Differences in Nursery Pigs’ Behavior on the Day of Vaccination

Swine industry feed suppliers are continually striving to develop techniques and tools to reduce the additive stressors imposed on the weanling piglet, to increase advantageous behaviors (feeding and drinking) and to reduce aggressive interactions. One product on the market designed to ease the transition from a liquid diet (sow\u27s milk) to a dry ration is a gel-based feed supplement that was incorporated in this trial as a means to positively affect feeding and drinking behaviors. The objectives of this study were to determine if there were differences in the nursery pigs’ behavior on the day of vaccination when provided a gel supplement. A total of 29 d crossbred pigs (5.94 kg) were housed in Double L® confinement nursery buildings. Four treatments were compared. No vaccine and no gel (control n = 4) defined as unvaccinated and without supplemental gel at days 8 to 10. No vaccine and gel (n = 4) defined as pigs that were provided supplemental gel at days 8 to 10 without vaccination. Vaccinated and no gel (n = 4) defined as pigs that were vaccinated but did not receive supplemental gel at days 8 to 10. Vaccinated and gel (n = 4) defined as pigs that were provided supplemental gel at days 8 to 10 and were vaccinated. The group of four pigs housed together in a pen was considered the experimental unit for data analysis. Definitions for the behaviors and postures recorded and summarized for the trial included the following: Active was defined as standing, this included any upright postures. Inactive posture was defined as sitting or lying postures (both lateral and sternal). Time at drinker was defined as when an individual pig’s mouth was around the water nipple. Time at feeding stations was defined as the time when the individual pig’s head was inside the creep (that contained gel) or the three hole feeder (dry pelleted feed). Nursery aged pigs were less active (P \u3c 0.05; Figure 1) and spent less time (P \u3c 0.05; Figure 2) at the feeding stations 1- h after receiving Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccination, indicating a short term behavioral response to this stressor. These behavioral alterations continued for approximately 6- h (or 5:00 PM the vaccination day afternoon). After this time, all nursery pigs regardless of treatment engaged in the same behavioral repertoire. However, the behavioral repertoire of these nursery pigs were not different over the 3-d trial (previously published worked by Johnson et al., 2008) suggesting that the effects of this vaccination stressor and product were not long lasting

The Effect of Supplementing Dry Feed with a Nutritional Gel Product at the Time of Vaccination on Nursery Pig Maintenance Behaviors and Postures

Swine industry feed suppliers are continually striving to develop techniques and tools to reduce the additive stressors imposed on the weanling piglet, to increase advantageous behaviors (feeding and drinking) and to reduce aggressive interactions. One product on the market designed to ease the transition from a liquid diet (sow\u27s milk) to a dry ration is a gel-based feed supplement that was incorporated in this trial as a means to positively affect the aforementioned parameters. The trial was conducted in the spring of 2007. A total of 64 3-week old, crossbred pigs (4.2 kg) were received from a commercial farm and housed in Double L ® confinement nursery buildings. Four treatments were compared. Control groups (n = 4) were defined as unvaccinated and without supplemental gel at days 9 to 11. Treatment one (TRT 1 n = 4 groups) was provided supplemental gel at days 9 to 11 without vaccination. Treatment two (TRT 2; n = 4 groups) was vaccinated but did not receive supplemental gel at days 9 to 11. Treatment three (TRT 3; n = 4 groups) received supplemental gel at days 9 to 11 and were vaccinated. The group of four pigs housed together in a pen was considered the experimental unit for data analysis. Definitions for the behaviors and postures recorded and summarized for the trial included the following: Active was defined as standing, this included any upright postures. Inactive posture was defined as sitting or lying postures (both lateral and sternal). Time at drinker was defined as when an individual pig’s mouth was around the water nipple. Time at feeding stations was defined as the time when the individual pig’s head was inside the creep (that contained gel) or the three hole feeder (dry pelleted feed). There were no differences between treatments for active (P = 0.60), inactive (P = 0.99) or time at drinker (P = 0.37), respectively. There was a difference (P = 0.0085) between treatments for the percentage of time spent at the feeding stations with pigs receiving vaccine and no gel spending the least amount of time at the feeding stations compared to the other three treatment groups. Therefore, the availability of a gel product when pigs are vaccinated provided some benefit, as the time spent at the feeding station was higher compared to pigs that did not have access to the gel

Anxiety disorders and salivary cortisol levels in older adults: A population-based study

Context: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the body's main systems that controls response to stress. It acts through the hormone cortisol. While the dysregulation of cortisol has been associated with anxiety disorders, the evidence is inconsistent. Moreover, only a few small studies have assessed this relationship in older adults. Objective: To determine whether in adults aged 65 years and over there is a difference in daily cortisol pattern between those with and without an anxiety disorder. Methods: The study population comprised 1788 older adults from a population-based cohort. The Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to diagnose anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, agoraphobia and panic disorder). The cortisol awakening response and total cortisol secretion over the day were calculated from cortisol levels in four saliva samples taken over the course of one day (at awakening, 30. min after awakening, at 1700. h, at bedtime). Results: Older adults with an anxiety disorder (n=145, median duration since first symptoms 41 years) had a lower cortisol awakening response (p=0.02) than those without such a disorder (n=1643). This association was most prominent in those with generalized anxiety disorder (p=0.008), but was not associated with the extent of chronicity of anxiety disorders. Conclusion: Older adults from the general population with long-lasting anxiety disorders had a lower cortisol awakening response than those without. This is consistent with the notion that chronic anxiety may result in downregulation of HPA-axis activity. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this mechanism

Patterns of carbon processing at the seafloor: the role of faunal and microbial communities in moderating carbon flows

Marine sediments, particularly those located in estuarine and coastal zones, are key locations for the burial of organic carbon (C). However, organic C delivered to the sediment is subjected to a range of biological C-cycling processes, the rates and relative importance of which vary markedly between sites, and which are thus difficult to predict. In this study, stable isotope tracer experiments were used to quantify the processing of C by microbial and faunal communities in two contrasting Scottish estuarine sites: a subtidal, organic C rich site in Loch Etive with cohesive fine-grained sediment, and an intertidal, organic C poor site on an Ythan estuary sand flat with coarse-grained permeable sediments. In both experiments, sediment cores were recovered and amended with 13C labelled phytodetritus to quantify whole community respiration of the added C and to trace the isotope label into faunal and bacterial biomass. Similar respiration rates were found in Loch Etive and on the Ythan sand flat (0.64 ± 0.04 and 0.63 ± 0.12 mg C m−2h−1, respectively), which we attribute to the experiments being conducted at the same temperature. Faunal uptake of added C over the whole experiment was markedly greater in Loch Etive (204 ± 72 mg C m−2) than on the Ythan sand flat (0.96 ± 0.3 mg C m−2), and this difference was driven by a difference in both faunal biomass and activity. Conversely, bacterial C uptake over the whole experiment in Loch Etive was much lower than that on the Ythan sand flat (1.80 ± 1.66 and 127 ± 89 mg C m−2, respectively). This was not driven by differences in biomass, indicating that the bacterial community in the permeable Ythan sediments was particularly active, being responsible for 48 ± 18 % of total biologically processed C. This type of biological C processing appears to be favoured in permeable sediments. The total amount of biologically processed C was greatest in Loch Etive, largely due to greater faunal C uptake, which was in turn a result of higher faunal biomass. When comparing results from this study with a wide range of previously published isotope tracing experiments, we found a strong correlation between total benthic biomass (fauna plus bacteria) and total biological C processing rates. Therefore, we suggest that the total C-cycling capacity of benthic environments is primarily determined by total biomass

Religious revelation, secrecy and the limits of visual representation

This article seeks to contribute to a more adequate understanding of the adoption of modern audiovisual mass media by contemporary religious groups. It does so by examining Pentecostal-charismatic churches as well as the Christian mass culture instigated by its popularity, and so-called traditional religion in Ghana, which develop markedly different attitudes towards audiovisual mass media and assume different positions in the public sphere. Taking into account the complicated entanglement of traditional religion and Pentecostalism, approaching both religions from a perspective of mediation which regards media as intrinsic to religion, and seeking to avoid the pitfall of overestimating the power of modern mass media to determine the world, this article seeks to move beyond an unproductive recurrence to oppositions such as tradition and modernity, or religion and technology. It is argued that instead of taking as a point of departure more or less set ideas about the nexus of vision and modernity, the adoption of new mass media by religious groups needs to be analyzed by a detailed ethnographic investigation of how these new media transform existing practices of religious mediation. Special emphasis is placed on the tension between the possibilities of gaining public presence through new media, and the difficulty in authorizing these media, and the experiences they induce, as authentic. Copyright © 2006 SAGE Publications

Predictors of Depressive Symptoms and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Women Engaged in Commercial Sex Work in Southern Uganda

This study examined the factors associated with depressive symptoms and post traumatic depressive disorder (PTSD) among economically vulnerable women engaged in commercial sex work (WESW) in southern Uganda. Baseline data from a longitudinal cluster randomized study involving 542 self-identified WESW (18-55 years), recruited from 19 HIV hotspots were analyzed. Hierarchical linear regression modelling was utilized to estimate individual, family-level and economic-level predictors of depressive symptoms and PTSD. Family cohesion, sex work stigma, HIV status, financial distress, household assets, number of children and number of household income earners, were associated with PTSD. Similarly, family cohesion, number of people in the household, HIV status, sex work stigma, financial distress, and household assets, were associated with depressive symptoms. Women engaged in commercial sex work are at a higher risk of HIV and poor mental health outcomes. Sex work stigma and financial distress elevate levels of depressive symptoms and PTSD, over and above an individual's HIV status. Family and economic-level factors have the potential to mitigate the risk of poor mental health outcomes. As such, integrating stigma reduction and economic strengthening components in the programming targeting WESW—a key population, may be critical to address their mental health outcomes

Delegation ärztlicher Leistungen an rheumatologische Fachassistenten: Effekte auf Depression und Angst bei Patienten mit rheumatoider Arthritis

Background: At least 1 comorbidity occurs in 80% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition to cardiovascular comorbidities psychological comorbid conditions are common. The prevalence of depression and anxiety is higher in patients than in the general population. Screening for comorbidities is crucial. A shortage of outpatient specialist care barely allows resources for this. The implementation of team-based care holds the potential to improve the standard of care while simultaneously working against the shortage of care. Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the effects of care on the course of depression and anxiety in patients with seropositive RA and active disease. Material and methods: A multicenter pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted over the course of 1 year with 224 patients. After baseline, five more visits followed. In the intervention group (IG), three were initially carried out by qualified rheumatological assistants. Depression, anxiety and patient satisfaction with outpatient care were looked at in detail. Results: In the IG the anxiety symptoms significantly improved over 12 months (p = 0.036). The proportions of patients with anxiety also significantly changed in the IG (p < 0.001), while there was no change in the control group between baseline and month 12. The values of the depression scale did not differ significantly (p = 0.866). In terms of the information dimension of the satisfaction questionnaire, patients in the IG felt significantly better informed after 6 months (p = 0.013) and 12 months (p = 0.003). Conclusion: A positive effect of team-based care on the course of depression and anxiety in patients with seropositive RA and active disease could be shown.Hintergrund: Bei 80 % der Patienten mit einer rheumatoiden Arthritis (RA) tritt mindestens eine Komorbidität auf. Neben kardiovaskulären Komorbiditäten sind psychische Erkrankungen häufig. Die Prävalenz von Depression und Angst ist bei Betroffenen höher als in der Allgemeinbevölkerung. Ein Screening auf Komorbidität ist hoch relevant. Die Unterversorgung im fachärztlichen Bereich lässt dies kaum zu. Die Implementierung einer Visite durch die rheumatologische Fachassistenz (RFA) bietet Potenzial, die Versorgung zu verbessern und der Unterversorgung zu begegnen. Fragestellung: Ziel ist, Auswirkungen einer teambasierten Versorgung auf den Verlauf von Depression und Angst bei Patienten mit einer seropositiven RA im Krankheitsschub zu untersuchen. Material und Methoden: Es handelt sich um eine multizentrische, pragmatische, randomisierte, kontrollierte Studie über 1 Jahr mit 224 Patienten. Nach Baseline folgen 5 Visiten. In der Interventionsgruppe (IG) fanden 3 zunächst bei der RFA statt. Depression, Angst und Behandlungszufriedenheit werden genauer betrachtet. Ergebnisse: In der IG hat sich die ängstliche Symptomatik über 12 Monate signifikant verbessert (p = 0,036). Auch die Anteile der Patienten mit Ängstlichkeit verändern sich signifikant in der Interventionsgruppe (p < 0,001), während es in der Kontrollgruppe im Vergleich zwischen Baseline und Monat 12 zu keiner Veränderung kam. Die Werte der Depressionsskala unterschieden sich nicht signifikant (p = 0,866). Bei der Dimension „Information“ des Zufriedenheitsfragebogens haben sich die Patienten in der IG nach 6 (p = 0,013) und 12 Monaten (p = 0,003) signifikant besser informiert gefühlt. Diskussion: Ein positiver Effekt der teambasierten Versorgung auf den Verlauf von Depression und Angst bei Patienten mit einer seropositiven RA im Krankheitsschub konnte gezeigt werden

A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Novel Loci for Paclitaxel-Induced Sensory Peripheral Neuropathy in CALGB 40101

Sensory peripheral neuropathy is a common and sometimes debilitating toxicity associated with paclitaxel therapy. This study aims to identify genetic risk factors for development of this toxicity

Viruses in extreme environments

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comInternational audienceThe tolerance limits of extremophiles in term of temperature, pH, salinity, desiccation, hydrostatic pressure, radiation, anaerobiosis far exceed what can support non-extremophilic organisms. Like all other organisms, extremophiles serve as hosts for viral replication. Many lines of evidence suggest that viruses could no more be regarded as simple infectious ‘‘fragments of life'' but on the contrary as one of the major components of the biosphere. The exploration of niches with seemingly harsh life conditions as hypersaline and soda lakes, Sahara desert, polar environments or hot acid springs and deep sea hydrothermal vents, permitted to track successfully the presence of viruses. Substantial populations of double-stranded DNA virus that can reach 109 particles per milliliter were recorded. All these viral communities, with genome size ranging from 14 kb to 80 kb, seem to be genetically distinct, suggesting specific niche adaptation. Nevertheless, at this stage of the knowledge, very little is known of their origin, activity, or importance to the in situ microbial dynamics. The continuous attempts to isolate and to study viruses that thrive in extreme environments will be needed to address such questions. However, this topic appears to open a new window on an unexplored part of the viral world

Stitching together Multiple Data Dimensions Reveals Interacting Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Networks That Modulate Cell Regulation

DNA variation can be used as a systematic source of perturbation in segregating populations as a way to infer regulatory networks via the integration of large-scale, high-dimensional molecular profiling data