Effects of Fluctuating Temperatures on Isowean Pigs

This study quantifies responses of isowean pigs (10 to 12 days of age, PIC breed) to potential in-transit temperature fluctuations for 54 h, followed by a 14-day growth period under thermoneutrality. The 54-h temperature regimens included a constant air temperature of 26.7°C (as control) and three cyclic air temperatures of 26.7 ± 2.8°C, 26.7 ± 5.6°C and 26.7 ± 8.3°C, all using woodshavings bedding atop rigid board insulation. The pigs received an average dosage of 0.91 kg/pig water replacement supply during the 54-h treatment period, and ad-libitum feeding and watering during the growth period. Pigs in all three treatments and the control had similar growth performance, physiological, and energetic responses during both treatment and growth periods. At the end of the treatment period, the pigs had elevated concentrations of hematocrit, plasma protein, blood urea nitrogen, sodium and chloride, but declined concentration of glucose (P \u3c 0.05). Potassium and bicarbonate levels remained relatively constant (P \u3e 0.05). Concentrations of the blood constituents returned to normal during the growth period. The results suggest that the isowean pigs respond well to air temperature fluctuations of up to ±8.3°C around the thermoneutral condition of 26.7°C air temperature coupled with woodshavings bedding

Vaccination of influenza a virus decreases transmission rates in pigs

Limited information is available on the transmission and spread of influenza virus in pig populations with differing immune statuses. In this study we assessed differences in transmission patterns and quantified the spread of a triple reassortant H1N1 influenza virus in naïve and vaccinated pig populations by estimating the reproduction ratio (R) of infection (i.e. the number of secondary infections caused by an infectious individual) using a deterministic Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) model, fitted on experimental data. One hundred and ten pigs were distributed in ten isolated rooms as follows: (i) non-vaccinated (NV), (ii) vaccinated with a heterologous vaccine (HE), and (iii) vaccinated with a homologous inactivated vaccine (HO). The study was run with multiple replicates and for each replicate, an infected non-vaccinated pig was placed with 10 contact pigs for two weeks and transmission of influenza evaluated daily by analyzing individual nasal swabs by RT-PCR. A statistically significant difference between R estimates was observed between vaccinated and non-vaccinated pigs (p < 0.05). A statistically significant reduction in transmission was observed in the vaccinated groups where R (95%CI) was 1 (0.39-2.09) and 0 for the HE and the HO groups respectively, compared to an Ro value of 10.66 (6.57-16.46) in NV pigs (p < 0.05). Transmission in the HE group was delayed and variable when compared to the NV group and transmission could not be detected in the HO group. Results from this study indicate that influenza vaccines can be used to decrease susceptibility to influenza infection and decrease influenza transmission

Effects of Post-weaning Nutritional Conditions on Isowean Pigs

This study quantifies the responses of isowean pigs to post-weaning nutritional conditions as may be encountered during extended shipment. PIC breeding stock pigs at 8 to 12 days of age (3.5 to 4.0 kg body weight) were subjected to four nutritional regimens for 72 h. The pigs were then raised with ad libitum feeding for 14 days. Thermoneutral environments were used throughout the experiment. Pigs deprived of feed and water (i.e., Fast) had higher body weight loss (of 0.61 kg/pig or 17% of their initial body weight) as compared with pigs provided with feed and water supplement (0.39 kg/pig or 11% of their initial body weight) or water supplement only (0.43 kg/pig or 11.5% IBW) (P \u3c 0.05). All the treatments led to significant rise in blood urea nitrogen but fall in blood glucose (P \u3c 0.05). However, the glucose levels were much higher than the generally considered hypoglycemic level (75 mg/dL). All pigs showed a similar degree of dehydration, as evidenced by elevated hematocrit and blood electrolyte concentrations (P \u3c 0.05). The physiological responses returned to normal during the 14-day growth period and were similar for all the pigs. The results suggest that isowean pigs (PIC genetic line) responded well to post-weaning nutritional conditions typically encountered during extended shipments. Supply of bacteria-resistant water supplement such as Aqua-Jel seemed beneficial in reducing stress and may be considered for extended commercial shipment. However, in-transit supply of feed added little benefit to the pigs and thus may be omitted. This omission has special implications for international shipments because certain countries prohibit inclusion of feed in shipment. The energetics data of this study may be used to design and operate ventilation systems in transportation and production facilities for the isowean pigs

Receptor specificity of subtype H1 influenza A viruses isolated from swine and humans in the United States

The evolution of classical swine influenza viruses receptor specificity preceding the emergence of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus was analyzed in glycan microarrays. Classical swine influenza viruses from the α, β, and γ antigenic clusters isolated between 1945 and 2009 revealed a binding profile very similar to that of 2009 pandemic H1N1 viruses, with selectivity for α2-6-linked sialosides and very limited binding to α2-3 sialosides. Despite considerable genetic divergence, the ‘human-like’ H1N1 viruses circulating in swine retained strong binding preference for α2-6 sialylated glycans. Interspecies transmission of H1N1 influenza viruses from swine to humans or from humans to swine has not driven selection of viruses with distinct novel receptor binding specificities. Classical swine and human seasonal H1N1 influenza viruses have conserved specificity for similar α2-6-sialoside receptors in spite of long term circulation in separate hosts, suggesting that humans and swine impose analogous selection pressures on the evolution of receptor binding function

Gegenbilder - literarisch/filmisch/fotografisch

Gegenbilder in Literatur, Film und Fotografie. Die moderne Welt ist voller Bilder. Auch die wissenschaftliche Beschäftigung mit ihnen erfährt Konjunktur. Dennoch fällt es eminent schwer, allgemeingültig zu definieren, was ein Bild ausmacht. Zu verschieden scheint das, was dem Menschen als „Bild“ entgegentritt: Das kann ein Foto, ein Gemälde oder ein Film sein, aber auch ein Gedanke, eine sprachliche Metapher, ein literarisches Motiv. Im Zentrum dieses Sammelbands stehen literatur- und medienwissenschaftliche Beiträge, die unter dem Leitbegriff „Gegenbilder“ ihren Fokus auf Ausprägungen des Widerständigen innerhalb einer polymorphen Bildlichkeit richten. Untersucht werden dabei die Inszenierungen von Gegenbildern auf der Figurenebene sowie die Rolle von Bildern bei der Darstellung von sozialer Zugehörigkeit, der Herstellung nationaler Identität und der Konstruktion kollektiver Gedächtnisorte. Welche traditionellen Motive, Topoi und Figurenmodelle transportieren Literatur, Film und Fotografie, gegen welche kämpfen sie an? Tragen konventionelle Beschreibungsmuster das Potential zum Widerstand gegen das Etablierte bereits in sich? Diesen und weiteren Fragen widmen sich die Autoren aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive und mit einem zeitgemäßen Verständnis von Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft, das Geschriebenes sowie visuell präsente Bilder als gleichrangige Lesetexte auffasst und ebenso die Grenzen zwischen Hoch- und Populärkultur überwindet

Spatial Dynamics of Human-Origin H1 Influenza A Virus in North American Swine

The emergence and rapid global spread of the swine-origin H1N1/09 pandemic influenza A virus in humans underscores the importance of swine populations as reservoirs for genetically diverse influenza viruses with the potential to infect humans. However, despite their significance for animal and human health, relatively little is known about the phylogeography of swine influenza viruses in the United States. This study utilizes an expansive data set of hemagglutinin (HA1) sequences (n = 1516) from swine influenza viruses collected in North America during the period 2003–2010. With these data we investigate the spatial dissemination of a novel influenza virus of the H1 subtype that was introduced into the North American swine population via two separate human-to-swine transmission events around 2003. Bayesian phylogeographic analysis reveals that the spatial dissemination of this influenza virus in the US swine population follows long-distance swine movements from the Southern US to the Midwest, a corn-rich commercial center that imports millions of swine annually. Hence, multiple genetically diverse influenza viruses are introduced and co-circulate in the Midwest, providing the opportunity for genomic reassortment. Overall, the Midwest serves primarily as an ecological sink for swine influenza in the US, with sources of virus genetic diversity instead located in the Southeast (mainly North Carolina) and South-central (mainly Oklahoma) regions. Understanding the importance of long-distance pig transportation in the evolution and spatial dissemination of the influenza virus in swine may inform future strategies for the surveillance and control of influenza, and perhaps other swine pathogens