Save the pig tail

Tail biting is a common problem in modern pig production and has a negative impact on both animal welfare and economic result of the farm. Tail biting risk is increased by management and housing practices that fail to meet the basic needs of pigs. Tail docking is commonly used to reduce the risk of tail biting, but tail docking in itself is a welfare problem, as it causes pain to the pigs, and facilitates suboptimal production methods from a welfare point-of-view. When evaluating the cost and benefit of tail docking, it is important to consider negative impacts of both tail docking and tail biting. It is also essential to realize that even though 100% of the pigs are normally docked, only a minority will end up bitten, even in the worst case. In addition, data suggests that tail biting can be managed to an acceptable level even without tail docking, by correcting the production system to better meet the basic needs of the pigs.Peer reviewe

Moniammatillinen lasten ja nuorten suun terveyden edistäminen Porvoon kaupungin terveyspalveluissa

Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoitus oli kehittää lasten ja nuorten suun terveydenhuollon ennaltaehkäisevää, moniammatillista yhteistyötä Porvoon kaupungissa. Lasten ja nuorten terveyden edistämisellä pyritään ennaltaehkäisemään lasten sairauksien syntymistä mahdollisimman varhaisessa vaiheessa ja siten ennaltaehkäisemään suurempien terveysriskien kasautumista tai terveyserojen kasvua. Opinnäytetyö on laadullinen kehittämistyö, jonka tavoitteena on parantaa moniammatillista yhteistyötä Porvoon kaupungin suun terveydenhuollon ja neuvola- ja kouluterveydenhuollon kanssa. Opinnäytetyön työelämäohjaajana toimii preventioyksikön osastonhoitaja. Opinnäytetyö on toteutettu Delfoi-tutkimusmenetelmällä asiantuntijoiden (n = 13) mielipiteitä tutkimalla sekä vertaamalla saatuja mielipiteitä asiantuntija-asiakkaiden (n = 3)mielipiteisiin lasten suun terveydentilasta ja ennaltaehkäisevästä hoidosta. Samalla tutkittiin asiakkaiden ja asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä Porvoon kaupungin tulevaan organisaatiomuutokseen. Asiantuntijoista lasten hammastarkastukset ovat ennaltaehkäisyn kannalta tärkein vaikutta-misen kanava. Tarkastuksiin varattu aika kuitenkin koettiin riittämättömäksi. Terveydenhoitajien suorittamia suun tarkastuksia pitivät puolestaan asiantuntija-asiakkaat tärkeinä. Suuhygienistit ja terveydenhoitajat näkivät yhteistyön kehittämisen mahdollisina mm. työparitoiminnan ja yhteisten kokousten avulla. Asiakkaiden näkökulmasta yhteisesti toteutetut ryhmäneuvolat olisivat kokeilemisen arvoisia uusia toimintamuotoja. Organisaatiomuutokseen asiantuntijat ja asiantuntija-asiakkaat suhtautuvat kaikki odottavin ja luottavaisin mielin.This thesis aims for the development of multi-professional co-operation for preventive oral healthcare for children and teens in the City of Porvoo. Promoting oral health among children and teens, oral diseases can be prevented in their early stages as well as that work can prevent children’s health problems accumulation or differentiation between their peers. This thesis aims to enhance the development of co-operations between dental staff and the public health nurses that work with children under school age and at comprehensive schools. The work life instructor for this thesis also works as a ward administrator nurse in Porvoo. This thesis in carried out by a qualitative research method Delphi. Delphi method allows experts (n=13) to give their opinions and they can be processed in to a new opinions. These opinions can then be compared to the opinions of a clients or patients (n=3). In this thesis the experts opinions were asked about children’s preventive oral healthcare, co-operation between different professions and experts opinions about the new organization structure. The experts mainly think that dental examinations are the most effective place to give guid-ance and health knowledge to children and their parents. The time booked for these exam-inations is considered to be too short by the experts. The clients consider that healthcare nurses play an important role in the oral health of their children and should pay more atten-tion to the oral challenges at their appointments. The general development to the co-opera-tion among these occupation groups is considered to be important for the future. Working partners among dental hygienists and healthcare nurses are considered to be a possibility to try a new way to work among children’s oral health. The clients feel that group surgery together would be also worth trying. Both the experts as well as the clients are relating easily to the on-coming organization change and it is considered to be consumer oriented

Market and policy-oriented incentives to provide animal welfare: The case of tail biting

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The timing and treatment of tail biting in fattening pigs

The victims of TB have a reduced growth potential. In addition, victims of TB have reduced growth rate. The victims are likely to suffer more frequently from other health disordes than pigs with non-bitten tails. Tail biting was often preceded by leg disorders and followed by reduced appetite, which may be associated with reduced growth rate of victims of tail biting. The costs of TB were particularly heavy when medication was needed and when the fattening of the victims could not be continued as planned. As TB behaves like an epidemic, immediate response to tail biting is important to prevent further cases and economic damage

Herd-level risk factors for chronic pleurisy in finishing pigs : a case-control study

Background Chronic pleurisy is a common finding in slaughtered pigs in post-mortem meat inspection. The prevalence of pleurisy has been increasing during the last decade also in Finland. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to search for environmental, infectious and management-related herd-level risk factors for pleurisy in the slaughterhouse. Altogether 46 Finnish pig herds, including 25 control (low pleurisy prevalence in meat inspection) and 21 case (high pleurisy) herds, were enrolled in the study and visited during the tenth week of the rearing period of finishing pigs. Herd personnel were asked about basic herd information, management and environmental factors. Selected pigs were examined clinically, environmental parameters were measured and 15 blood samples per herd were taken during herd visits. Antibodies againstActinobacillus pleuropneumoniaserotype 2 (APP2) and ApxIV toxin and swine influenza virus were measured. After the slaughter of study pigs, meat inspection results of the batch were gathered from slaughterhouses. Multivariate logistic regression model was built to identify possible risk factors for a herd to be a case herd (i.e. having high pleurisy values). Results Finishing herd type and herd size were observed to act as risk factors. None of clinical signs of pigs, management-related factors or environmental measurements were associated with herd status. Conclusions As previously known, in endemic and subclinical infections such as APP, herd factors are important, but detailed risk factors seem to be difficult to identify.Peer reviewe

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Flavonoids: Genistein, Kaempferol, Quercetin, and Daidzein Inhibit STAT-1 and NF-κB Activations, Whereas Flavone, Isorhamnetin, Naringenin, and Pelargonidin Inhibit only NF-κB Activation along with Their Inhibitory Effect on iNOS Expression and NO Production in Activated Macrophages

In inflammation, bacterial products and proinflammatory cytokines induce the formation of large amounts of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and compounds that inhibit NO production have anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, we systematically investigated the effects of 36 naturally occurring flavonoids and related compounds on NO production in macrophages exposed to an inflammatory stimulus (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), and evaluated the mechanisms of action of the effective compounds. Flavone, the isoflavones daidzein and genistein, the flavonols isorhamnetin, kaempferol and quercetin, the flavanone naringenin, and the anthocyanin pelargonidin inhibited iNOS protein and mRNA expression and also NO production in a dose-dependent manner. All eight active compounds inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which is a significant transcription factor for iNOS. Genistein, kaempferol, quercetin, and daidzein also inhibited the activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT-1), another important transcription factor for iNOS. The present study characterises the effects and mechanisms of naturally occurring phenolic compounds on iNOS expression and NO production in activated macrophages. The results partially explain the pharmacological efficacy of flavonoids as anti-inflammatory compounds