexual abuse was not considered to be a mitigating factor. This was true when participants considered a severe sexual offense (forced rape; Study 3 and Study 4) and a case involving less severe sexual offenses (i.e., statutory rape), when a juvenile’s history of sexual abuse backfired and was used as an aggravating factor, increasing support for registering the offender (Study 3 and Study 5). Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed

Case management and Think First completion

“The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Probation Journal, Vol 53 Issue 3, 2006, Copyright The Trade Union and Professional Association for Family Court and Probation Staff, by SAGE Publications Ltd at: http://prb.sagepub.com/ " DOI: 10.1177/0264550506066771This article considers the findings of a small-scale study of the practice of case managers supervising offenders required to attend the Think First Group. It explores the interface between one-to-one and group-based work within multi-modal programmes of supervision and seeks to identify those practices that support individuals in completing a group.Peer reviewe

The effects of social service contact on teenagers in England

Objective: This study investigated outcomes of social service contact during teenage years. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (N = 15,770), using data on reported contact with social services resulting from teenagers’ behavior. Outcomes considered were educational achievement and aspiration, mental health, and locus of control. Inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment was used to estimate the effect of social service contact. Results: There was no significant difference between those who received social service contact and those who did not for mental health outcome or aspiration to apply to university. Those with contact had lower odds of achieving good exam results or of being confident in university acceptance if sought. Results for locus of control were mixed. Conclusions: Attention is needed to the role of social services in supporting the education of young people in difficulty. Further research is needed on the outcomes of social services contact

Mechanism of imidazolium ionic liquids toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and rational engineering of a tolerant, xylose-fermenting strain

Additional file 3. Fermentation profiles of Y133 and Y133-IIL in the presence of 1 % [BMIM]Cl at pH 6.5 and pH 5.0, and either aerobic or anaerobic conditions (n = 3, Mean ± S.E, except n = 2 for Y133 pH 6.5 anaerobic 72 h)

The decline and rise of neighbourhoods: the importance of neighbourhood governance

There is a substantial literature on the explanation of neighbourhood change. Most of this literature concentrates on identifying factors and developments behind processes of decline. This paper reviews the literature, focusing on the identification of patterns of neighbourhood change, and argues that the concept of neighbourhood governance is a missing link in attempts to explain these patterns. Including neighbourhood governance in the explanations of neighbourhood change and decline will produce better explanatory models and, finally, a better view about what is actually steering neighbourhood change