7 CFR 51.343 - Culls.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Culls § 51.343 Culls. “Culls” consist of apples which fail to meet the requirements of U.S. Cider Grade. Size ...

7 CFR 51.343 - Culls.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Culls § 51.343 Culls. “Culls” consist of apples which fail to meet the requirements of U.S. Cider Grade. Size ...

Benefits to rare plants and highway safety from annual population reductions of a "native invader," white-tailed deer, in a Chicago-area woodland.

PubMed

Engeman, Richard M; Guerrant, Travis; Dunn, Glen; Beckerman, Scott F; Anchor, Chris

2014-01-01

Overabundant white-tailed deer are one of the most serious threats to woodland plant communities in the Chicago area. Moreover, the abundant deer in a highly populated area causes economic harm and poses hazards to human safety through collisions with vehicles. The artificial conditions causing the overabundance and resulting consequences qualify the white-tailed deer in the Chicago area to be considered as "native invaders". We examined the benefits of culling deer at a Chicago-area woodland preserve by comparing browse rates on four endangered plant species from years before culling began with years with culling. We also examined deer-vehicle collision and traffic flow rates on area roads from years before culling began and years with culling to assess whether population reductions may have benefited road safety in the area. All four endangered plant species (three orchid species and sweet fern) had lower browse rates in years with culls, although the decreased browsing rates were statistically distinguishable for only two of the species (grass pink orchid and sweet fern). After first verifying that traffic flow rates did not decrease from pre-cull years to years with culls, we analyzed the Illinois Department of Transportation data from area roads based on deer-vehicle collisions causing >US$500 in damage and showed a one-third reduction in deer-vehicle collisions. An economic analysis showed a cost savings during the cull years of US$0.6 million for reducing browsing to just these four monitored plant species and the reduction in deer-vehicle collisions.

A new application of pelvis area data as culling tool to aid in the management of dystocia in heifers.

PubMed

Holm, D E; Webb, E C; Thompson, P N

2014-05-01

Although fetomaternal disproportion is the major cause of dystocia in heifers, pelvis area (PA) is not recommended as a culling tool due to its relatively low importance and genetic correlation with calf birth weight (BWT), the most important factor associated with dystocia. The objective of this observational study of 484 limited bred yearling beef heifers was to compare the effects of different methods of adjustment of PA data for culling to select against dystocia. Multivariable analyses were used to determine predictors of PA, calf BWT, and dystocia. Hypothetical culling rates of 10 and 20% were then applied after ranking heifers by each of the following: unadjusted PA, PA adjusted to 365 d of age by subtracting 0.27 cm(2) per day of age difference between each heifer's age and 365 d (APA), PA:prebreeding BW ratio (PA:BW), PA adjusted to the median BW of the group using the regression coefficient of PA on BW within age group (BWPA), and PA similarly adjusted to the median lean BW (LBWPA). Dam parity, sire, prebreeding age, prebreeding BW, and prebreeding BCS were associated with PA whereas dam parity, sire, own BWT, PA, AI bull, and calf gender were associated with calf BWT (P < 0.05). Dam parity, calf BWT, and either BWPA or LBWPA were the only independent predictors of dystocia (P < 0.05). Adjusting PA to BW or lean BW (LBW) improved the sensitivity and specificity to predict dystocia. After hypothetical culling by PA, retained heifers were heavier and had a higher calving rate and calves tended to be heavier at birth compared to culled heifers, but dystocia rates were not different. Culling by APA resulted in similar effects, except that dystocia rate tended to be lower in retained heifers. Culling by PA:BW resulted in lower dystocia rate in retained than in culled heifers, but retained heifers had lower prebreeding BW than culls. Culling by BWPA and LBWPA resulted in lower proportions with dystocia and a tendency towards higher calving rates in the retained heifers, without affecting the prebreeding BW or calf BWT. It is concluded that pelvimetry is a useful culling tool to aid in the management of dystocia in yearling heifers and that adjustment of PA to median BW or LBW within age group improves its accuracy and avoids the undesirable side effects.

Spatial Targeting for Bovine Tuberculosis Control: Can the Locations of Infected Cattle Be Used to Find Infected Badgers?

PubMed

Smith, Catherine M; Downs, Sara H; Mitchell, Andy; Hayward, Andrew C; Fry, Hannah; Le Comber, Steven C

2015-01-01

Bovine tuberculosis is a disease of historical importance to human health in the UK that remains a major animal health and economic issue. Control of the disease in cattle is complicated by the presence of a reservoir species, the Eurasian badger. In spite of uncertainty in the degree to which cattle disease results from transmission from badgers, and opposition from environmental groups, culling of badgers has been licenced in two large areas in England. Methods to limit culls to smaller areas that target badgers infected with TB whilst minimising the number of uninfected badgers culled is therefore of considerable interest. Here, we use historical data from a large-scale field trial of badger culling to assess two alternative hypothetical methods of targeting TB-infected badgers based on the distribution of cattle TB incidents: (i) a simple circular 'ring cull'; and (ii) geographic profiling, a novel technique for spatial targeting of infectious disease control that predicts the locations of sources of infection based on the distribution of linked cases. Our results showed that both methods required coverage of very large areas to ensure a substantial proportion of infected badgers were removed, and would result in many uninfected badgers being culled. Geographic profiling, which accounts for clustering of infections in badger and cattle populations, produced a small but non-significant increase in the proportion of setts with TB-infected compared to uninfected badgers included in a cull. It also provided no overall improvement at targeting setts with infected badgers compared to the ring cull. Cattle TB incidents in this study were therefore insufficiently clustered around TB-infected badger setts to design an efficient spatially targeted cull; and this analysis provided no evidence to support a move towards spatially targeted badger culling policies for bovine TB control.

Comparing badger (Meles meles) management strategies for reducing tuberculosis incidence in cattle.

PubMed

Smith, Graham C; McDonald, Robbie A; Wilkinson, David

2012-01-01

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, continues to be a serious economic problem for the British cattle industry. The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) is partly responsible for maintenance of the disease and its transmission to cattle. Previous attempts to manage the disease by culling badgers have been hampered by social perturbation, which in some situations is associated with increases in the cattle herd incidence of bTB. Following the licensing of an injectable vaccine, we consider the relative merits of management strategies to reduce bTB in badgers, and thereby reduce cattle herd incidence. We used an established simulation model of the badger-cattle-TB system and investigated four proposed strategies: business as usual with no badger management, large-scale proactive badger culling, badger vaccination, and culling with a ring of vaccination around it. For ease of comparison with empirical data, model treatments were applied over 150 km(2) and were evaluated over the whole of a 300 km(2) area, comprising the core treatment area and a ring of approximately 2 km. The effects of treatment were evaluated over a 10-year period comprising treatment for five years and the subsequent five year period without treatment. Against a background of existing disease control measures, where 144 cattle herd incidents might be expected over 10 years, badger culling prevented 26 cattle herd incidents while vaccination prevented 16. Culling in the core 150 km(2) plus vaccination in a ring around it prevented about 40 cattle herd breakdowns by partly mitigating the negative effects of culling, although this approach clearly required greater effort. While model outcomes were robust to uncertainty in parameter estimates, the outcomes of culling were sensitive to low rates of land access for culling, low culling efficacy, and the early cessation of a culling strategy, all of which were likely to lead to an overall increase in cattle disease.

7 CFR 51.343 - Culls.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946... Standards for Grades of Apples for Processing Culls § 51.343 Culls. “Culls” consist of apples which fail to...

Indicators of cull in western Oregon conifers.

Treesearch

Paul E. Aho

1982-01-01

Descriptions and color photographs of important fungal sporophores (conks), other indicators of cull (wounds), and associated decays in western Oregon conifers are provided to aid timber markers, cruisers, and scalers in identifying them. Cull factors are given for the indicators by tree species.

Genotype by environment interactions on culling rates and 305-day milk yield of Holstein cows in 3 US regions.

PubMed

Tsuruta, S; Lourenco, D A L; Misztal, I; Lawlor, T J

2015-08-01

The objective of this study was to investigate genotype by environment interactions for culling rates and milk production in large and small dairy herds in 3 US regions, using genotypes, pedigree, and phenotypes. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker variances were also estimated in these different environments. Culling rates including cow mortality were based on 6 Dairy Herd Improvement termination codes reported by dairy producers. Separate data sets for culling rates and 305-d milk yield were created for large and small dairy herds in the US regions of the Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW), and Northeast (NE) for the first 3 lactation cows that calved between 1999 and 2008. Genomic information from 42,503 SNP markers on 34,506 bulls was included in the analysis to predict genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) of culling rates and 305-d milk yield with a single-step genomic BLUP using a bivariate threshold-linear model. Cow replacement rates in large SE and NE herds were higher. Heritability estimates of culling rates ranged from 0.03 to 0.11, but the differences were small between large and small herds and among the 3 US regions. Genetic correlations between culling rates and 305-d milk yield were medium to high for cows sold for poor production and reproduction problems. Correlations of GEBV for culling rates among the 3 US regions ranged from 0.34 to 0.92 and were lower between the SW and the other regions, especially in small herds. Correlations of GEBV between large and small herds ranged from 0.44 to 0.90 and were lower in the SW. These results indicate genotype by environment interactions of cow culling rate between the US regions and between large and small herds. Correlations of top 30 SNP marker effects for culling rates between 2 US regions ranged from 0.64 to 0.98 and were higher than those of more SNP marker effects except for a culling reason "sold for dairy purpose." Those correlations between large and small herds ranged from 0.67 to 0.98. High correlations of top SNP marker effects on culling reasons between the US regions and between large and small herds suggest that major markers can be useful for selection in different environments. The SNP variance shown in a marker gene segment on chromosome 14 was strongly associated with milk production in large and small herds in the NE but not in the SE and SW. Marker genes on chromosome 14 also showed a strong association with cow culling rates due to poor production and mortality in large herds in the NE. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 959.126 - Handling of culls.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Handling of culls. 959.126 Section 959.126 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements...) Handled for canning or freezing. (b) As a safeguard against culls entering fresh market channels each...

Body traits, carcass characteristics and price of cull cows as affected by farm type, breed, age and calving to culling interval.

PubMed

Gallo, L; Sturaro, E; Bittante, G

2017-04-01

Beef production from cull cows is an additional source of income for dairy farms and greatly contributes to red meat production, but the sources of variation of live animal characteristics and the carcass traits of cull cows have rarely been examined. This study investigated the effects of the farm type, breed, age at slaughter (AGE) and calving to culling interval (Calv_Cull) on the body traits and carcass characteristics of dairy and dual-purpose cull cows. Data from 555 cull cows from 182 herds belonging to five farm types, characterised by a combination of housing and feeding systems, were recorded and analysed. Dairy breeds, such as Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss, and dual-purpose breeds (Simmental, Rendena) were included in the trait assessments. The day before slaughter, the cows were weighed and scored for body condition (BCS) and fleshiness, and then, their heart girth and wither height were measured. At the slaughterhouse, the carcass weight (CW), dressing percentage (DP), carcass conformation and fatness scores, carcass price per kg and carcass total value were obtained. On average, the cows were slaughtered at nearly 71±27 months of age, 285±187 days after the last calving; 615±95 kg BW; and provided a 257±51 kg CW. Nearly 50% of the cows fell within the BCS range of 2.75 to 3.50, and the carcasses were mostly graded in the lowest class of conformation and fatness scores. Cull cows from free-stall farms had a higher DP, carcass conformation score and price than those from traditional tie-stall farms. The breed influenced the AGE, live animal characteristics and carcass traits. Cows from dairy breeds were younger at slaughter, had a lower BCS and fleshiness, and greater body measurements, but a lower DP and carcass price than those from dual-purpose breeds, although differences between the breeds were found within both groups. The age of the cows at slaughter influenced the Calv_Cull and increased the BW, body measurements and CW, but not the fleshiness and fatness appreciation (both in vivo and postmortem) or carcass price. The increasing Calv_Cull improved the BW, BCS, fleshiness, CW and carcass conformation and fatness. In conclusion, the decision to cull dairy cows should also take into account the factors that affect their carcass value in regards to improving the carcass price of cows.

The importance of localized culling in stabilizing chronic wasting disease prevalence in white-tailed deer populations.

PubMed

Manjerovic, Mary Beth; Green, Michelle L; Mateus-Pinilla, Nohra; Novakofski, Jan

2014-01-01

Strategies to contain the spread of disease often are developed with incomplete knowledge of the possible outcomes but are intended to minimize the risks associated with delaying control. Culling of game species by government agencies is one approach to control disease in wild populations but is unpopular with hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, politically unpalatable, and erodes public support for agencies responsible for wildlife management. We addressed the functional differences between hunting and government culling programs for managing chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer by comparing prevalence over a 10-year period in Illinois and Wisconsin. When both Illinois and Wisconsin were actively culling from 2003 - 2007, there were no statistical differences between state CWD prevalence estimates. Wisconsin government culling concluded in 2007 and average prevalence over the next five years was 3.09 ± 1.13% with an average annual increase of 0.63%. During that same time period, Illinois continued government culling and there was no change in prevalence throughout Illinois. Despite its unpopularity among hunters, localized culling is a disease management strategy that can maintain low disease prevalence while minimizing impacts on recreational deer harvest. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationships between milk culture results and treatment for clinical mastitis or culling in Norwegian dairy cattle.

PubMed

Reksen, O; Sølverød, L; Branscum, A J; Osterås, O

2006-08-01

In quarter milk samples from 2,492 randomly sampled cows that were selected without regard to their current or previous udder health status, the relationships between the following outcome variables were studied: treatment of clinical mastitis; the joint event of either treatment or culling for mastitis; culling for all reasons; culling specifically for mastitis; and the covariates of positive milk culture for Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., or other pathogens, or of negative culture for mastitis pathogens. Microbiological diagnoses were assigned at the cow level, and altogether 3,075 diagnoses were related to the outcome variables. The relation between the absence of pathogens and rich (>1,500 cfu/mL of milk) or sparse (

9 CFR 147.17 - Laboratory procedure recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults for salmonella. 147.17 Section 147.17... poults for salmonella. The laboratory procedure described in this section is recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks from egg-type and meat-type chicken flocks and waterfowl, exhibition...

9 CFR 147.17 - Laboratory procedure recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults for salmonella. 147.17 Section 147.17... poults for salmonella. The laboratory procedure described in this section is recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks from egg-type and meat-type chicken flocks and waterfowl, exhibition...

9 CFR 147.17 - Laboratory procedure recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults for salmonella. 147.17 Section 147.17... poults for salmonella. The laboratory procedure described in this section is recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks from egg-type and meat-type chicken flocks and waterfowl, exhibition...

9 CFR 147.17 - Laboratory procedure recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults for salmonella. 147.17 Section 147.17... poults for salmonella. The laboratory procedure described in this section is recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks from egg-type and meat-type chicken flocks and waterfowl, exhibition...

9 CFR 147.17 - Laboratory procedure recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the bacteriological examination of cull chicks and poults for salmonella. 147.17 Section 147.17... poults for salmonella. The laboratory procedure described in this section is recommended for the bacteriological examination of cull chicks from egg-type and meat-type chicken flocks and waterfowl, exhibition...

Intrauterine stress and male cohort quality: the case of September 11, 2001.

PubMed

Bruckner, Tim A; Nobles, Jenna

2013-01-01

Empirical research and the theory of natural selection assert that male mortality more than female mortality responds to ambient stressors in utero. Although population stressors may adversely damage males that survive to birth, the rival culled cohort hypothesis contends that males born during stressful times may exhibit better health than males in other cohorts because fetal loss has "culled" the frailest males. We tested these hypotheses by examining child developmental outcomes in a U.S. birth cohort reportedly affected in utero by the September 11, 2001 attacks. We used as outcomes the Bayley cognitive score and child height-for-age from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Previous research demonstrates a male-specific effect of 9/11 on California infants born in December 2001. We, therefore, compared cognition and height of this cohort with males born prior to the 9/11 attacks. We controlled for unobserved confounding across gender, season, and region by using triple-difference regression models (N = 6950). At 24 months, California males born in December scored greater than expected in cognitive ability (coef = 9.55, standard error = 3.37; p = 0.004). We observed no relation with height. Results remained robust to alternative specifications. Findings offer partial support for the culled cohort hypothesis in that we observed greater than expected cognitive scores at two years of age among a cohort of males affected by 9/11 in utero. Contemporary population stressors may induce male-specific culling, thereby resulting in relatively improved development among males that survive to birth. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic trade-offs between genetic improvement and longevity in dairy cattle.

PubMed

De Vries, A

2017-05-01

Genetic improvement in sires used for artificial insemination (AI) is increasing faster compared with a decade ago. The genetic merit of replacement heifers is also increasing faster and the genetic lag with older cows in the herd increases. This may trigger greater cow culling to capture this genetic improvement. On the other hand, lower culling rates are often viewed favorably because the costs and environmental effects of maintaining herd size are generally lower. Thus, there is an economic trade-off between genetic improvement and longevity in dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to investigate the principles, literature, and magnitude of these trade-offs. Data from the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding show that the estimated breeding value of the trait productive life has increased for 50 yr but the actual time cows spend in the herd has not increased. The average annual herd cull rate remains at approximately 36% and cow longevity is approximately 59 mo. The annual increase in average estimated breeding value of the economic index lifetime net merit of Holstein sires is accelerating from $40/yr when the sire entered AI around 2002 to $171/yr for sires that entered AI around 2012. The expectation is therefore that heifers born in 2015 are approximately $50 more profitable per lactation than heifers born in 2014. Asset replacement theory shows that assets should be replaced sooner when the challenging asset is technically improved. Few studies have investigated the direct effects of genetic improvement on optimal cull rates. A 35-yr-old study found that the economically optimal cull rates were in the range of 25 to 27%, compared with the lowest possible involuntary cull rate of 20%. Only a small effect was observed of using the best surviving dams to generate the replacement heifer calves. Genetic improvement from sires had little effect on the optimal cull rate. Another study that optimized culling decisions for individual cows also showed that the effect of changes in genetic improvement of milk revenue minus feed cost on herd longevity was relatively small. Reduced involuntary cull rates improved profitability, but also increased optimal voluntary culling. Finally, an economically optimal culling model with prices from 2015 confirmed that optimal annual cull rates were insensitive to heifer prices and therefore insensitive to genetic improvement in heifers. In conclusion, genetic improvement is important but does not warrant short cow longevity. Economic cow longevity continues to depends more on cow depreciation than on accelerated genetic improvements in heifers. This is confirmed by old and new studies. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FUEL CELL BUS DEMONSTRATION IN MEXICO CITY

EPA Science Inventory

The report discusses the performance of a cull-size, zero-emission, Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel-cell-powered transit bus in the atmospheric environment of Mexico City. To address the air quality problems caused by vehicle emissions in Mexico City, a seminar on clean vehic...

Salmonella diversity and burden in cows on and culled from dairy farms in the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to further characterize the epidemiology of Salmonella carried by dairy cows culled from herds in the Texas High Plains and marketed for human consumption. Feces were collected from 706 animals culled from a convenience sample of 9 dairies. In addition, individually...

Weekly agricultural emissions and ambient concentrations of ammonia: Validation of an emission inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bittman, Shabtai; Jones, Keith; Vingarzan, Roxanne; Hunt, Derek E.; Sheppard, Steve C.; Tait, John; So, Rita; Zhao, Johanna

2015-07-01

Weekly inventories for emissions of agricultural ammonia were calculated for 139 4 × 4 km grid cells over 52 weeks in the intensely farmed Lower Fraser Valley, BC. The grid cells were located both inside and outside an area that had been depopulated of poultry due to an outbreak of Avian Influenza prior to the start of the study. During the study period, ambient ammonia concentrations were measured hourly at two locations outside the cull area and one location inside the cull area. Large emission differences between grid cells and differences in temporal variation between cells were related to farming practices and meteorological factors such as temperature and rainfall. Weekly average ambient concentrations at the three sampling locations were significantly correlated with estimates of weekly emissions for many of the grid cells in the study area. Inside the cull area, ambient concentrations during the cull (week 1) were 37% of the concentrations after the cull (week 52), while outside the cull there was almost no difference between week 1 and week 52, suggesting that in normal (non-cull) conditions, about 60% of the ambient ammonia was due to poultry farms. Estimated emissions in weeks 1 and 52 for grid cells affected by the cull indicated that over 90% of the emissions came from poultry. The discrepancy in difference between week 1 and 52 for emissions and ambient concentrations could be due to atmospheric factors like transport, atmospheric reactions, dispersion or deposition; to errors in the inventory including farming data, emission factors; and omission of some non-poultry emission sources. Overall the study supports the ammonia emission inventory estimates. Detailed emission data helps in modeling ammonia in the atmosphere and is useful for developing abatement policy.

Blood does not buy goodwill: allowing culling increases poaching of a large carnivore

PubMed Central

Chapron, Guillaume; Treves, Adrian

2016-01-01

Quantifying environmental crime and the effectiveness of policy interventions is difficult because perpetrators typically conceal evidence. To prevent illegal uses of natural resources, such as poaching endangered species, governments have advocated granting policy flexibility to local authorities by liberalizing culling or hunting of large carnivores. We present the first quantitative evaluation of the hypothesis that liberalizing culling will reduce poaching and improve population status of an endangered carnivore. We show that allowing wolf (Canis lupus) culling was substantially more likely to increase poaching than reduce it. Replicated, quasi-experimental changes in wolf policies in Wisconsin and Michigan, USA, revealed that a repeated policy signal to allow state culling triggered repeated slowdowns in wolf population growth, irrespective of the policy implementation measured as the number of wolves killed. The most likely explanation for these slowdowns was poaching and alternative explanations found no support. When the government kills a protected species, the perceived value of each individual of that species may decline; so liberalizing wolf culling may have sent a negative message about the value of wolves or acceptability of poaching. Our results suggest that granting management flexibility for endangered species to address illegal behaviour may instead promote such behaviour. PMID:27170719

Relationships between mastitis and functional longevity in Danish Black and White dairy cattle estimated using survival analysis.

PubMed

Neerhof, H J; Madsen, P; Ducrocq, V P; Vollema, A R; Jensen, J; Korsgaard, I R

2000-05-01

The relationship between mastitis and functional longevity was assessed with survival analysis on data of Danish Black and White dairy cows. Different methods of including the effect of mastitis treatment on the culling decision by a farmer in the model were compared. The model in which mastitis treatment was assumed to have an effect on functional longevity until the end of the lactation had the highest likelihood, and the model in which mastitis treatment had an effect for only a short period had the lowest likelihood. A cow with mastitis had 1.69 times greater risk of being culled than did a healthy herdmate with all other effects being the same. A model without mastitis treatment was used to predict transmitting abilities of bulls for risk of being culled, based on longevity records of their daughters, and was expressed in terms of risk of being culled. The correlation between the risk of being culled and the national evaluations of the bulls for mastitis resistance was approximately -0.4, indicating that resistance against mastitis was genetically correlated with a lower risk of being culled and, thus, a longer functional length of productive life.

Solid-phase extraction of copper(II) in water and food samples using silica gel modified with bis(3-aminopropyl)amine and determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.

PubMed

Cagirdi, Duygu; Altundag, Hüseyin; Imamoglu, Mustafa; Tuzen, Mustafa

2014-01-01

A simple and selective separation and preconcentration method was developed for the determination of Cu(ll) ions. This method is based on adsorption of Cu(ll) ions from aqueous solution on a bis(3-aminopropyl)amine modified silica gel column and flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination after desorption. Various analytical parameters such as pH, type of eluent solution and its volume, flow rate of sample and eluent, and sample volume were optimized. Effects of some cation, anion, and transition metal ions on the recoveries of Cu(ll) ions were also investigated. Cu(ll) ions were quantitatively recovered at pH 6; 5.0 mL of 2 M HCI was used as the eluent. The preconcentration factor was found to be 150. The LOD was 0.12 microg/L for Cu(ll). The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analysis of Tea Leaves (INCT-TL-1) and Fish Protein (DORM-3) certified reference materials. The optimized method was applied to various water and food samples for the determination of Cu(ll).

Affordances for Second Language Learning in "World of Warcraft"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rama, Paul S.; Black, Rebecca W.; van Es, Elizabeth; Warschauer, Mark

2012-01-01

What are the affordances of online gaming environments for second language learning and socialization? To answer this question, this qualitative study examines two college-age Spanish learners' experiences participating in the Spanish language version of the massively multi-player online game "World of Warcraft." Using data culled from participant…

Cull sow knife-separable lean content evaluation at harvest and lean mass content prediction equation development.

PubMed

Abell, Caitlyn E; Stalder, Kenneth J; Hendricks, Haven B; Fitzgerald, Robert F

2012-07-01

The objectives of this study were to develop a prediction equation for carcass knife-separable lean within and across USDA cull sow market weight classes (MWC) and to determine carcass and individual primal cut knife separable lean content from cull sows. There were significant percent lean and fat differences in the primal cuts across USDA MWC. The two lighter USDA MWC had a greater percent carcass lean and lower percent fat compared to the two heavier MWC. In general, hot carcass weight explained the majority of carcass lean variation. Additionally, backfat was a significant variation source when predicting cull sow carcass lean. The findings support using a single lean prediction equation across MWC to assist processors when making cull sow purchasing decisions and determine the mix of animals from various USDA MWC that will meet their needs when making pork products with defined lean:fat content. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depth-dependent effects of culling-do mesophotic lionfish populations undermine current management?

PubMed

Andradi-Brown, Dominic A; Grey, Rachel; Hendrix, Alicia; Hitchner, Drew; Hunt, Christina L; Gress, Erika; Madej, Konrad; Parry, Rachel L; Régnier-McKellar, Catriona; Jones, Owen P; Arteaga, María; Izaguirre, Andrea P; Rogers, Alex D; Exton, Dan A

2017-05-01

Invasive lionfish ( Pterois volitans and P. miles ) have spread widely across the western Atlantic and are recognized as a major threat to native marine biodiversity. Although lionfish inhabit both shallow reefs and mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs from 30 to 150 m depth), the primary management response implemented by many countries has been diver-led culling limited to reefs less than 30 m. However, many reef fish undergo ontogenetic migrations, with the largest and therefore most fecund individuals found at greatest depths. Here, we study lionfish density, body size, maturity and dietary patterns across the depth gradient from the surface down to 85 m on heavily culled reefs around Utila, Honduras. We found lionfish at increased densities, body size and weight on MCEs compared with shallow reefs, with MCEs also containing the greatest proportion of actively spawning females, while shallow reefs contained the greatest proportion of immature lionfish. We then compared lionfish behaviour in response to divers on shallow culled and mesophotic unculled Utilan reefs, and on shallow unculled reefs in Tela Bay, on the Honduran mainland. We found that mesophotic lionfish exhibited high alert distances, consistent with individuals previously exposed to culling despite being below the depth limits of removal. In addition, when examining stomach content, we found that fish were the major component of lionfish diets across the depth gradient. Importantly, our results suggest that despite adjacent shallow culling, MCEs retain substantial lionfish populations that may be disproportionately contributing towards continued lionfish recruitment onto the shallow reefs of Utila, potentially undermining current culling-based management.

Model of Selective and Non-Selective Management of Badgers (Meles meles) to Control Bovine Tuberculosis in Badgers and Cattle

PubMed Central

Smith, Graham C.; Delahay, Richard J.; McDonald, Robbie A.

2016-01-01

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) causes substantial economic losses to cattle farmers and taxpayers in the British Isles. Disease management in cattle is complicated by the role of the European badger (Meles meles) as a host of the infection. Proactive, non-selective culling of badgers can reduce the incidence of disease in cattle but may also have negative effects in the area surrounding culls that have been associated with social perturbation of badger populations. The selective removal of infected badgers would, in principle, reduce the number culled, but the effects of selective culling on social perturbation and disease outcomes are unclear. We used an established model to simulate non-selective badger culling, non-selective badger vaccination and a selective trap and vaccinate or remove (TVR) approach to badger management in two distinct areas: South West England and Northern Ireland. TVR was simulated with and without social perturbation in effect. The lower badger density in Northern Ireland caused no qualitative change in the effect of management strategies on badgers, although the absolute number of infected badgers was lower in all cases. However, probably due to differing herd density in Northern Ireland, the simulated badger management strategies caused greater variation in subsequent cattle bTB incidence. Selective culling in the model reduced the number of badgers killed by about 83% but this only led to an overall benefit for cattle TB incidence if there was no social perturbation of badgers. We conclude that the likely benefit of selective culling will be dependent on the social responses of badgers to intervention but that other population factors including badger and cattle density had little effect on the relative benefits of selective culling compared to other methods, and that this may also be the case for disease management in other wild host populations. PMID:27893809

Model of Selective and Non-Selective Management of Badgers (Meles meles) to Control Bovine Tuberculosis in Badgers and Cattle.

PubMed

Smith, Graham C; Delahay, Richard J; McDonald, Robbie A; Budgey, Richard

2016-01-01

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) causes substantial economic losses to cattle farmers and taxpayers in the British Isles. Disease management in cattle is complicated by the role of the European badger (Meles meles) as a host of the infection. Proactive, non-selective culling of badgers can reduce the incidence of disease in cattle but may also have negative effects in the area surrounding culls that have been associated with social perturbation of badger populations. The selective removal of infected badgers would, in principle, reduce the number culled, but the effects of selective culling on social perturbation and disease outcomes are unclear. We used an established model to simulate non-selective badger culling, non-selective badger vaccination and a selective trap and vaccinate or remove (TVR) approach to badger management in two distinct areas: South West England and Northern Ireland. TVR was simulated with and without social perturbation in effect. The lower badger density in Northern Ireland caused no qualitative change in the effect of management strategies on badgers, although the absolute number of infected badgers was lower in all cases. However, probably due to differing herd density in Northern Ireland, the simulated badger management strategies caused greater variation in subsequent cattle bTB incidence. Selective culling in the model reduced the number of badgers killed by about 83% but this only led to an overall benefit for cattle TB incidence if there was no social perturbation of badgers. We conclude that the likely benefit of selective culling will be dependent on the social responses of badgers to intervention but that other population factors including badger and cattle density had little effect on the relative benefits of selective culling compared to other methods, and that this may also be the case for disease management in other wild host populations.

A multivariable assessment quantifying effects of cohort-level factors associated with combined mortality and culling risk in cohorts of U.S. commercial feedlot cattle.

PubMed

Babcock, A H; Cernicchiaro, N; White, B J; Dubnicka, S R; Thomson, D U; Ives, S E; Scott, H M; Milliken, G A; Renter, D G

2013-01-01

Economic losses due to cattle mortality and culling have a substantial impact on the feedlot industry. Since criteria for culling may vary and may affect measures of cumulative mortality within cattle cohorts, it is important to assess both mortality and culling when evaluating cattle losses over time and among feedlots. To date, there are no published multivariable assessments of factors associated with combined mortality and culling risk. Our objective was to evaluate combined mortality and culling losses in feedlot cattle cohorts and quantify effects of commonly measured cohort-level risk factors (weight at feedlot arrival, gender, and month of feedlot arrival) using data routinely collected by commercial feedlots. We used retrospective data representing 8,904,965 animals in 54,416 cohorts from 16 U.S. feedlots from 2000 to 2007. The sum of mortality and culling counts for each cohort (given the number of cattle at risk) was used to generate the outcome of interest, the cumulative incidence of combined mortality and culling. Associations between this outcome variable and cohort-level risk factors were evaluated using a mixed effects multivariable negative binomial regression model with random effects for feedlot, year, month and week of arrival. Mean arrival weight of the cohort, gender, and arrival month and a three-way interaction (and corresponding two-way interactions) among arrival weight, gender and month were significantly (P<0.05) associated with the outcome. Results showed that as the mean arrival weight of the cohort increased, mortality and culling risk decreased, but effects of arrival weight were modified both by the gender of the cohort and the month of feedlot arrival. There was a seasonal pattern in combined mortality and culling risk for light and middle-weight male and female cohorts, with a significantly (P<0.05) higher risk for cattle arriving at the feedlot in spring and summer (March-September) than in cattle arriving during fall, and winter months (November-February). Our results quantified effects of covariate patterns that have been heretofore difficult to fully evaluate in smaller scale studies; in addition, they illustrated the importance of utilizing multivariable approaches when quantifying risk factors in heterogeneous feedlot populations. Estimated effects from our model could be useful for managing financial risks associated with adverse health events based on data that are routinely available. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of ultrasound scanning and body condition score to evaluate composition traits in mature beef cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The experiment was designed to validate the use of ultrasound to evaluate body composition in mature beef cows. Both precision and accuracy of measurement were assessed. Cull cows (n = 87) selected for highly variable fatness were used. Two experienced ultrasound technicians scanned and assigned ...

What doesn't kill you makes you wary? Effect of repeated culling on the behaviour of an invasive predator.

PubMed

Côté, Isabelle M; Darling, Emily S; Malpica-Cruz, Luis; Smith, Nicola S; Green, Stephanie J; Curtis-Quick, Jocelyn; Layman, Craig

2014-01-01

As a result of being hunted, animals often alter their behaviour in ways that make future encounters with predators less likely. When hunting is carried out for conservation, for example to control invasive species, these behavioural changes can inadvertently impede the success of future efforts. We examined the effects of repeated culling by spearing on the behaviour of invasive predatory lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) on Bahamian coral reef patches. We compared the extent of concealment and activity levels of lionfish at dawn and midday on 16 coral reef patches off Eleuthera, The Bahamas. Eight of the patches had been subjected to regular daytime removals of lionfish by spearing for two years. We also estimated the distance at which lionfish became alert to slowly approaching divers on culled and unculled reef patches. Lionfish on culled reefs were less active and hid deeper within the reef during the day than lionfish on patches where no culling had occurred. There were no differences at dawn when removals do not take place. Lionfish on culled reefs also adopted an alert posture at a greater distance from divers than lionfish on unculled reefs. More crepuscular activity likely leads to greater encounter rates by lionfish with more native fish species because the abundance of reef fish outside of shelters typically peaks at dawn and dusk. Hiding deeper within the reef could also make remaining lionfish less likely to be encountered and more difficult to catch by spearfishers during culling efforts. Shifts in the behaviour of hunted invasive animals might be common and they have implications both for the impact of invasive species and for the design and success of invasive control programs.

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Wary? Effect of Repeated Culling on the Behaviour of an Invasive Predator

PubMed Central

Côté, Isabelle M.; Darling, Emily S.; Malpica-Cruz, Luis; Smith, Nicola S.; Green, Stephanie J.; Curtis-Quick, Jocelyn; Layman, Craig

2014-01-01

As a result of being hunted, animals often alter their behaviour in ways that make future encounters with predators less likely. When hunting is carried out for conservation, for example to control invasive species, these behavioural changes can inadvertently impede the success of future efforts. We examined the effects of repeated culling by spearing on the behaviour of invasive predatory lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) on Bahamian coral reef patches. We compared the extent of concealment and activity levels of lionfish at dawn and midday on 16 coral reef patches off Eleuthera, The Bahamas. Eight of the patches had been subjected to regular daytime removals of lionfish by spearing for two years. We also estimated the distance at which lionfish became alert to slowly approaching divers on culled and unculled reef patches. Lionfish on culled reefs were less active and hid deeper within the reef during the day than lionfish on patches where no culling had occurred. There were no differences at dawn when removals do not take place. Lionfish on culled reefs also adopted an alert posture at a greater distance from divers than lionfish on unculled reefs. More crepuscular activity likely leads to greater encounter rates by lionfish with more native fish species because the abundance of reef fish outside of shelters typically peaks at dawn and dusk. Hiding deeper within the reef could also make remaining lionfish less likely to be encountered and more difficult to catch by spearfishers during culling efforts. Shifts in the behaviour of hunted invasive animals might be common and they have implications both for the impact of invasive species and for the design and success of invasive control programs. PMID:24705447

An agent-based model evaluation of economic control strategies for paratuberculosis in a dairy herd.

PubMed

Verteramo Chiu, Leslie J; Tauer, Loren W; Al-Mamun, Mohammad A; Kaniyamattam, Karun; Smith, Rebecca L; Grohn, Yrjo T

2018-04-25

This paper uses an agent-based simulation model to estimate the costs associated with Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP), or Johne's disease, in a milking herd, and to determine the net benefits of implementing various control strategies. The net present value (NPV) of a 1,000-cow milking herd is calculated over 20 yr, parametrized to a representative US commercial herd. The revenues of the herd are generated from sales of milk and culled animals. The costs include all variable and fixed costs necessary to operate a representative 1,000-cow milking herd. We estimate the NPV of the herd with no MAP infection, under an expected endemic infection distribution with no controls, and under an expected endemic infection distribution with various controls. The initial number of cows in a herd with an endemic MAP infection is distributed as 75% susceptible, 13% latent, 9% low MAP shedding, and 3% high MAP shedding. Control strategies include testing using ELISA and fecal culture tests and culling of cows that test positive, and culling based on observable milk production decrease. Results show that culling cows based on test results does not increase the herd's NPV and in most cases decreases NPV due to test costs as well as false positives and negatives with their associated costs (e.g., culling healthy cows and keeping infected cows). Culling consistently low producing cows when MAP is believed to be present in the herd produces higher NPV over the strategy of testing and culling MAP infected animals, and over the case of no MAP control. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationships between metabolite and IGF1 concentrations with fertility and production outcomes following left abomasal displacement.

PubMed

Lyons, N A; Cooke, J S; Wilson, S; van Winden, S C; Gordon, P J; Wathes, D C

2014-06-28

Left displacement of the abomasum (LDA) is an important periparturient disorder of dairy cows. This study evaluated differences in metabolic parameters between case-control pairs of cows (n=67) from 24 farms, and related these to outcomes in fertility and production. Cows with an assisted delivery were ×3 more likely to develop LDA, and affected cows tended to have had a longer dry period. At recruitment, cows with LDA tended to be in lower body condition accompanied by significantly higher circulating concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and glucose and lower IGF1. Overall culling rate for all cows in the subsequent lactation was 22.5 per cent. Cows with LDA were not at increased odds of being culled but they produced, on average, 2272 l less milk and tended to have longer intervals to conception. Considering all cows irrespective of LDA status, the mean IGF1 level at recruitment was the only measured parameter associated with subsequent risk of culling (culled 11.7 ng/ml, not culled 23.5 ng/ml; P=0.005). Our findings support previous work indicating that poor insulin sensitivity through an uncoupling of the somatotrophic axis may be an important factor associated with LDA. Improved nutritional management of dry cows should reduce the incidence of both LDA and culling. British Veterinary Association.

Application of discrete choice experiment to assess farmers' willingness to report swine diseases in the Red River Delta region, Vietnam.

PubMed

Pham, Hoa T T; Peyre, Marisa; Trinh, Tuyen Quang; Nguyen, Oanh Cong; Vu, Ton Dinh; Rukkwamsuk, Theera; Antoine-Moussiaux, Nicolas

2017-03-01

A discrete choice experiment (DCE) is carried out to value socio-economic factors influencing the farmer's decision to report swine diseases and to assess the willingness of farmers to report swine diseases. Data were collected between March and July 2015 in two provinces in the Red River Delta, Northern Vietnam, from 196 pig producers by face-to face interview. A conditional logit model is used to measure the relative importance of the socio-economic factors and calculate the expected probability of disease reporting under changes of levels of these factors. Results of the study indicated that the likelihood of compensation and the type of culling implemented (all or only unrecovered pigs) are the two most important factors influencing farmer reporting. Compensation level, movement restriction and delay in compensation payment also have significant impacts on farmer's decision to report animal disease but they are not as important as the above factors. Three different scenarios including changes in six different factors (attributes) are tested to predict probability of animal disease reporting. Under the current situation (uncertainty of being compensated), only 4% of the farmers would report swine disease outbreak to the official surveillance system if the culling policy involves all pigs in affected farms. This number is increased to 26% if culling in affected farms is restricted to unrecovered pigs only. Ensuring certainty of compensation increases reporting probability by up to 50% and 90% if all or only unrecovered pigs are destroyed, respectively. The results of this study are important for improving the performance and sustainability of swine disease surveillance system in Vietnam. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Beyond policy networks: policy framing and the politics of expertise in the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease crisis.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Katy; Lowe, Philip; Donaldson, Andrew

2010-01-01

For the past decade, the policy community/issue network typology of pressure group interaction has been used to explain policy outcomes and the policy-making process. To re-examine the validity of this typology, the paper focuses on the UK government's response to the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis, and in particular the decision to pursue contiguous culling rather than vaccination to overcome the epidemic. Rather than illustrating the emergence of an issue network in agricultural policy, the decision-making process of the FMD outbreak demonstrates continuity with prior crises. In addition, the politicization of scientific expertise is identified as an emerging trend in crisis management. Policy framing is used to explain the impetus behind the contiguous cull decision, concluding that the legacy of previous policy choices conditioned the crisis response to a far greater degree than contemporaneous pressure group action.

The roles of age at puberty and energy restriction in sow reproductive longevity: a genomic perspective

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Approximately 50% of sows are culled annually with more than one third due to poor fertility. Our research demonstrated that age at puberty is an early pre-breeding indicator of reproductive longevity. Age at puberty can be measured early in life, has a moderate heritability and is negatively correl...

Bovine Immune Response to Papillomatous Digital Dermatitis (PDD)-associated Spirochetes is Skewed in Isolate Reactivity and Subclass Elicitation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD), also known as hairy heel wart, is a growing cause of lameness of cows in the U.S. dairy industry. Farms with PDD-afflicted cows experience economic loss due to treatment costs, decreased milk production, lower reproductive efficiency and premature culling. Cow...

Cumulative trauma disorders in betel pepper leaf-cullers visiting a rehabilitation clinic: experience in Taitung.

PubMed

Wang, Lin-Yi; Pong, Ya-Ping; Wang, Her-Cherng; Su, Sheng-Hsiang; Tsai, Chang-Hsueh; Leong, Chau-Peng

2005-04-01

Betel pepper (Piper betle L.) cultivation is an important agricultural industry in Taitung, Taiwan, and culling leaves is very labor-intensive. This case study compares the proportion of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) between cullers and those with other occupations. Patients with musculoskeletal disorders in the rehabilitation clinic of a local hospital in Taitung were enrolled. This all female cohort was divided into a culler group (betel pepper cullers, n = 20), and a non-culler group (other occupations, n = 47). Three cullers were interviewed, and were also recorded to elucidate the related ergonomics. Patients were diagnosed using plain radiography and ultrasonography. The act of culling involves an overhead internal rotation of both shoulders with extended elbows while standing, followed by wrist flexion and forearm pronation. Flexing of the fingers is also required by the tools, 'iron nails' fitted onto both thumbs. The proportions of patients with shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) were significantly higher among cullers than non-cullers (0.45 vs. 0.15, p = 0.011 and 0.40 vs. 0.06, p = 0.002, respectively). Furthermore, the total frequency of CTDs displayed a positive linear correlation with employment duration (r = 0.618, p = 0.004). Proportions of occupational SIS and CTS were higher among betel pepper cullers than those with other occupations. These CTDs may have resulted from a prolonged static posture and repetitive motions during culling.

Culling from the actors' perspectives-Decision-making criteria for culling in Québec dairy herds enrolled in a veterinary preventive medicine program.

PubMed

Haine, Denis; Cue, Roger; Sewalem, Asheber; Wade, Kevin; Lacroix, René; Lefebvre, Daniel; Rushton, Jonathan; Arsenault, Julie; Bouchard, Émile; Dubuc, Jocelyn

2017-12-01

The series of events leading to the decision to cull a cow is complex, involving both individual-level and herd-level factors. While the decision is guided by financial returns, it is also influenced by social and psychological factors. Research studies on the motivational and behavioural aspects of farmers' decision utility are sparse, and nonexistent regarding culling expectations and its decision process. Our goal was to identify shared criteria on culling decisions held by dairy producers and farm advisers, with the help of the Q-methodology. Forty-one dairy producers and 42 advisers (17 veterinarians, 13 feed mill advisers, and 12 dairy herd improvement (DHI) advisers) undertook a Q-sort with 40 statements that represented a range of views about cow and herd health, production performance, management issues, and material factors that might impact their culling decision-making process. The sorts were analysed by-person using factor analysis and oblimin rotation. A single view on culling could be identified among dairy producers that can be extended to dairy farm advisers, who showed two variations of the same well-structured, uni-dimensional decision-making process. Udder health, milk production performance, and milk quota management were the key criteria for the culling decision. Farm management parameters (debts, amortization, employees, milking parlour capacity, herd size) did not play any role in the decision process. Three key differences were, however, identified between producers and the two types of advisers. One group of advisers followed the recommendations from mathematical models, where pregnancy is a major determinant of a cow's value. They assessed the cow in a more abstract way than did the other participants, still taking into account udder health and milk production, but adding economic considerations, like the availability of financial incentives and an evaluation of the post-partum health of the cow. Dairy producers were also more concerned about producing healthy and safe milk, which might reflect a different value given to dairy farming than by advisers. Very different degrees of importance were given to animal welfare by the three groups, which could represent different views on the attributed relationships between dairy farmers and their animals. Our findings suggest that dairy producers and their advisers hold a general common view regarding culling decision-making. However there are significant differences between producers and advisers, and among advisers. Understanding and managing these differences is important for assisting the change management processes required to increase farm profitability, and call for further investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Consequences of harvesting for genetic diversity in American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.): A simulation study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cruse-Sanders, J. M.; Hamrick, J.L.; Ahumada, J.A.

2005-01-01

American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius L., is one of the most heavily traded medicinal plants in North America. The effect of harvest on genetic diversity in ginseng was measured with a single generation culling simulation program. Culling scenarios included random harvest at varying levels, legal limit random harvest and legal limit mature plant harvest. The legal limit was determined by the proportion of legally harvestable plants per population (% mature plants per population). Random harvest at varying levels resulted in significant loss of genetic diversity, especially allelic richness. Relative to initial levels, average within-population genetic diversity (H e) was significantly lower when plants were culled randomly at the legal limit (Mann-Whitney U = 430, p < 0.001) or when only mature plants were culled (Mann-Whitney U = 394, p < 0.01). Within-population genetic diversity was significantly higher with legal limit mature plant harvest (H e = 0.068) than when plants were culled randomly at the legal limit (H e = 0.064; U = 202, p < 0.01). Based on these simulations of harvest over one generation, we recommend that harvesting fewer than the proportion of mature plants could reduce the negative genetic effects of harvest on ginseng populations. ?? Springer 2005.

Radionuclide uptake by red deer (Cervus elaphus) on mountain grazing.

PubMed

McGee, E J; Synnott, H J; O'Keefe, C; Colgan, P A

1995-01-01

Forty-two red deer (Cervus elaphus) were shot during the 1992 annual cull in Glenveagh National Park, Ireland. Samples of rumen, kidney and faeces were removed from each animal. Kidney samples were used to estimate flesh radiocaesium (137Cs) concentrations and the 95% confidence interval for the mean was 203 +/- 12 Bq kg-1. The maximum recorded 137Cs concentration in kidney was 367 Bq kg-1 (fresh weight). The altitude of the cull, the age and sex of each animal were recorded. Neither age nor sex correlated with concentrations of 137Cs in rumen, kidneys or faeces. Despite the limited altitudinal range of the study and the free ranging behaviour of deer, there was a highly significant positive correlation between rumen, kidney and faecal 137Cs concentrations and the altitude of the cull. 40K concentrations in rumen, kidney and faeces did not correlate with the altitude of cull, age or sex of slaughtered animals. Significant 137Cs concentration differences were identified in the sequence: rumen < faeces = faeces. 137Cs concentrations in rumen, kidney and faeces for individual animals were all significantly correlated. Statistical testing showed that the concentration sequence for 40K was: rumen < kidney = faeces; a sequence which differs from that of 137Cs. A comparison of ratios test for rumen:faecal ratios demonstrated that significantly more 137Cs was excreted in faeces than was the case for 40K. The concentration of 137Cs excreted in faeces relative to concentrations in forage (rumen), is approximately twice that for 40K. Linear regression of faecal 137Cs concentrations (y) on kidney concentrations (x) was carried out, the regression equation is y = -86.90 + 0.97x. This equation (R2 = 0.73, F1,40 = 107) may be used to predict 137Cs concentrations in flesh by measurement of faecal concentrations. This is a useful preliminary assessment method, particularly with herds of wild animals that prove difficult to capture for in vivo monitoring.

Optimising and communicating options for the control of invasive plant disease when there is epidemiological uncertainty.

PubMed

Cunniffe, Nik J; Stutt, Richard O J H; DeSimone, R Erik; Gottwald, Tim R; Gilligan, Christopher A

2015-04-01

Although local eradication is routinely attempted following introduction of disease into a new region, failure is commonplace. Epidemiological principles governing the design of successful control are not well-understood. We analyse factors underlying the effectiveness of reactive eradication of localised outbreaks of invading plant disease, using citrus canker in Florida as a case study, although our results are largely generic, and apply to other plant pathogens (as we show via our second case study, citrus greening). We demonstrate how to optimise control via removal of hosts surrounding detected infection (i.e. localised culling) using a spatially-explicit, stochastic epidemiological model. We show how to define optimal culling strategies that take account of stochasticity in disease spread, and how the effectiveness of disease control depends on epidemiological parameters determining pathogen infectivity, symptom emergence and spread, the initial level of infection, and the logistics and implementation of detection and control. We also consider how optimal culling strategies are conditioned on the levels of risk acceptance/aversion of decision makers, and show how to extend the analyses to account for potential larger-scale impacts of a small-scale outbreak. Control of local outbreaks by culling can be very effective, particularly when started quickly, but the optimum strategy and its performance are strongly dependent on epidemiological parameters (particularly those controlling dispersal and the extent of any cryptic infection, i.e. infectious hosts prior to symptoms), the logistics of detection and control, and the level of local and global risk that is deemed to be acceptable. A version of the model we developed to illustrate our methodology and results to an audience of stakeholders, including policy makers, regulators and growers, is available online as an interactive, user-friendly interface at http://www.webidemics.com/. This version of our model allows the complex epidemiological principles that underlie our results to be communicated to a non-specialist audience.

Optimising and Communicating Options for the Control of Invasive Plant Disease When There Is Epidemiological Uncertainty

PubMed Central

Cunniffe, Nik J.; Stutt, Richard O. J. H.; DeSimone, R. Erik; Gottwald, Tim R.; Gilligan, Christopher A.

2015-01-01

Although local eradication is routinely attempted following introduction of disease into a new region, failure is commonplace. Epidemiological principles governing the design of successful control are not well-understood. We analyse factors underlying the effectiveness of reactive eradication of localised outbreaks of invading plant disease, using citrus canker in Florida as a case study, although our results are largely generic, and apply to other plant pathogens (as we show via our second case study, citrus greening). We demonstrate how to optimise control via removal of hosts surrounding detected infection (i.e. localised culling) using a spatially-explicit, stochastic epidemiological model. We show how to define optimal culling strategies that take account of stochasticity in disease spread, and how the effectiveness of disease control depends on epidemiological parameters determining pathogen infectivity, symptom emergence and spread, the initial level of infection, and the logistics and implementation of detection and control. We also consider how optimal culling strategies are conditioned on the levels of risk acceptance/aversion of decision makers, and show how to extend the analyses to account for potential larger-scale impacts of a small-scale outbreak. Control of local outbreaks by culling can be very effective, particularly when started quickly, but the optimum strategy and its performance are strongly dependent on epidemiological parameters (particularly those controlling dispersal and the extent of any cryptic infection, i.e. infectious hosts prior to symptoms), the logistics of detection and control, and the level of local and global risk that is deemed to be acceptable. A version of the model we developed to illustrate our methodology and results to an audience of stakeholders, including policy makers, regulators and growers, is available online as an interactive, user-friendly interface at http://www.webidemics.com/. This version of our model allows the complex epidemiological principles that underlie our results to be communicated to a non-specialist audience. PMID:25874622

Bolts Salvaged From Cull Oaks

Treesearch

B. E. Carpenter

1959-01-01

But how about bolts from cull oaks on upland pine sites? Though a bolt operation in such material offers many difficulties, at least one Southern firm is currently trying it. That firm is Potlatch Forests, Inc., of Warren, Arkansas.

Estimating cull in northern hardwoods

Treesearch

W.M. Zillgitt; S.R. Gevorkiantz

1946-01-01

Cull in northern hardwood stands is often very heavy and is difficult to estimate. To help clarify this situation and aid the average cruiser to become more accurate in his estimates, the study reported here should prove very helpful.

Impact of selection for residual feed intake on breeding soundness and reproductive performance of bulls on pasture-based multisire mating.

PubMed

Wang, Z; Colazo, M G; Basarab, J A; Goonewardene, L A; Ambrose, D J; Marques, E; Plastow, G; Miller, S P; Moore, S S

2012-09-01

There is concern in the beef industry that selecting bulls for feed efficiency based on residual feed intake (RFI) may have a negative impact on bull reproductive performance and fertility. Here we investigated the impact of selection of bulls for low RFI on breeding soundness evaluation (BSE), reproductive performance, and fertility of bulls under natural service in multisire mating groups on pasture. Of the 412 RFI-tested bulls available, 98 (23.8%) were culled for performance, type, temperament, or other reasons, and 88 (21.4%) were culled for failing BSE, for an overall cull rate of 45.1%. From among the 314 bulls subjected to BSE, 32 (10.2%), 20 (6.4%), and 36 (11.4%) were culled for poor feet and legs, scrotal circumference, and semen quality, respectively. The BSE traits were not different (P > 0.10) between bulls categorized as either inefficient (+RFI) or efficient (-RFI), but the proportion of bulls that failed to meet the 60% minimum sperm motility requirement tended (P = 0.07) to be greater in the -RFI group than in the +RFI group (10.2% vs. 4.4%, respectively). In a subpopulation of 115 bulls, individual progressive sperm motility was greater (P < 0.05) in +RFI (85%) than -RFI (80%) bulls. A multisire natural mating experiment was conducted during 2 consecutive breeding seasons (2006 to 2007 and 2007 to 2008) using 18 +RFI and 18 -RFI bulls. The overall calving rate (calves born/cows exposed) was 72.9%. Mean number of progeny per sire was significantly greater (P < 0.01) in -RFI bulls (18.3) than in +RFI bulls (11.8). Selection for feed efficiency based on RFI appears to have no detrimental impact on reproductive performance and fertility in beef bulls bred in multisire groups on pasture. However, the decreased sperm motility and the greater number of progeny per sire associated with -RFI status need further investigation.

Depth-dependent effects of culling—do mesophotic lionfish populations undermine current management?

PubMed Central

Grey, Rachel; Hendrix, Alicia; Hitchner, Drew; Gress, Erika; Madej, Konrad; Parry, Rachel L.; Régnier-McKellar, Catriona; Jones, Owen P.; Arteaga, María; Izaguirre, Andrea P.; Rogers, Alex D.; Exton, Dan A.

2017-01-01

Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have spread widely across the western Atlantic and are recognized as a major threat to native marine biodiversity. Although lionfish inhabit both shallow reefs and mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs from 30 to 150 m depth), the primary management response implemented by many countries has been diver-led culling limited to reefs less than 30 m. However, many reef fish undergo ontogenetic migrations, with the largest and therefore most fecund individuals found at greatest depths. Here, we study lionfish density, body size, maturity and dietary patterns across the depth gradient from the surface down to 85 m on heavily culled reefs around Utila, Honduras. We found lionfish at increased densities, body size and weight on MCEs compared with shallow reefs, with MCEs also containing the greatest proportion of actively spawning females, while shallow reefs contained the greatest proportion of immature lionfish. We then compared lionfish behaviour in response to divers on shallow culled and mesophotic unculled Utilan reefs, and on shallow unculled reefs in Tela Bay, on the Honduran mainland. We found that mesophotic lionfish exhibited high alert distances, consistent with individuals previously exposed to culling despite being below the depth limits of removal. In addition, when examining stomach content, we found that fish were the major component of lionfish diets across the depth gradient. Importantly, our results suggest that despite adjacent shallow culling, MCEs retain substantial lionfish populations that may be disproportionately contributing towards continued lionfish recruitment onto the shallow reefs of Utila, potentially undermining current culling-based management. PMID:28573007

A Study of the Vocabulary Adequacy of College Student Education Majors for Reading "Reader's Digest."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greif, Ivo P.

Doubts about the reading vocabulary adequacies of today's high school graduates led to an experiment with a list of 199 difficult words culled from the "Reader's Digest." College juniors and seniors (298 in the first stage and 388 in the second stage) were asked to indicate whether they knew the pronunciation and the meaning of the…

Comparative fermentation behaviour and chemical characteristics of Saccharomyces and Zymomonas fermented culled apple juice.

PubMed

Sandhu, D K; Joshi, V K

1994-12-01

Ethanol production from culled apple juice showed that fermentability of the juice could be enhanced by addition of DAHP or ammonium sulphate in Saccharomyces and DAHP in Zymomonas fermentation. Addition of trace elements inhibited both the fermentations and ethanol, consequently. With respect to by-products of fermentation, no clear advantage of Zymomnas fermentation of culled apple juice could be observed. Differences in physico-chemical characteristics of the fermented apple juice were also noted. Saccharomyces cerevisiae proved to be better than Zymomonas in most of the parameters and is preferrable from handling and spoilage point of view.

EVALUATION OF A TEST AND CULL STRATEGY FOR REDUCING PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE IN MULE DEER ( ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS).

PubMed

Wolfe, Lisa L; Watry, Mary Kay; Sirochman, Michael A; Sirochman, Tracey M; Miller, Michael W

2018-04-18

  We evaluated a test and cull strategy for lowering chronic wasting disease (CWD) prevalence in a naturally-infected, free-ranging mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus) herd wintering in the town of Estes Park, Colorado, USA and in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. We tested 48-68% of the estimated number of adult (≥1 yr old) deer annually for 5 yr via tonsil biopsy immunohistochemistry (IHC), collecting 1,251 samples from >700 individuals and removing IHC-positive deer. Among males, CWD prevalence during the last 3 yr of selective culling was lower (one-sided Fisher's exact test P=0.014) than in the period prior. In contrast, CWD prevalence among females before culling and after culling were equivalent ( P=0.77). Relatively higher annual testing of males (mean 77%) compared to females (mean 51%) might have contributed to differences seen in responses to management. A more intensive and sustained effort or modified spatial approach might have reduced prevalence more consistently in both sexes. Limitations of this technique in wider management application include cost and labor as well as property access and animal tolerance to repeated capture. However, elements of this approach could potentially be used to augment harvest-based disease management.

Use of Ronidazole and Limited Culling To Eliminate Tritrichomonas muris from Laboratory Mice.

PubMed

Steiner, Jörg M; Schwamberger, Sabine; Pantchev, Nikola; Balzer, Hans-Jörg; Vrhovec, Majda Globokar; Lesina, Marina; Algül, Hana

2016-01-01

Tritrichomonas muris is occasionally identified during routine fecal screening of laboratory mice. Frequently, entire racks are affected, and because no effective treatment is available, culling of affected mice and rederivation by embryo transfer have been suggested. The current study evaluated whether treatment with ronidazole, a nitroimidazole efficacious against T. fetus infections in cats, combined with limited culling was effective against T. muris in laboratory mice (Mus musculus). A subset (n = 39) of mice were treated with ronidazole (400 mg/L in drinking water) for 15 d, after which 6 of the mice still shed T. muris. Consequently all mice in the affected rack received ronidazole (500 mg /L in drinking water) for 25 d. All mice were retested by using pooled samples, and those positive for T. muris (except for a valuable breeding pair) were culled. The remaining mice continued to receive ronidazole for another 17 d. At the end of the treatment period, all mice were tested (days 60 and 81) and were shown to be negative for T. muris. Over the following year, sentinel mice from the rack were tested every 3 mo and remained negative for tritrichomonads by fecal smear. Thus, a combination of limited culling and treatment with ronidazole in the drinking water successfully cleared research mice of infection with T. muris.

Evaluation of Two Compressed Air Foam Systems for Culling Caged Layer Hens

PubMed Central

Weiher, Jaclyn A.; Alphin, Robert L.; Hougentogler, Daniel P.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Control of avian influenza and similar diseases in commercial poultry operations is challenging; the six major steps are surveillance, biosecurity, quarantine, depopulation, disposal, and cleaning and disinfection. Depopulation is used to cull animals that are terminally ill and to reduce the number of animals that can spread an untreatable disease. Water-based foam depopulation was used effectively during the 2014–2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in the United States. Water-based foam, however, cannot be used effectively in caged poultry operations. Compressed air foam systems were initially developed for structural fire-fighting and, with modifications, can provide the conditions required to effectively penetrate a poultry cage and provide sufficient residence time for depopulation. In this experiment, compressed air foam was used to depopulate caged layer hens. Compressed air foam resulted in faster unconsciousness than carbon dioxide gassing. The experiment demonstrated that compressed air foam systems have promise for depopulating birds raised in cages. Abstract Outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) and other highly contagious poultry diseases continue to be a concern for those involved in the poultry industry. In the situation of an outbreak, emergency depopulation of the birds involved is necessary. In this project, two compressed air foam systems (CAFS) were evaluated for mass emergency depopulation of layer hens in a manure belt equipped cage system. In both experiments, a randomized block design was used with multiple commercial layer hens treated with one of three randomly selected depopulation methods: CAFS, CAFS with CO2 gas, and CO2 gas. In Experiment 1, a Rowe manufactured CAFS was used, a selection of birds were instrumented, and the time to unconsciousness, brain death, altered terminal cardiac activity and motion cessation were recorded. CAFS with and without CO2 was faster to unconsciousness, however, the other parameters were not statistically significant. In Experiment 2, a custom Hale based CAFS was used to evaluate the impact of bird age, a selection of birds were instrumented, and the time to motion cessation was recorded. The difference in time to cessation of movement between pullets and spent hens using CAFS was not statistically significant. Both CAFS depopulate caged layers, however, there was no benefit to including CO2. PMID:29695072

Modelled female sale options demonstrate improved profitability in northern beef herds.

PubMed

Niethe, G E; Holmes, W E

2008-12-01

To examine the impact of improving the average value of cows sold, the risk of decreasing the number weaned, and total sales on the profitability of northern Australian cattle breeding properties. Gather, model and interpret breeder herd performances and production parameters on properties from six beef-producing regions in northern Australia. Production parameters, prices, costs and herd structure were entered into a herd simulation model for six northern Australian breeding properties that spay females to enhance their marketing options. After the data were validated by management, alternative management strategies were modelled using current market prices and most likely herd outcomes. The model predicted a close relationship between the average sale value of cows, the total herd sales and the gross margin/adult equivalent. Keeping breeders out of the herd to fatten generally improves their sale value, and this can be cost-effective, despite the lower number of progeny produced and the subsequent reduction in total herd sales. Furthermore, if the price of culled cows exceeds the price of culled heifers, provided there are sufficient replacement pregnant heifers available to maintain the breeder herd nucleus, substantial gains in profitability can be obtained by decreasing the age at which cows are culled from the herd. Generalised recommendations on improving reproductive performance are not necessarily the most cost-effective strategy to improve breeder herd profitability. Judicious use of simulation models is essential to help develop the best turnoff strategies for females and to improve station profitability.

Conflict Misleads Large Carnivore Management and Conservation: Brown Bears and Wolves in Spain.

PubMed

Fernández-Gil, Alberto; Naves, Javier; Ordiz, Andrés; Quevedo, Mario; Revilla, Eloy; Delibes, Miguel

2016-01-01

Large carnivores inhabiting human-dominated landscapes often interact with people and their properties, leading to conflict scenarios that can mislead carnivore management and, ultimately, jeopardize conservation. In northwest Spain, brown bears Ursus arctos are strictly protected, whereas sympatric wolves Canis lupus are subject to lethal control. We explored ecological, economic and societal components of conflict scenarios involving large carnivores and damages to human properties. We analyzed the relation between complaints of depredations by bears and wolves on beehives and livestock, respectively, and bear and wolf abundance, livestock heads, number of culled wolves, amount of paid compensations, and media coverage. We also evaluated the efficiency of wolf culling to reduce depredations on livestock. Bear damages to beehives correlated positively to the number of female bears with cubs of the year. Complaints of wolf predation on livestock were unrelated to livestock numbers; instead, they correlated positively to the number of wild ungulates harvested during the previous season, the number of wolf packs, and to wolves culled during the previous season. Compensations for wolf complaints were fivefold higher than for bears, but media coverage of wolf damages was thirtyfold higher. Media coverage of wolf damages was unrelated to the actual costs of wolf damages, but the amount of news correlated positively to wolf culling. However, wolf culling was followed by an increase in compensated damages. Our results show that culling of the wolf population failed in its goal of reducing damages, and suggest that management decisions are at least partly mediated by press coverage. We suggest that our results provide insight to similar scenarios, where several species of large carnivores share the landscape with humans, and management may be reactive to perceived conflicts.

Conflict Misleads Large Carnivore Management and Conservation: Brown Bears and Wolves in Spain

PubMed Central

Fernández-Gil, Alberto; Naves, Javier; Ordiz, Andrés; Quevedo, Mario; Revilla, Eloy; Delibes, Miguel

2016-01-01

Large carnivores inhabiting human-dominated landscapes often interact with people and their properties, leading to conflict scenarios that can mislead carnivore management and, ultimately, jeopardize conservation. In northwest Spain, brown bears Ursus arctos are strictly protected, whereas sympatric wolves Canis lupus are subject to lethal control. We explored ecological, economic and societal components of conflict scenarios involving large carnivores and damages to human properties. We analyzed the relation between complaints of depredations by bears and wolves on beehives and livestock, respectively, and bear and wolf abundance, livestock heads, number of culled wolves, amount of paid compensations, and media coverage. We also evaluated the efficiency of wolf culling to reduce depredations on livestock. Bear damages to beehives correlated positively to the number of female bears with cubs of the year. Complaints of wolf predation on livestock were unrelated to livestock numbers; instead, they correlated positively to the number of wild ungulates harvested during the previous season, the number of wolf packs, and to wolves culled during the previous season. Compensations for wolf complaints were fivefold higher than for bears, but media coverage of wolf damages was thirtyfold higher. Media coverage of wolf damages was unrelated to the actual costs of wolf damages, but the amount of news correlated positively to wolf culling. However, wolf culling was followed by an increase in compensated damages. Our results show that culling of the wolf population failed in its goal of reducing damages, and suggest that management decisions are at least partly mediated by press coverage. We suggest that our results provide insight to similar scenarios, where several species of large carnivores share the landscape with humans, and management may be reactive to perceived conflicts. PMID:26974962

Roy Schafer: a beginning.

PubMed

Schwartz, Henry P

2013-01-01

The author provides a biographical overview of Schafer's life, culled from his published work and focused primarily on his professional development. This biography is used to demonstrate some of Schafer's central theoretical insights on narrativity and language, and reveals the consistency of his thinking over his long career. A brief discussion of his writing on King Lear provides a bridge between theoretical and biographical material. © 2013 The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, Inc.

The prevalence, distribution and severity of detectable pathological lesions in badgers naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis

PubMed Central

JENKINS, H. E.; MORRISON, W. I.; COX, D. R.; DONNELLY, C. A.; JOHNSTON, W. T.; BOURNE, F. J.; CLIFTON-HADLEY, R. S.; GETTINBY, G.; McINERNEY, J. P.; WATKINS, G. H.; WOODROFFE, R.

2008-01-01

SUMMARY The Randomized Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) began in 1998 to determine the impact of badger culling in controlling bovine tuberculosis in cattle. A total of 1166 badgers (14% of total) proactively culled during the RBCT were found to be tuberculous, offering a unique opportunity to study the pathology caused by Mycobacterium bovis in a large sample of badgers. Of these, 39% of adults (~6% of all adults culled) had visible lesions (detectable at necropsy) of bovine tuberculosis; cubs had a lower prevalence of infection (9%) but a higher percentage of tuberculous cubs (55·5%) had visible lesions. Only ~1% of adult badgers had extensive, severe pathology. Tuberculous badgers with recorded bite wounds (~5%) had a higher prevalence of visible lesions and a different distribution of lesions, suggesting transmission via bite wounds. However, the predominance of lesions in the respiratory tract indicates that most transmission occurs by the respiratory route. PMID:18047751

ICCD: interactive continuous collision detection between deformable models using connectivity-based culling.

PubMed

Tang, Min; Curtis, Sean; Yoon, Sung-Eui; Manocha, Dinesh

2009-01-01

We present an interactive algorithm for continuous collision detection between deformable models. We introduce multiple techniques to improve the culling efficiency and the overall performance of continuous collision detection. First, we present a novel formulation for continuous normal cones and use these normal cones to efficiently cull large regions of the mesh as part of self-collision tests. Second, we introduce the concept of "procedural representative triangles" to remove all redundant elementary tests between nonadjacent triangles. Finally, we exploit the mesh connectivity and introduce the concept of "orphan sets" to eliminate redundant elementary tests between adjacent triangle primitives. In practice, we can reduce the number of elementary tests by two orders of magnitude. These culling techniques have been combined with bounding volume hierarchies and can result in one order of magnitude performance improvement as compared to prior collision detection algorithms for deformable models. We highlight the performance of our algorithm on several benchmarks, including cloth simulations, N-body simulations, and breaking objects.

Critical Behavior in Cellular Automata Animal Disease Transmission Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morley, P. D.; Chang, Julius

Using cellular automata model, we simulate the British Government Policy (BGP) in the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic in Great Britain. When clinical symptoms of the disease appeared in a farm, there is mandatory slaughter (culling) of all livestock in an infected premise (IP). Those farms in the neighboring of an IP (contiguous premise, CP), are also culled, aka nearest neighbor interaction. Farms where the disease may be prevalent from animal, human, vehicle or airborne transmission (dangerous contact, DC), are additionally culled, aka next-to-nearest neighbor interactions and lightning factor. The resulting mathematical model possesses a phase transition, whereupon if the physical disease transmission kernel exceeds a critical value, catastrophic loss of animals ensues. The nonlocal disease transport probability can be as low as 0.01% per day and the disease can still be in the high mortality phase. We show that the fundamental equation for sustainable disease transport is the criticality equation for neutron fission cascade. Finally, we calculate that the percentage of culled animals that are actually healthy is ≈30%.

Economic epidemiology of avian influenza on smallholder poultry farms☆

PubMed Central

Boni, Maciej F.; Galvani, Alison P.; Wickelgren, Abraham L.; Malani, Anup

2013-01-01

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is often controlled through culling of poultry. Compensating farmers for culled chickens or ducks facilitates effective culling and control of HPAI. However, ensuing price shifts can create incentives that alter the disease dynamics of HPAI. Farmers control certain aspects of the dynamics by setting a farm size, implementing infection control measures, and determining the age at which poultry are sent to market. Their decisions can be influenced by the market price of poultry which can, in turn, be set by policy makers during an HPAI outbreak. Here, we integrate these economic considerations into an epidemiological model in which epidemiological parameters are determined by an outside agent (the farmer) to maximize profit from poultry sales. Our model exhibits a diversity of behaviors which are sensitive to (i) the ability to identify infected poultry, (ii) the average price of infected poultry, (iii) the basic reproductive number of avian influenza, (iv) the effect of culling on the market price of poultry, (v) the effect of market price on farm size, and (vi) the effect of poultry density on disease transmission. We find that under certain market and epidemiological conditions, culling can increase farm size and the total number of HPAI infections. Our model helps to inform the optimization of public health outcomes that best weigh the balance between public health risk and beneficial economic outcomes for farmers. PMID:24161559

Tradeable hunting obligations--a new approach to regulating red deer numbers in the Scottish Highlands?

PubMed

MacMillan, Douglas

2004-07-01

The population of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Scotland has doubled over the last 30 years and there is increasing concern among conservationists about the long-term impact of increased grazing on native woodlands and other sensitive nature conservation sites. Currently, the government relies on a voluntary approach to deer control, but landowners seem unable or unwilling to shoot sufficient numbers to meet cull targets. The aim of this paper is to examine alternatives to the 'voluntary approach' supported by insights from a mail questionnaire of landowners and recreational hunters. In principle, subsidies or taxation is possible but the Deer Commission for Scotland, the government agency responsible, has neither the necessary funding or the legislative power to introduce such a scheme. A tradable culling 'obligations' system on the other hand would build on the voluntary principle by allowing individual landowners to 'trade' culling obligations to neighbouring estates. Compared to traditional regulatory approaches, they are less bureaucratic and inefficient and have the potential to meet environmental targets at least cost as landowners can trade their culling obligation to another estate or hunting club should they wish to do so. Overall, the State's role would be restricted to setting the annual cull and the administration of the permit system for which a small charge could be levied per deer.

Estimating costs of improving Adirondack timber stands by killing culls with frills and sodium arsenite

Treesearch

Robert O. Curtis

1956-01-01

Although it has been known for many years that sodium arsenite solution applied in ax frills is an effective means of killing cull trees (1), no published information could be found on the cost of stand-improvement work with this method under Adirondack conditions.

Coppicing to convert cull austrailian toon, tropical ash to acceptable trees

Treesearch

Gerald A. Walters; Herbert L. Wick

1973-01-01

Coppicing provides a method of converting cull sapling and pole-size Australian toon (Toono australis) and tropical ash (Fraxillus uhdel) trees to "acceptable trees." In trial plots on the island of Hawaii, stumps of both species sprouted, resulting in a high percentage of vigorous, well-formed sterns. Codominant stems on...

77 FR 46514 - Endangered Species; Marine Mammals; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-03

... a permit to export the sport-hunted trophy of one male Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) culled from a... permit to export the sport-hunted trophy of one male Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) culled from a captive... Applicant: U.S. Geological Service, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK; PRT-690038 The applicant requests...

Post-mortem findings in Irish culled hounds.

PubMed

Jahns, H; Callanan, J J; McElroy, M C; Sammin, D J; Bassett, H F

2011-07-01

Little is known of the common diseases of hunting dogs or of the reasons why they are culled. To address these questions, necropsy examinations were conducted on 52 hounds aged 1.5-12 years (mean 6.5 ± 2.5 years) and culled from 10 Irish hunting kennels over a 3-year period. Progressive systemic disease was seen in six dogs only and encompassed individual cases of tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis, bronchioalveolar carcinoma with metastasis to regional lymph nodes, renal amyloidosis, suppurative pneumonia, extramedullary plasmacytoma in the atrial wall of the heart and foreign body-induced hepatitis with focal peritonitis. Single or multiple localized tumours were identified in five dogs and, apart from the aforementioned, included two cutaneous haemangiomas, a trichoepithelioma, a lipoma and a mammary ductal adenoma. Three dogs were culled for lameness; one of these dogs had torn musculature, another had cellulitis and the third had a healed fracture of the tibia and fibula. Chronic renal changes were present in 48% of the dogs and included focal proliferative, exudative or crescentic glomerulonephritis (33%) or low-grade interstitial inflammatory changes (50%). The most frequently diagnosed skin lesions reported in this study were mild healed decubitus ulcers (33%), scars (33%) and stereotypic dermatitis (13%). These findings indicate that hounds are likely to be culled for reasons other than the presence of disease in most cases. In addition, this survey highlights different disease patterns in hounds than are typically observed in pet dogs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations between air emissions from sour gas processing plants and indices of cow retainment and survival in dairy herds in Alberta

PubMed Central

Scott, H. Morgan; Soskolne, Colin L.; Lissemore, Kerry D.; Martin, S. Wayne; Shoukri, Mohamed M.; Coppock, Robert W.; Guidotti, Tee L.

2003-01-01

This paper describes the results of an investigation into the effects of air emissions from sour gas processing plants on indices of retainment or survival of adult female dairy cattle on farms in Alberta; namely, the productive lifespan of individual animals, and annual herd-level risks for culling and mortality. Using a geographical information system, 2 dispersion models — 1 simple and 1 complex — were used to assess historical exposures to sour gas emissions at 1382 dairy farm sites from 1985 through to 1994. Multivariable survival models, adjusting for the dependence of survival responses within a herd over time, as well as potential confounding variables, were utilized to determine associations between sour gas exposure estimates and the time from the first calving date to either death or culling of 150 210 dairy cows. Generalized linear models were used to model the relationship between herd-level risks for culling and mortality and levels of sour gas exposure. No significant (P < 0.05) associations were found with the time to culling (n = 70 052). However, both dispersion model exposure estimates were significantly associated (P < 0.05) with a decreased hazard for mortality; that is, in cases where cattle had died on-farm (n = 8743). There were no significant associations (P > 0.05) between herd culling risks and the 2 dispersion model exposure estimates. There was no measurable impact of plant emissions on the annual herd risk of mortality. PMID:12528823

Associations between strain, herd size, age at first calving, culling reason and lifetime performance characteristics in Holstein-Friesian cows.

PubMed

Adamczyk, K; Makulska, J; Jagusiak, W; Węglarz, A

2017-02-01

Cow longevity and lifetime performance traits are good indicators of breeding effectiveness and animal welfare. They are also interrelated with the economics of dairy herd. Unfortunately, a high milk yield is often associated with deteriorated cow health and fertility and, consequently, with an increased culling rate. This situation, observed also in the Polish population of Holstein-Friesian cattle, inspired us to undertake a study on the associations between some factors and lifetime performance characteristics. The data set consisted of the records on 135 496 cows, including 131 526 of the Black and White strain (BW), and 3970 of the Red and White strain (RW) covered by performance recording and culled in 2012. It was found that cows of the BW strain and those from the largest herds (>100 cows) reached higher lifetime and mean daily energy-corrected milk (ECM) yields than cows of the RW strain and those from smaller herds culled at a similar age. Cows youngest at first calving (<2.0 years) were characterised by the highest lifetime ECM yield. It indicates that heifers can be bred even when they are younger than 15 to 16 months with no significant negative effect on their later performance. Infertility and reproduction problems (39.6%) and udder diseases (15.5%) constituted the most frequent reasons for cow culling. Cow longevity and lifetime productivity were considerably affected by the interactions between the studied factors.

Estimation of genetic parameters and response to selection for a continuous trait subject to culling before testing.

PubMed

Arnason, T; Albertsdóttir, E; Fikse, W F; Eriksson, S; Sigurdsson, A

2012-02-01

The consequences of assuming a zero environmental covariance between a binary trait 'test-status' and a continuous trait on the estimates of genetic parameters by restricted maximum likelihood and Gibbs sampling and on response from genetic selection when the true environmental covariance deviates from zero were studied. Data were simulated for two traits (one that culling was based on and a continuous trait) using the following true parameters, on the underlying scale: h² = 0.4; r(A) = 0.5; r(E) = 0.5, 0.0 or -0.5. The selection on the continuous trait was applied to five subsequent generations where 25 sires and 500 dams produced 1500 offspring per generation. Mass selection was applied in the analysis of the effect on estimation of genetic parameters. Estimated breeding values were used in the study of the effect of genetic selection on response and accuracy. The culling frequency was either 0.5 or 0.8 within each generation. Each of 10 replicates included 7500 records on 'test-status' and 9600 animals in the pedigree file. Results from bivariate analysis showed unbiased estimates of variance components and genetic parameters when true r(E) = 0.0. For r(E) = 0.5, variance components (13-19% bias) and especially (50-80%) were underestimated for the continuous trait, while heritability estimates were unbiased. For r(E) = -0.5, heritability estimates of test-status were unbiased, while genetic variance and heritability of the continuous trait together with were overestimated (25-50%). The bias was larger for the higher culling frequency. Culling always reduced genetic progress from selection, but the genetic progress was found to be robust to the use of wrong parameter values of the true environmental correlation between test-status and the continuous trait. Use of a bivariate linear-linear model reduced bias in genetic evaluations, when data were subject to culling. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Bacteriological etiology and treatment of mastitis in Finnish dairy herds.

PubMed

Vakkamäki, Johanna; Taponen, Suvi; Heikkilä, Anna-Maija; Pyörälä, Satu

2017-05-25

The Finnish dairy herd recording system maintains production and health records of cows and herds. Veterinarians and farmers register veterinary treatments in the system. Milk samples for microbiological analysis are routinely taken from mastitic cows. The laboratory of the largest dairy company in Finland, Valio Ltd., analyzes most samples using real-time PCR. This study addressed pathogen-specific microbiological data and treatment and culling records, in combination with cow and herd characteristics, from the Finnish dairy herd recording system during 2010-2012. The data derived from 240,067 quarter milk samples from 93,529 dairy cows with mastitis; 238,235 cows from the same herds served as the control group. No target pathogen DNA was detected in 12% of the samples. In 49% of the positive samples, only one target species and in 19%, two species with one dominant species were present. The most common species in the samples with a single species only were coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) (43%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (21%), Streptococcus uberis (9%), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (8%), Corynebacterium bovis (7%), and Escherichia coli (5%). On average, 36% of the study cows and 6% of the control cows had recorded mastitis treatments during lactation. The corresponding proportions were 16 and 6% at drying-off. For more than 75% of the treatments during lactation, diagnosis was acute clinical mastitis. In the milk samples from cows with a recorded mastitis treatment during lactation, CNS and S. aureus were most common, followed by streptococci. Altogether, 48% of the cows were culled during the study. Mastitis was reported as the most common reason to cull; 49% of study cows and 18% of control cows were culled because of mastitis. Culling was most likely if S. aureus was detected in the milk sample submitted during the culling year. The PCR test has proven to be an applicable method also for large-scale use in bacterial diagnostics. In the present study, microbiological diagnosis was unequivocal in the great majority of samples where a single species or two species with one dominating were detected. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and S. aureus were the most common species. S. aureus was also the most common pathogen among the culled cows, which emphasizes the importance of preventive measures.

78 FR 70191 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and Handling Regulation for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-25

...-FV-13-0001; FV13-948-1 FIR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and..., without change, an interim rule that modified the size requirements for potatoes handled under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2 (order). The order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes...

78 FR 35743 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and Handling Regulation for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-14

... IR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Modification of the General Cull and Handling Regulation for.... SUMMARY: This interim rule modifies the size requirements for potatoes handled under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2 (order). The order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Colorado...

Indicators and associated decay of Engelmann spruce in Colorado

Treesearch

Thomas E. Hinds; Frank G. Hawksworth

1966-01-01

Average cull deductions for 11 cull indicators were determined from over 2,000 abnormalities on 1,027 merchantable Engelmann spruce in 21 stands throughout Colorado. On a board-foot basis, Fomes pini punk knots or sporophores caused an 81 percent deduction. Deduction for broken tops or dead tops with adjacent dead rust brooms amounted to 24 percent....

Prevalence and serotypes of intimin (eae) positive Shiga toxin-producing E. coli colonizing cattle arriving at fed beef and cull cow plants in the US

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Category: pre/post harvest pathogens Published: unpublished to date Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether inherent differences in fed cattle and cull cattle sources affect the prevalence and serogroups present of intimin positive STEC, and identify unappreciated serogro...

7 CFR 301.74-5 - Compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... only in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section. (2) Owners of fruit tree nurseries. The... the number of trees in the field minus 2 percent culls minus 3 percent unsold trees; and (B) The... culls; and (B) The average price per tree is $5.22 for plum and apricot trees and $3.69 for peach and...

7 CFR 301.74-5 - Compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... only in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section. (2) Owners of fruit tree nurseries. The... the number of trees in the field minus 2 percent culls minus 3 percent unsold trees; and (B) The... culls; and (B) The average price per tree is $5.22 for plum and apricot trees and $3.69 for peach and...

7 CFR 301.74-5 - Compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... only in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section. (2) Owners of fruit tree nurseries. The... culls minus 3 percent unsold trees; and (B) The average price per tree is $4.65; and (C) Digging... culls; and (B) The average price per tree is $4.65 for plum and apricot trees and $3.30 for peach and...

7 CFR 301.74-5 - Compensation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... only in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section. (2) Owners of fruit tree nurseries. The... culls minus 3 percent unsold trees; and (B) The average price per tree is $4.65; and (C) Digging... culls; and (B) The average price per tree is $4.65 for plum and apricot trees and $3.30 for peach and...

Distribution of Penicillin G Residues in Culled Dairy Cow Muscles: Implications for Residue Monitoring

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sets tolerances for veterinary drug residues in muscle, but does not specify which type of muscle should be analyzed. In order to determine if antibiotic residue levels are dependent on muscle type, 7 culled dairy cows were dosed with Penicillin G (Pen G) from ...

Coppicing to convert small cull trees to growing stock

Treesearch

Gerald A. Walters

1972-01-01

Several tree species are now being planted in Hawaii to reforest areas on which firetree (Myrica faya Ait.)-a plant pest of little commercial value-has been killed. The potential of converting cull trees of five ofthe replacement species into growing stock trees by coppicing was evaluated. Australian toon and tropical ash showed the greatest...

Comparative behaviour of yeast strains for ethanolic fermentation of culled apple juice.

PubMed

Modi, D R; Garg, S K; Johri, B N

1998-07-01

The culled apple juice contained (% w/v): nitrogen, 0.036; total sugars, 11.6 and was of pH 3.9. Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCIM 3284, Pichia kluyeri and Candida krusei produced more ethanol from culled apple juice at its optimum initial pH 4.5, whereas S. cerevisiae NCIM 3316 did so at pH 5.0. An increase in sugar concentration of apple juice from natural 11.6% to 20% exhibited enhanced ethanol production and improved fermentation efficiency of both the S. cerevisiae strains, whereas P. kluyveri and C. krusei produced high ethanol at 11.6% and 16.0% sugar levels, respectively. Urea was stimulatory for ethanol production as well as fermentation efficiency of the yeast strains under study.

Detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA in Inhalable Airborne Dust Samples from Goat Farms after Mandatory Culling

PubMed Central

Hogerwerf, Lenny; Still, Kelly; Heederik, Dick; van Rotterdam, Bart; de Bruin, Arnout; Nielen, Mirjam; Wouters, Inge M.

2012-01-01

Coxiella burnetii is thought to infect humans primarily via airborne transmission. However, air measurements of C. burnetii are sparse. We detected C. burnetii DNA in inhalable and PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic size of 10 μm or less) dust samples collected at three affected goat farms, demonstrating that low levels of C. burnetii DNA are present in inhalable size fractions. PMID:22582072

Ecological and anthropogenic drivers of rabies exposure in vampire bats: implications for transmission and control

PubMed Central

Streicker, Daniel G.; Recuenco, Sergio; Valderrama, William; Gomez Benavides, Jorge; Vargas, Ivan; Pacheco, Víctor; Condori Condori, Rene E.; Montgomery, Joel; Rupprecht, Charles E.; Rohani, Pejman; Altizer, Sonia

2012-01-01

Despite extensive culling of common vampire bats in Latin America, lethal human rabies outbreaks transmitted by this species are increasingly recognized, and livestock rabies occurs with striking frequency. To identify the individual and population-level factors driving rabies virus (RV) transmission in vampire bats, we conducted a longitudinal capture–recapture study in 20 vampire bat colonies spanning four regions of Peru. Serology demonstrated the circulation of RV in vampire bats from all regions in all years. Seroprevalence ranged from 3 to 28 per cent and was highest in juvenile and sub-adult bats. RV exposure was independent of bat colony size, consistent with an absence of population density thresholds for viral invasion and extinction. Culling campaigns implemented during our study failed to reduce seroprevalence and were perhaps counterproductive for disease control owing to the targeted removal of adults, but potentially greater importance of juvenile and sub-adult bats for transmission. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of RV maintenance in vampire bats and highlight the need for ecologically informed approaches to rabies prevention in Latin America. PMID:22696521

Effectiveness of an antimicrobial treatment scheme in a confined glanders outbreak.

PubMed

Saqib, Muhammad; Muhammad, Ghulam; Naureen, Abeera; Hussain, Muhammad H; Asi, M Nadeem; Mansoor, M Khalid; Toufeer, Mehdi; Khan, Iahtasham; Neubauer, Heinrich; Sprague, Lisa D

2012-11-07

Glanders is a contagious and fatal zoonotic disease of solipeds caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia (B.) mallei. Although regulations call for culling of diseased animals, certain situations e.g. wild life conservation, highly valuable breeding stock, could benefit from effective treatment schemes and post-exposure prophylaxis. Twenty three culture positive glanderous horses were successfully treated during a confined outbreak by applying a treatment protocol of 12 weeks duration based on the parenteral administration of enrofloxacin and trimethoprim plus sulfadiazine, followed by the oral administration of doxycycline. Induction of immunosupression in six randomly chosen horses after completion of treatment did not lead to recrudescence of disease. This study demonstrates that long term treatment of glanderous horses with a combination of various antibiotics seems to eliminate the agent from the organism. However, more studies are needed to test the effectiveness of this treatment regime on B. mallei strains from different endemic regions. Due to its cost and duration, this treatment can only be an option in certain situations and should not replace the current "testing and culling" policy, in conjunction with adequate compensation to prevent spreading of disease.

How effective is dog culling in controlling zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis? A critical evaluation of the science, politics and ethics behind this public health policy.

PubMed

Costa, Carlos Henrique Nery

2011-01-01

Zoonotic kala-azar, a lethal disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania is considered out of control in parts of the world, particularly in Brazil, where transmission has spread to cities throughout most of the territory and mortality presents an increasing trend. Although a highly debatable measure, the Brazilian government regularly culls seropositive dogs to control the disease. Since control is failing, critical analysis concerning the actions focused on the canine reservoir was conducted. In a review of the literature, a historical perspective focusing mainly on comparisons between the successful Chinese and Soviet strategies and the Brazilian approach is presented. In addition, analyses of the principal studies regarding the role of dogs as risk factors to humans and of the main intervention studies regarding the efficacy of the dog killing strategy were undertaken. Brazilian political reaction to a recently published systematic review that concluded that the dog culling program lacked efficiency and its effect on public policy were also reviewed. No firm evidence of the risk conferred by the presence of dogs to humans was verified; on the contrary, a lack of scientific support for the policy of killing dogs was confirmed. A bias for distorting scientific data towards maintaining the policy of culling animals was observed. Since there is no evidence that dog culling diminishes visceral leishmaniasis transmission, it should be abandoned as a control measure. Ethical considerations have been raised regarding distorting scientific results and the killing of animals despite minimal or absent scientific evidence.

A small quantity of sodium arsenite will kill large cull hardwoods

Treesearch

Francis M. Rushmore

1956-01-01

Although it is well known that sodium arsenite is an effective silvicide, forestry literature contains little information about the minimum quantities of this chemical that are required to kill large cull trees. Such information would be of value because if small quantities of a chemical will produce satisfactory results, small holes or frills in the tree will hold it...

What happens to living cull trees left after heavy cutting in mixed hardwood stands?

Treesearch

George R., Jr. Trimble; Henry Clay Smith

1963-01-01

In the Appalachian Mountains, the logging operator usually cuts only those trees that he thinks will yield a profit, and leaves the trees that appear to be unprofitable. Generally these unprofitable trees are either below merchantable size or are culls-trees of merchantable size that contain too little sound material to justify harvesting costs.

77 FR 58021 - New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Monensin

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-19

...-choice Type C medicated feeds as defined in Sec. 510.455 of this chapter. (ii) Dairy cows (as described... block in cull cows and bulls has not been established. See paragraph (d)(10)(i) of this section. (ii.... The effectiveness of this block in cull cows and bulls has not been established. See paragraph (d)(10...

An economic evaluation of cull-tree removal in mixed hardwood stands

Treesearch

David P. Worley; Hoyt A. Wheeland

1968-01-01

A comparison of inventories of six mixed hardwood compartments on the Kaskaskia Experimental Forest - made 12 years apart - shows that the three that received a cull-removal treatment as well as group-selection harvests were moving toward achieving sustained yields of medium to large sawtimber more rapidly than the three that had received only the group-selection...

Epidemiological and Molecular Analysis of an Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4 in a German Zoo: Effective Disease Control with Minimal Culling.

PubMed

Globig, A; Starick, E; Homeier, T; Pohlmann, A; Grund, C; Wolf, P; Zimmermann, A; Wolf, C; Heim, D; Schlößer, H; Zander, S; Beer, M; Conraths, F J; Harder, T C

2017-12-01

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N8, clade 2.3.4.4, were first reported in January 2014 from South Korea. These viruses spread rapidly to Europe and the North American continent during autumn 2014 and caused, in Germany, five outbreaks in poultry holdings until February 2015. In addition, birds kept in a zoo in north-eastern Germany were affected. Only a few individual white storks (Ciconia ciconia) showed clinical symptoms and eventually died in the course of the infection, although subsequent in-depth diagnostic investigations showed that other birds kept in the same compound of the white storks were acutely positive for or had undergone asymptomatic infection with HPAIV H5N8. An exception from culling all of the 500 remaining zoo birds was granted by the competent authority. Restriction measures included grouping the zoo birds into eight epidemiological units in which 60 birds of each unit tested repeatedly negative for H5N8. Epidemiological and phylogenetical investigations revealed that the most likely source of introduction was direct or indirect contact with infected wild birds as the white storks had access to a small pond frequented by wild mallards and other aquatic wild birds during a period of 10 days in December 2014. Median network analysis showed that the zoo bird viruses segregated into a distinct cluster of clade 2.3.4.4 with closest ties to H5N8 isolates obtained from mute swans (Cygnus olor) in Sweden in April 2015. This case demonstrates that alternatives to culling exist to rescue valuable avifaunistic collections after incursions of HPAIV. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The effect of deer management on the abundance of Ixodes ricinus in Scotland.

PubMed

Gilbert, L; Maffey, G L; Ramsay, S L; Hester, A J

2012-03-01

The management of wildlife hosts for controlling parasites and disease has a history of mixed success. Deer can be important hosts for ticks, such as Ixodes ricinus, which is the primary vector of disease-causing zoonotic pathogens in Europe. Deer are generally managed by culling and fencing for forestry protection, habitat conservation, and commercial hunting, and in this study we test whether these deer management methods can be useful for controlling ticks, with implications for tick-borne pathogens. At different spatial scales and habitats we tested the hypotheses that tick abundance is reduced by (1) culling deer and (2) deer exclusion using fencing. We compared abundance indices of hosts and questing I. ricinus nymphs using a combination of small-scale fencing experiments on moorland, a large-scale natural experiment of fenced and unfenced pairs of forests, and cross-sectional surveys of forest and moorland areas with varying deer densities. As predicted, areas with fewer deer had fewer ticks, and fenced exclosures had dramatically fewer ticks in both large-scale forest and small-scale moorland plots. Fencing and reducing deer density were also associated with higher ground vegetation. The implications of these results on other hosts, pathogen prevalence, and disease risk are discussed. This study provides evidence of how traditional management methods of a keystone species can reduce a generalist parasite, with implications for disease risk mitigation.

Screening and confirmatory analyses of flunixin in tissues and bodily fluids after intravenous or intramuscular administration to cull dairy cows with or without lipopolysaccharide challenge

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Twenty cull dairy cows (645 ± 83 kg) were treated with 2.2 mg/kg bw flunixin by intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) administration with, or without, exposure to lipopolysaccharide in a two factor balanced design. The usefulness of screening assays to identify violative flunixin levels in a varie...

Incidence and impact of damage to East Oklahoma's timber, 1986

Treesearch

Stephen Clarke; Clair Redmond; Dennis May; Dale Starkey

1994-01-01

An average of 57.4 million cubic feet of timber was lost annually to mortality and cull from 1976 to 1986 in east Oklahoma's 4.75 million acres of commercial forest land, resulting in a monetary loss of $7.2 million per year. Hardwoods generally had more damage than softwoods, with upland hardwoods accounting for 63 percent of cull volume loss. Of the ownership...

2, 4, 5 -T amine not recommended for frill-treating hardwood culls in West Virginia

Treesearch

Harry W. Yawney

1962-01-01

Cull trees and undesirable species may occupy a high percentage of forest growing space. In a managed forest, these unwanted individuals must be cut or killed so that sound vigorous growing stock of good species can utilize the space. The methods most frequently used to eliminate medium to large-size trees from timber stands are either girdling or application of...

Lactoferrin reduces mortality in preweaned calves with diarrhea.

PubMed

Habing, G; Harris, K; Schuenemann, G M; Piñeiro, J M; Lakritz, J; Clavijo, X Alcaraz

2017-05-01

Calf diarrhea is the most common reason for mortality and antimicrobial therapy in preweaned calves on dairy farms in the United States. Conventional and organic livestock producers require alternative therapies for calf diarrhea to reduce the necessity of conventional antimicrobials. Alternatives administered for mild cases or early in the disease course may be useful to mitigate disease progression and reduce the likelihood of septicemia and negative sequelae. Lactoferrin is a bioactive protein naturally found in colostrum that has been shown to prevent septicemia in high-risk infants. Among organic producers, garlic extract is widely used for the treatment of disease and perceived to be efficacious. The objectives of the study were to determine the effectiveness of lactoferrin and garlic extract to reduce mortality and culling, improve weight gain, and reduce the duration of disease in preweaned calves with the first diagnosis of diarrhea. In total, 628 calves with diarrhea from a single commercial dairy were enrolled in a blinded, randomized field trial. Calves diagnosed with diarrhea (fecal score ≥3), were randomized to 3 consecutive days of oral garlic extract, lactoferrin, or water (control). Calves were clinically evaluated for up to 10 d. Body weight was measured at enrollment and 10 d later. For calves receiving garlic extract, the risk of death or culling was not significantly different than calves in the control group; however, calves that received lactoferrin had approximately half the risk of death or culling in the 120 d following diagnosis. Additionally, the relative risk of death or culling in the 60 d following diagnosis was significantly lower for the subset of calves with severe diarrhea at enrollment. Neither garlic nor lactoferrin had a significant effect on disease duration or average weight gain during the 10-d period. Lactoferrin significantly reduced mortality and culling when administered to preweaned calves with the first diagnosis of diarrhea; however, additional studies conducted across multiple farms are necessary to corroborate the observed reduction in mortality and culling. If the results are confirmed, lactoferrin may become an important tool to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the necessity of antimicrobials. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence for Emergency Vaccination Having Played a Crucial Role to Control the 1965/66 Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Switzerland

PubMed Central

Zingg, Dana; Häsler, Stephan; Schuepbach-Regula, Gertraud; Schwermer, Heinzpeter; Dürr, Salome

2015-01-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease that caused several large outbreaks in Europe in the last century. The last important outbreak in Switzerland took place in 1965/66 and affected more than 900 premises and more than 50,000 animals were slaughtered. Large-scale emergency vaccination of the cattle and pig population has been applied to control the epidemic. In recent years, many studies have used infectious disease models to assess the impact of different disease control measures, including models developed for diseases exotic for the specific region of interest. Often, the absence of real outbreak data makes a validation of such models impossible. This study aimed to evaluate whether a spatial, stochastic simulation model (the Davis Animal Disease Simulation model) can predict the course of a Swiss FMD epidemic based on the available historic input data on population structure, contact rates, epidemiology of the virus, and quality of the vaccine. In addition, the potential outcome of the 1965/66 FMD epidemic without application of vaccination was investigated. Comparing the model outcomes to reality, only the largest 10% of the simulated outbreaks approximated the number of animals being culled. However, the simulation model highly overestimated the number of culled premises. While the outbreak duration could not be well reproduced by the model compared to the 1965/66 epidemic, it was able to accurately estimate the size of the area infected. Without application of vaccination, the model predicted a much higher mean number of culled animals than with vaccination, demonstrating that vaccination was likely crucial in disease control for the Swiss FMD outbreak in 1965/66. The study demonstrated the feasibility to analyze historical outbreak data with modern analytical tools. However, it also confirmed that predicted epidemics from a most carefully parameterized model cannot integrate all eventualities of a real epidemic. Therefore, decision makers need to be aware that infectious disease models are useful tools to support the decision-making process but their results are not equal valuable as real observations and should always be interpreted with caution. PMID:26697436

Development of a model to simulate infection dynamics of Mycobacterium bovis in cattle herds in the United States

PubMed Central

Smith, Rebecca L.; Schukken, Ynte H.; Lu, Zhao; Mitchell, Rebecca M.; Grohn, Yrjo T.

2013-01-01

Objective To develop a mathematical model to simulate infection dynamics of Mycobacterium bovis in cattle herds in the United States and predict efficacy of the current national control strategy for tuberculosis in cattle. Design Stochastic simulation model. Sample Theoretical cattle herds in the United States. Procedures A model of within-herd M bovis transmission dynamics following introduction of 1 latently infected cow was developed. Frequency- and density-dependent transmission modes and 3 tuberculin-test based culling strategies (no test-based culling, constant (annual) testing with test-based culling, and the current strategy of slaughterhouse detection-based testing and culling) were investigated. Results were evaluated for 3 herd sizes over a 10-year period and validated via simulation of known outbreaks of M bovis infection. Results On the basis of 1,000 simulations (1000 herds each) at replacement rates typical for dairy cattle (0.33/y), median time to detection of M bovis infection in medium-sized herds (276 adult cattle) via slaughterhouse surveillance was 27 months after introduction, and 58% of these herds would spontaneously clear the infection prior to that time. Sixty-two percent of medium-sized herds without intervention and 99% of those managed with constant test-based culling were predicted to clear infection < 10 years after introduction. The model predicted observed outbreaks best for frequency-dependent transmission, and probability of clearance was most sensitive to replacement rate. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Although modeling indicated the current national control strategy was sufficient for elimination of M bovis infection from dairy herds after detection, slaughterhouse surveillance was not sufficient to detect M bovis infection in all herds and resulted in subjectively delayed detection, compared with the constant testing method. Further research is required to economically optimize this strategy. PMID:23865885

Optimally achieving milk bulk tank somatic cell count thresholds.

PubMed

Troendle, Jason A; Tauer, Loren W; Gröhn, Yrjo T

2017-01-01

High somatic cell count in milk leads to reduced shelf life in fluid milk and lower processed yields in manufactured dairy products. As a result, farmers are often penalized for high bulk tank somatic cell count or paid a premium for low bulk tank somatic cell count. Many countries also require all milk from a farm to be lower than a specified regulated somatic cell count. Thus, farms often cull cows that have high somatic cell count to meet somatic cell count thresholds. Rather than naïvely cull the highest somatic cell count cows, a mathematical programming model was developed that determines the cows to be culled from the herd by maximizing the net present value of the herd, subject to meeting any specified bulk tank somatic cell count level. The model was applied to test-day cows on 2 New York State dairy farms. Results showed that the net present value of the herd was increased by using the model to meet the somatic cell count restriction compared with naïvely culling the highest somatic cell count cows. Implementation of the model would be straightforward in dairy management decision software. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of paratuberculosis on culling, milk production, and milk quality in dairy herds.

PubMed

Hendrick, Steven H; Kelton, David F; Leslie, Ken E; Lissemore, Kerry D; Archambault, Marie; Duffield, Todd F

2005-10-15

To determine the effect of paratuberculosis on culling, milk production, and milk quality in infected dairy herds. Cross-sectional study. 689 lactating dairy cows in 9 herds. Milk, blood, and fecal samples were obtained from all cows. Fecal samples were evaluated via mycobacterial culture. Serum samples were tested with a commercially available ELISA for antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis, and preserved milk samples were tested with an ELISA for antibodies against M paratuberculosis. Mixed effect and proportional hazards models were used to determine the effect of paratuberculosis on 305-day milk, fat, and protein production; somatic cell count linear score; and the risk of culling. Cows with positive results of bacteriologic culture of feces and milk ELISA produced less milk, fat, and protein, compared with herdmates with negative results. No difference in 305-day milk or fat production was detected in cows with positive results of serum ELISA, compared with seronegative cows. The 3 survival analyses revealed that cows with positive results of each test were at higher risk of being culled than cows with negative results. Paratuberculosis status, as determined by use of all 3 diagnostic tests, was not associated with milk somatic cell count linear score. Results suggest that for the 9 herds in this study, paratuberculosis significantly decreased milk production and cow longevity.

Evidence-based control of canine rabies: a critical review of population density reduction

PubMed Central

Morters, Michelle K; Restif, Olivier; Hampson, Katie; Cleaveland, Sarah; Wood, James L N; Conlan, Andrew J K

2013-01-01

Control measures for canine rabies include vaccination and reducing population density through culling or sterilization. Despite the evidence that culling fails to control canine rabies, efforts to reduce canine population density continue in many parts of the world. The rationale for reducing population density is that rabies transmission is density-dependent, with disease incidence increasing directly with host density. This may be based, in part, on an incomplete interpretation of historical field data for wildlife, with important implications for disease control in dog populations. Here, we examine historical and more recent field data, in the context of host ecology and epidemic theory, to understand better the role of density in rabies transmission and the reasons why culling fails to control rabies. We conclude that the relationship between host density, disease incidence and other factors is complex and may differ between species. This highlights the difficulties of interpreting field data and the constraints of extrapolations between species, particularly in terms of control policies. We also propose that the complex interactions between dogs and people may render culling of free-roaming dogs ineffective irrespective of the relationship between host density and disease incidence. We conclude that vaccination is the most effective means to control rabies in all species. PMID:23004351

Qualitative Evaluation of the Five-Year 'Red Collar' Campaign to End Inhumane Culling of Dogs as a Method of Rabies Control.

PubMed

Hiby, Elly; Tasker, Lou

2018-02-06

Dog-mediated human rabies can be eliminated through mass dog vaccination. Despite leading authorities in human and animal health uniting to advance effective and humane rabies control, some governments resort to lethal methods, which are unethical, often inhumane and ineffective. To end the inhumane culling of dogs in response to rabies, World Animal Protection launched 'Red Collar'; a five-year campaign (2011-2016) that worked with governments to promote the implementation of mass dog vaccination for rabies control. We present the findings from a qualitative evaluation of 'Red Collar', conducted both regionally and with national focus on Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Zanzibar, Tanzania. Through semi-structured interviews and written contributions from stakeholders ( n = 54), we compared perceptions of changes with stated campaign goals to capture recommendations for future work. The campaign successfully generated momentum for implementation of mass dog vaccination by targeted governments. Lessons learned were established: Value of a consistent animal welfare 'voice'; the need to explore the motivations behind culling; the need to capacity build; time required for the 'ripple effect' to inspire humane control in other countries; importance of monitoring and evaluation of indicators; time and effort required for exit strategies and prior preparation for a robust response to culling.

Test and cull of high risk Coxiella burnetii infected pregnant dairy goats is not feasible due to poor test performance.

PubMed

Hogerwerf, Lenny; Koop, Gerrit; Klinkenberg, Don; Roest, Hendrik I J; Vellema, Piet; Nielen, Mirjam

2014-05-01

A major human Q fever epidemic occurred in The Netherlands during 2007-2009. In response, all pregnant goats from infected herds were culled before the 2010 kidding season without individual testing. The aim of this study was to assess whether high risk animals from recently infected naive herds can be identified by diagnostic testing. Samples of uterine fluid, milk and vaginal mucus from 203 euthanized pregnant goats were tested by PCR or ELISA. The results suggest that testing followed by culling of only the high risk animals is not a feasible method for protecting public health, mainly due to the low specificity of the tests and variability between herds. The risk of massive bacterial shedding during abortion or parturition can only be prevented by removal of all pregnant animals from naive recently infected herds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whole grains in the finishing of culled ewes in pasture or feedlot: Performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality.

PubMed

Fruet, Ana Paula Burin; Stefanello, Flávia Santi; Rosado Júnior, Adriano Garcia; Souza, Alexandre Nunes Motta de; Tonetto, Cléber José; Nörnberg, José Laerte

2016-03-01

In order to evaluate the performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of culled ewes finished in pasture or exclusivelywith grain, 41 culled Polwarth ewes, were assigned to six treatments: RY (ryegrass pasture), RYGO (ryegrass and whole grain oats), RYGM (ryegrass and whole grain maize), GM (whole grain maize), GO (whole grain oats), GS (whole grain sorghum). The finishing systemof the ewes influenced weight gain,wherein the GM and GS treatments increased daily weight gain. The GO treatment decreased the dressing percentage. Nonetheless, a*, h*, pH, cooking loss and tenderness were similar across dietary treatments. Using principal component analysis, the variables C18:2n6, h*, n6/n3, TBARS, total lipids, L* and b* were assigned as characteristics of meat from the feedlot animals, while the pasture finishing system produced meat with higher CLA and n-3 fatty acids but lower TBARS values indicating lipid stability.

Behavior of feral horses in response to culling and GnRH immunocontraception

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ransom, Jason I.; Powers, Jenny G.; Garbe, Heidi M.; Oehler, Michael W.; Nett, Terry M.; Baker, Dan L.

2014-01-01

Wildlife management actions can alter fundamental behaviors of individuals and groups,which may directly impact their life history parameters in unforeseen ways. This is especially true for highly social animals because changes in one individual’s behavior can cascade throughout its social network. When resources to support populations of social animals are limited and populations become locally overabundant, managers are faced with the daunting challenge of decreasing population size without disrupting core behavioral processes. Increasingly, managers are turning to fertility control technologies to supplement culling in efforts to suppress population growth, but little is quantitatively known about how either of these management tools affects behavior. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is a small neuropeptide that performs an obligatory role in mammalian reproduction and has been formulated into the immunocontraceptive GonaCon-BTM. We investigated the influences of this vaccine on behavior of feral horses (Equus caballus) at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, USA, for a year preceding and a year following nonlethal culling and GnRH-vaccine treatment. We observed horses during the breeding season and found only minimal differences in time budget behaviors of free-ranging female feral horses treated with GnRH and those treated with saline. The differences observed were consistent with the metabolic demands of pregnancy and lactation. We observed similar social behaviors between treatment groups, reflecting limited reproductive behavior among control females due to high rates of pregnancy and suppressed reproductive behavior among treated females due to GnRH-inhibited ovarian activity. In the treatment year, band stallion age was the only supported factor influencing herding behavior (P < 0.001), harem-tending behavior (P < 0.001), and agonistic behavior (P = 0.02). There was no difference between the mean body condition of control females (4.9 (95% CI = 4.7–5.1)) and treated females(4.8 (95% CI = 4.7–4.9)). Band fidelity among all females increased 25.7% in the year fol-lowing vaccination and culling, despite the social perturbation associated with removal of conspecifics. Herding behavior by stallions decreased 50.7% following treatment and culling (P < 0.001), while harem-tending behavior increased 195.0% (P < 0.001). The amount of available forage influenced harem-tending, reproductive, and agonistic behavior in the year following culling and treatment (P < 0.04). These changes reflected the expected nexus between a species with polygynous social structure and strong group fidelity and the large instantaneous change in population density and demography coincident with culling.Behavioral responses to such perturbation may be synergistic in reducing grazing pressure by decreasing energetically expensive competitive behaviors, but further investigation is needed to explicitly test this hypothesis.

Modeling the spread and control of foot-and-mouth disease in Pennsylvania following its discovery and options for control

PubMed Central

Tildesley, Michael J.; Smith, Gary; Keeling, Matt J.

2013-01-01

In this paper, we simulate outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA – after the introduction of a state-wide movement ban – as they might unfold in the presence of mitigation strategies. We have adapted a model previously used to investigate FMD control policies in the UK to examine the potential for disease spread given an infection seeded in each county in Pennsylvania. The results are highly dependent upon the county of introduction and the spatial scale of transmission. Should the transmission kernel be identical to that for the UK, the epidemic impact is limited to fewer than 20 premises, regardless of the county of introduction. However, for wider kernels where infection can spread further, outbreaks seeded in or near the county with highest density of premises and animals result in large epidemics (>150 premises). Ring culling and vaccination reduce epidemic size, with the optimal radius of the rings being dependent upon the county of introduction. Should the kernel width exceed a given county-dependent threshold, ring culling is unable to control the epidemic. We find that a vaccinate-to-live policy is generally preferred to ring culling (in terms of reducing the overall number of premises culled), indicating that well-targeted control can dramatically reduce the risk of large scale outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease occurring in Pennsylvania. PMID:22169708

Evidence-based control of canine rabies: a critical review of population density reduction.

PubMed

Morters, Michelle K; Restif, Olivier; Hampson, Katie; Cleaveland, Sarah; Wood, James L N; Conlan, Andrew J K

2013-01-01

Control measures for canine rabies include vaccination and reducing population density through culling or sterilization. Despite the evidence that culling fails to control canine rabies, efforts to reduce canine population density continue in many parts of the world. The rationale for reducing population density is that rabies transmission is density-dependent, with disease incidence increasing directly with host density. This may be based, in part, on an incomplete interpretation of historical field data for wildlife, with important implications for disease control in dog populations. Here, we examine historical and more recent field data, in the context of host ecology and epidemic theory, to understand better the role of density in rabies transmission and the reasons why culling fails to control rabies. We conclude that the relationship between host density, disease incidence and other factors is complex and may differ between species. This highlights the difficulties of interpreting field data and the constraints of extrapolations between species, particularly in terms of control policies. We also propose that the complex interactions between dogs and people may render culling of free-roaming dogs ineffective irrespective of the relationship between host density and disease incidence. We conclude that vaccination is the most effective means to control rabies in all species. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2012 British Ecological Society.

Management of bacterial kidney disease in Chinook Salmon hatcheries based on broodstock testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: A multiyear study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munson, A. Douglas; Elliott, Diane G.; Johnson, Keith

2010-01-01

From the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, outbreaks of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) caused by Renibacterium salmoninarum continued in Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) hatcheries despite the use of three control methods: (1) injection of returning adult fish with erythromycin to reduce prespawning BKD mortality and limit vertical transmission of R. salmoninarum, (2) topical disinfection of green eggs with iodophor, and (3) prophylactic treatments of juvenile fish with erythromycin-medicated feed. In addition, programs to manage BKD through measurement of R. salmoninarum antigen levels in kidney tissues from spawning female Chinook salmon by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were tested over 13–15 brood years at three IDFG hatcheries. The ELISA results were used for either (1) segregated rearing of progeny from females with high ELISA optical density (OD) values (usually ≥0.25), which are indicative of high R. salmoninarum antigen levels, or (2) culling of eggs from females with high ELISA OD values. The ELISA-based culling program had the most profound positive effects on the study populations. Mortality of juvenile fish during rearing was significantly lower at each hatchery for brood years derived from culling compared with brood years for which culling was not practiced. The prevalence of R. salmoninarum in juvenile fish, as evidenced by detection of the bacterium in kidney smears by the direct fluorescent antibody test, also decreased significantly at each hatchery. In addition, the proportions of returning adult females with kidney ELISA OD values of 0.25 or more decreased 56–85% for fish reared in brood years during which culling was practiced, whereas the proportions of ELISA-negative adults increased 55–58%. This management strategy may allow IDFG Chinook salmon hatcheries to reduce or eliminate prophylactic erythromycin-medicated feed treatments. We recommend using ELISA-based management of BKD in Chinook salmon hatcheries where it is a concern.

Costs of Rabies Control: An Economic Calculation Method Applied to Flores Island

PubMed Central

Wera, Ewaldus; Velthuis, Annet G. J.; Geong, Maria; Hogeveen, Henk

2013-01-01

Background Rabies is a zoonotic disease that, in most human cases, is fatal once clinical signs appear. The disease transmits to humans through an animal bite. Dogs are the main vector of rabies in humans on Flores Island, Indonesia, resulting in about 19 human deaths each year. Currently, rabies control measures on Flores Island include mass vaccination and culling of dogs, laboratory diagnostics of suspected rabid dogs, putting imported dogs in quarantine, and pre- and post-exposure treatment (PET) of humans. The objective of this study was to estimate the costs of the applied rabies control measures on Flores Island. Methodology/principal findings A deterministic economic model was developed to calculate the costs of the rabies control measures and their individual cost components from 2000 to 2011. The inputs for the economic model were obtained from (i) relevant literature, (ii) available data on Flores Island, and (iii) experts such as responsible policy makers and veterinarians involved in rabies control measures in the past. As a result, the total costs of rabies control measures were estimated to be US$1.12 million (range: US$0.60–1.47 million) per year. The costs of culling roaming dogs were the highest portion, about 39 percent of the total costs, followed by PET (35 percent), mass vaccination (24 percent), pre-exposure treatment (1.4 percent), and others (1.3 percent) (dog-bite investigation, diagnostic of suspected rabid dogs, trace-back investigation of human contact with rabid dogs, and quarantine of imported dogs). Conclusions/significance This study demonstrates that rabies has a large economic impact on the government and dog owners. Control of rabies by culling dogs is relatively costly for the dog owners in comparison with other measures. Providing PET for humans is an effective way to prevent rabies, but is costly for government and does not provide a permanent solution to rabies in the future. PMID:24386244

Progress towards the eradication of Aujeszky's disease in New Zealand by vaccination with a subunit vaccine.

PubMed

Motha, M X; Atkinson, G; Hoyle, F P

1994-08-27

Attempts to control Aujeszky's disease by vaccination with a glycoprotein-I negative subunit vaccine have been made on nine New Zealand pig farms. Thirty-one to 42 months after the programme of vaccination began, its progress was assessed by measuring the gI-antibody response in pigs from seven of the farms. Three farms had totally eradicated the 'wild' virus infection, one farm was close to achieving complete eradication and the other three farms had made little or no progress. One of the farms which eradicated the 'wild' virus infection achieved this status in two years by combining vaccination with an intensive testing and culling programme; the other two farms had eradicated the 'wild' virus infection by a combination of vaccination and good standards of hygiene without undertaking an intensive culling programme. The farms that had made little or no progress had less satisfactory standards of hygiene and did not practise an intensive testing and culling programme.

Retrospective evaluation of milk production and culling risk following either surgical, toggle-pin suture or conservative treatment of left displaced abomasum in Chilean dairy cows.

PubMed

Melendez, P; Romero, C; Pithua, P; Marin, M P; Pinedo, P; Duchens, M

2017-11-01

AIMS To describe milk yield and culling risk in cows diagnosed with left displacement of abomasum (LDA) treated either conservatively, by right flank pyloric omentopexy, or rolling and toggling, compared with normal herdmates from four Chilean dairy herds. METHODS Historical records were obtained from four commercial dairy farms located in Central Chile for cows with a history of LDA between 2010 and 2012, and healthy herdmates. Cows with LDA were categorised into three groups: cows treated with right omentopexy (ST, n=58), cows treated by toggle suturing (TT, n=15) and cows treated conservatively (CT, n=56). Control cows (n=129) were selected from unaffected cows, matched by days in milk (DIM), parity and herd with affected cows. Groups were compared for risk of culling up to 300 DIM and for milk production up to 5 months of lactation using survival and Cox proportional hazard models and mixed models for repeated measures, respectively. RESULTS Compared with cows in the Control group, the risk of being culled up to 300 DIM was 9.1 (SE 0.62) times greater in ST cows, 10.4 (SE 0.68) times greater in TT cows, and 37.3 (SE 0.61) times greater in CT cows (p<0.01). In the first 5 months of lactation, compared with cows in the Control group, mean daily milk production was 23.3 (SE 1.5) kg less in ST cows, 15.3 (SE 1.6) kg less in TT cows, and 30.1 (SE 1.3) kg less in CT cows (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Cows in four dairy herds in central Chile diagnosed and treated for LDA produced significantly less milk and had a higher risk of culling than healthy herdmates. Although cows treated surgically or with toggle suture never recovered to the extent of healthy cows, they produced more milk than cows treated conservatively. However, the retrospective nature of the data, the inclusion of only four herds and the non-random allocation to treatments means that these conclusions cannot be extrapolated to the overall dairy cattle population in Chile.

A Fully GPU-Based Ray-Driven Backprojector via a Ray-Culling Scheme with Voxel-Level Parallelization for Cone-Beam CT Reconstruction.

PubMed

Park, Hyeong-Gyu; Shin, Yeong-Gil; Lee, Ho

2015-12-01

A ray-driven backprojector is based on ray-tracing, which computes the length of the intersection between the ray paths and each voxel to be reconstructed. To reduce the computational burden caused by these exhaustive intersection tests, we propose a fully graphics processing unit (GPU)-based ray-driven backprojector in conjunction with a ray-culling scheme that enables straightforward parallelization without compromising the high computing performance of a GPU. The purpose of the ray-culling scheme is to reduce the number of ray-voxel intersection tests by excluding rays irrelevant to a specific voxel computation. This rejection step is based on an axis-aligned bounding box (AABB) enclosing a region of voxel projection, where eight vertices of each voxel are projected onto the detector plane. The range of the rectangular-shaped AABB is determined by min/max operations on the coordinates in the region. Using the indices of pixels inside the AABB, the rays passing through the voxel can be identified and the voxel is weighted as the length of intersection between the voxel and the ray. This procedure makes it possible to reflect voxel-level parallelization, allowing an independent calculation at each voxel, which is feasible for a GPU implementation. To eliminate redundant calculations during ray-culling, a shared-memory optimization is applied to exploit the GPU memory hierarchy. In experimental results using real measurement data with phantoms, the proposed GPU-based ray-culling scheme reconstructed a volume of resolution 28032803176 in 77 seconds from 680 projections of resolution 10243768 , which is 26 times and 7.5 times faster than standard CPU-based and GPU-based ray-driven backprojectors, respectively. Qualitative and quantitative analyses showed that the ray-driven backprojector provides high-quality reconstruction images when compared with those generated by the Feldkamp-Davis-Kress algorithm using a pixel-driven backprojector, with an average of 2.5 times higher contrast-to-noise ratio, 1.04 times higher universal quality index, and 1.39 times higher normalized mutual information. © The Author(s) 2014.

The associations between culling due to clinical Johne's disease or the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis fecal shedding and the diagnosis of clinical or subclinical diseases in two dairy herds in Minnesota, USA.

PubMed

Raizman, Eran A; Wells, Scott J; Godden, Sandra M; Fetrow, John; Oakes, J Michael

2007-07-16

Our objectives were to identify associations between clinical or subclinical diseases and subsequent culling because of clinical Johne's disease (JD) or the detection of fecal shedding of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (Map) after 305 days in milk (DIM). A total of 1297 cows from two Minnesota dairies were enrolled in the study. From study cows, fecal samples were obtained prior to calving (close-up period) and after at least 305 DIM or at the time of leaving the herd (sold/dead). Between 3 and 21 DIM, blood samples were obtained for serum betahydroxybutyrate (BHB) and serum total-protein testing. Body-condition score (BCS) was evaluated during the close-up period, between 3 and 21 DIM, and at the end of lactation. The diagnosis time (DIM) of clinical disease events (culling because of JD clinical signs, ketosis, lameness, mastitis, displacement abomasum, injury, metritis, milk fever, pneumonia, and retained placenta) was recorded. Sixty-six cows were culled because of JD clinical signs (CCDJ) with average DIM of 209. CCDJ was associated with event of pneumonia (n=131) (OR=3.0, 95% CI=1.0-6.0) and level of fecal shedding (light: OR=13.0, 95% CI=5.3-30.0; moderate: OR=34.0, 95% CI=13.0-89.0; heavy: OR=66.0, 95% CI=26.0-171.0). Detection of fecal shedding at the end of the lactation (n=79) was associated only with event of pneumonia (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.0-4.0).

Male lifespan and the secondary sex ratio.

PubMed

Catalano, Ralph; Bruckner, Tim

2006-01-01

Literature speculating on the fetal origins of later life morbidity often invokes the "damaged cohort" theory, i.e., that maternal responses to exogenous shocks induce "stress reactivity" in fetuses and thereby shorten the lifespan of males in utero during stressful times. A rival, or "culled cohort," theory posits that exogenous shocks to gravid females induce spontaneous abortions of frail male fetuses, leaving relatively hardy survivors who enjoy, on average, lifespans longer than males in less stressed birth cohorts. A recent test based on archival data from Sweden supported the culled cohort theory. Several characteristics of the Swedish data, however, raise questions regarding the external validity of the findings. We repeat the test with data from Denmark, Iceland, and England and Wales. We use time-series methods that control for trends, seasonal cycles, and other forms of autocorrelation that could confound the test. None of the results supports the "damaged cohort" theory. Consistent with the Swedish findings and with evolutionary theory, we find support in Iceland and England and Wales for the "culled cohort" theory. We discuss the implications of our findings for basic research as well as for public health.

Mycoplasma mastitis in cattle: To cull or not to cull.

PubMed

Nicholas, Robin A J; Fox, Larry K; Lysnyansky, Inna

2016-10-01

Bovine mastitis caused by mycoplasmas, in particular Mycoplasma bovis, is a major problem for milk production and animal welfare in large dairy herds in the USA and a serious, although sporadic, disease in Europe and the Middle East. It causes severe damage to the udder of cattle and is largely untreatable by chemotherapy. Mycoplasma mastitis has a distinct epidemiology and a unique set of risk factors, the most important of which is large herd size. The disease is often self-limiting, disappearing within months of outbreaks, sometimes without deliberate intervention. Improved molecular diagnostic tests are leading to more rapid detection of mycoplasmas. Typing tests, such as multi-locus sequence typing, can help trace the source of outbreaks. An approach to successful control is proposed, which involves regular monitoring and rapid segregation or culling of infected cows. Serious consideration should be given by owners of healthy dairy herds to the purchase of M. bovis-free replacements. Increased cases of disease could occur in Europe and Israel if the trend for larger dairy herds continues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of hot boning and moisture enhancement on the eating quality of cull cow beef.

PubMed

Pivotto, L M; Campbell, C P; Swanson, K; Mandell, I B

2014-01-01

The effects of chilling method and moisture enhancement were examined for improving eating quality of semimembranosus (SM) and longissimus lumborum (LL) from 62 cull beef cows. Chilling method included hot boning muscles after 45 to 60 min postmortem or conventional chilling for 24 h. Moisture enhancement included 1) a non-injected control (CONT) or injection processing (10% of product weight) using 2) Sodium Tripolyphosphate/salt (Na/STP), 3) Sodium Citrate (NaCIT), 4) Calcium Ascorbate (CaASC), or 5) Citrus Juices (CITRUS). Chilling method by moisture enhancement treatment interactions (P<0.09) were due to decreased hue, chroma and sarcomere length values in hot boned vs. conventionally chilled product (SM and LL) for CaASC vs. other moisture enhancement treatments. Chilling method by moisture enhancement treatment interactions (P<0.05) were due to decreased shear force and increased tenderness in conventionally chilled vs. hot boned LL using CaASC vs. Na/STP. Moisture enhancement can improve tenderness of cull cow beef depending on combinations of chilling method and moisture enhancement treatments used. © 2013.

Control of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullahi, Mohammed Baba; Hasan, Yahya Abu; Abdullah, Farah Aini

2015-10-01

The most significant and efficient measures against Plasmodium knowlesi outbreaks are efficient anti malaria drug, biological control in form of predatory mosquitoes and culling control strategies. In this paper optimal control theory is applied to a system of ordinary differential equation. It describes the disease transmission and Pontryagin's Maximum Principle is applied for analysis of the control. To this end, three control strategies representing biological control, culling and treatment were incorporated into the disease transmission model. The simulation results show that the implementation of the combination strategy during the epidemic is the most cost-effective strategy for disease transmission.

The prevalence of verotoxins, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella in the feces and rumen of cattle at processing.

PubMed

Van Donkersgoed, J; Graham, T; Gannon, V

1999-05-01

Fecal samples collected from cattle at processing during a 1-year period were tested for verotoxins (VT1, VT2), Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella. Verotoxins were detected in 42.6% (95% CI, 39.8% to 45.4%), E. coli O157:H7 in 7.5% (95% CI, 6.1% to 9.1%), and Salmonella in 0.08% (95% CI, 0.004% to 0.5%) of the fecal samples. In yearling cattle, the median within-lot prevalence (percentage of positive samples within a lot) was 40% (range, 0% to 100%) for verotoxins and 0% for E. coli O157:H7 (range, 0% to 100%) and Salmonella (range, 0% to 17%). One or more fecal samples were positive for verotoxins in 80.4% (95% CI, 72.8% to 86.4%) of the lots of yearling cattle, whereas E. coli O157:H7 were detected in 33.6% (95% CI, 26.0% to 42.0%) of the lots. In cull cows, the median within-lot prevalence was 50% (range, 0% to 100%) for verotoxins and 0% (range, 0% to 100%) for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella (range, 0% to 0%). Verotoxins were detected in one or more fecal samples from 78.0% (95% CI, 70.4% to 84.2%) of the lots of cull cows, whereas E. coli O157:H7 were detected in only 6.0% (95% CI, 3.0% to 11.4%) of the lots of cull cows. The prevalence of verotoxins in fecal samples was lower in yearling cattle than in cull cows, whereas the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in fecal samples was higher in yearling cattle than in cull cows. The prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in fecal samples was highest in the summer months. Rumen fill, body condition score, sex, type of cattle (dairy, beef), and distance travelled to the plant were not associated with the fecal prevalence of verotoxins or E. coli O157:H7. The prevalence of verotoxins in fecal samples of cull cows was associated with the source of the cattle. It was highest in cows from the auction market (52%) and farm/ranch (47%) and lowest in cows from the feedlot (31%). In rumen samples, the prevalence of verotoxins was 6.4% (95% CI, 4.2% to 9.4%), and it was 0.8% (95% CI, 0.2% to 2.3%) for E. coli O157:H7, and 0.3% (95% CI, 0.007% to 1.5%) for Salmonella.

Evaluation of bovine viral diarrhoea virus control strategies in dairy herds in Hokkaido, Japan, using stochastic modelling.

PubMed

Sekiguchi, S; Presi, P; Omori, R; Staerk, K; Schuppers, M; Isoda, N; Yoshikawa, Y; Umemura, T; Nakayama, H; Fujii, Y; Sakoda, Y

2018-02-01

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) infection in cattle can result in growth retardation, reduced milk production, reproductive disorders and death. Persistently infected animals are the primary source of infection. In Hokkaido, Japan, all cattle entering shared pastures in summer are vaccinated before movement for disease control. Additionally, these cattle may be tested for BVDV and culled if positive. However, the effectiveness of this control strategy aiming to reduce the number of BVDV-infected animals has not been assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various test-and-cull and/or vaccination strategies on BVDV control in dairy farms in two districts of Hokkaido, Nemuro and Hiyama. A stochastic model was developed to compare the different control strategies over a 10-year period. The model was individual-based and simulated disease dynamics both within and between herds. Parameters included in the model were obtained from the literature, the Hokkaido government and the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Nine different scenarios were compared as follows: no control, test-and-cull strategies based on antigen testing of either calves or only cattle entering common pastures, vaccination of all adult cattle or only cattle entering shared pastures and combinations thereof. The results indicate that current strategies for BVDV control in Hokkaido slightly reduced the number of BVDV-infected animals; however, alternative strategies such as testing all calves and culling any positives or vaccinating all susceptible adult animals dramatically reduced those. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the comparison of the effectiveness between the current strategies in Hokkaido and the alternative strategies for BVDV control measures. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Association of Escherichia coli J5-specific serum antibody responses with clinical mastitis outcome for J5 vaccinate and control dairy cattle.

PubMed

Wilson, David J; Mallard, Bonnie A; Burton, Jeanne L; Schukken, Ynte H; Grohn, Yrjo T

2009-02-01

Dairy cattle in two commercial Holstein herds were randomly selected to be vaccinated twice with J5, at approximately 60 days and 28 days before the expected calving date, or to be untreated controls. Based on whether milk production changed following clinical mastitis or whether cows were culled or died within 30 days after onset, 51 mastitis cases were classified as severe or mild. J5-specific antibody responses were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of all 32 severe and 19 mild cases. The amounts of J5-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG1, and IgG2 antibodies in sera from the 27 J5 vaccinates were compared with those of the 24 controls. At drying off (before J5 vaccination), all cows had similar amounts of J5-specific antibody. Immediately after calving (approximately 28 days after the second vaccination), J5 vaccinates had significantly higher production of J5-specific IgG1 and IgG2 than controls. When cows were tested following clinical mastitis, none of the three antibody classes differed significantly between the controls and the vaccinates. Vaccinates that contracted Escherichia coli mastitis had 75% less milk loss than controls. The cows that contracted clinical mastitis later in lactation, the unvaccinated controls, and those infected with E. coli had more milk loss following mastitis. The hazards of being culled for all reasons and of being culled for mastitis were significantly lower for J5 vaccinates. Vaccination with J5 was associated with protection against milk production loss and culling following clinical mastitis, and it was also significantly associated with changes in J5-specific IgM, IgG1, and IgG2 antibodies in sera of vaccinated cows.

Postpartum body condition score and results from the first test day milk as predictors of disease, fertility, yield, and culling in commercial dairy herds.

PubMed

Heuer, C; Schukken, Y H; Dobbelaar, P

1999-02-01

The study used field data from a regular herd health service to investigate the relationships between body condition scores or first test day milk data and disease incidence, milk yield, fertility, and culling. Path model analysis with adjustment for time at risk was applied to delineate the time sequence of events. Milk fever occurred more often in fat cows, and endometritis occurred between calving and 20 d of lactation more often in thin cows. Fat cows were less likely to conceive at first service than were cows in normal condition. Fat body condition postpartum, higher first test day milk yield, and a fat to protein ratio of > 1.5 increased body condition loss. Fat or thin condition or condition loss was not related to other lactation diseases, fertility parameters, milk yield, or culling. First test day milk yield was 1.3 kg higher after milk fever and was 7.1 kg lower after displaced abomasum. Higher first test day milk yield directly increased the risk of ovarian cyst and lameness, increased 100-d milk yield, and reduced the risk of culling and indirectly decreased reproductive performance. Cows with a fat to protein ratio of > 1.5 had higher risks for ketosis, displaced abomasum, ovarian cyst, lameness, and mastitis. Those cows produced more milk but showed poor reproductive performance. Given this type of herd health data, we concluded that the first test day milk yield and the fat to protein ratio were more reliable indicators of disease, fertility, and milk yield than was body condition score or loss of body condition score.

Effects of conservation management of landscapes and vertebrate communities on Lyme borreliosis risk in the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Gilbert, Lucy; Medlock, Jolyon; Hansford, Kayleigh; Thompson, Des BA; Biek, Roman

2017-01-01

Landscape change and altered host abundance are major drivers of zoonotic pathogen emergence. Conservation and biodiversity management of landscapes and vertebrate communities can have secondary effects on vector-borne pathogen transmission that are important to assess. Here we review the potential implications of these activities on the risk of Lyme borreliosis in the United Kingdom. Conservation management activities include woodland expansion, management and restoration, deer management, urban greening and the release and culling of non-native species. Available evidence suggests that increasing woodland extent, implementing biodiversity policies that encourage ecotonal habitat and urban greening can increase the risk of Lyme borreliosis by increasing suitable habitat for hosts and the tick vectors. However, this can depend on whether deer population management is carried out as part of these conservation activities. Exclusion fencing or culling deer to low densities can decrease tick abundance and Lyme borreliosis risk. As management actions often constitute large-scale perturbation experiments, these hold great potential to understand underlying drivers of tick and pathogen dynamics. We recommend integrating monitoring of ticks and the risk of tick-borne pathogens with conservation management activities. This would help fill knowledge gaps and the production of best practice guidelines to reduce risks. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Conservation, biodiversity and infectious disease: scientific evidence and policy implications’. PMID:28438912

Effects of conservation management of landscapes and vertebrate communities on Lyme borreliosis risk in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Millins, Caroline; Gilbert, Lucy; Medlock, Jolyon; Hansford, Kayleigh; Thompson, Des Ba; Biek, Roman

2017-06-05

Landscape change and altered host abundance are major drivers of zoonotic pathogen emergence. Conservation and biodiversity management of landscapes and vertebrate communities can have secondary effects on vector-borne pathogen transmission that are important to assess. Here we review the potential implications of these activities on the risk of Lyme borreliosis in the United Kingdom. Conservation management activities include woodland expansion, management and restoration, deer management, urban greening and the release and culling of non-native species. Available evidence suggests that increasing woodland extent, implementing biodiversity policies that encourage ecotonal habitat and urban greening can increase the risk of Lyme borreliosis by increasing suitable habitat for hosts and the tick vectors. However, this can depend on whether deer population management is carried out as part of these conservation activities. Exclusion fencing or culling deer to low densities can decrease tick abundance and Lyme borreliosis risk. As management actions often constitute large-scale perturbation experiments, these hold great potential to understand underlying drivers of tick and pathogen dynamics. We recommend integrating monitoring of ticks and the risk of tick-borne pathogens with conservation management activities. This would help fill knowledge gaps and the production of best practice guidelines to reduce risks.This article is part of the themed issue 'Conservation, biodiversity and infectious disease: scientific evidence and policy implications'. © 2017 The Authors.

Reproductive performance in a select sample of dairy herds.

PubMed

Ferguson, James D; Skidmore, Andrew

2013-02-01

Sixteen herds were selected from a pool of 64 herds nominated by consultants for participation in a national survey to demonstrate excellence in reproductive performance. For inclusion in the survey, herds had to have comprehensive records in a farm computer database or participate in a Dairy Herd Improvement Association record system and have superior reproductive performance as judged by the herd advisor. Herd managers were asked to fill out a questionnaire to describe their reproductive management practices and provide herd records for data analysis. Reproductive analysis was based on individual cow records for active and cull dairy cows that calved during the calendar year 2010. Breeding records by cow were used to calculate indices for insemination rate (IR), conception rate (CR), pregnancy rate (PR), and culling. Herds ranged in size from 262 to 6,126 lactating and dry cows, with a mean of 1,654 [standard deviation (SD) 1,494] cows. Mean days to first insemination (DFS) was 71.2d (SD 4.7d), and IR for first insemination was 86.9%. Mean days between inseminations were 33.4d (SD 3.1d), and 15.4% of insemination intervals were greater than 48 d (range: 7.2 to 21.5%). First-service conception rate was 44.4% (SD 4.8%) across all herds and ranged from 37.5 to 51.8%. Mean PR was 32.0% (SD 3.9%) with a range of 26.5 to 39.4%. Lactation cull rate was 32.2% (SD 12.4%) with a range from 13.6 to 58.1%. Compared with mean data and SD for herds in the Raleigh Dairy Herd Improvement Association system, mean indices for these herds ranked them in the 99 th percentile for IR (using heat detection rate as comparison), 99 th percentile for PR, the bottom 18.6 percentile for DFS, and around the 50th percentile for CR. This suggests that excellent herd reproductive performance was associated with reproductive management that resulted in high insemination rates combined with average CR. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Astrobiology's Central Dilemma: How can we detect Life if we cannot even Define it?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, B. C.

2001-11-01

Culling and consolidating from a collection of 102 attributes asserted as properties of Life, and the numerous Definitions of Life which invoke them, a new definition is proposed. Analysis of the pathways to proving that any given entity, from micro-sample to planetary object, harbors one or more lifeforms provides strategies for the observations, experiments and detection approaches. These are necessarily varied because of the relative accessibility/inaccessibility of the samples themselves, for example, from Mars, Europa, the ancient Earth or extra-solar system planets. A two-tiered Definition of Life has been formulated, involving both Lifeform and Organism. Devising exploration strategies with a reasonable probability of success and acceptance should proceed along the steps needed for detection and verification of the minimal properties which define Life itself. Multiple approaches, such as high resolution remote spectroscopy for detection of biomarker gases, in situ demonstrations of energy utilization to performs functions such as anabolic or catabolic transformations, achievement of demonstrated reproduction through multi-condition incubations, and probes for macromolecular biochemicals which indicate information storage should be undertaken wherever possible, as should return of samples to terrestrial laboratories for more versatile, more sensitive and more definitive examinations. Use of control samples is paramount, as is detailed understanding of the chemistry and physics of the environment which constrains the activities and tracers being sought.

Efficacies of prevention and control measures applied during an outbreak in Southwest Madrid, Spain

PubMed Central

Martcheva, Maia; Tuncer, Necibe; Fontana, Isabella; Carrillo, Eugenia; Moreno, Javier; Keesling, James

2017-01-01

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease of worldwide distribution, currently present in 98 countries. Since late 2010, an unusual increase of human visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases has been observed in the south-western Madrid region, totaling more than 600 cases until 2015. Some hosts, such as human, domestic dog and cat, rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and hare (Lepus granatensis), were found infected by the parasite of this disease in the area. Hares were described as the most important reservoir due to their higher prevalence, capacity to infect the vector, and presence of the same strains as in humans. Various measures were adopted to prevent and control the disease, and since 2013 there was a slight decline in the human sickness. We used a mathematical model to evaluate the efficacy of each measure in reducing the number of infected hosts. We identified in the present model that culling both hares and rabbits, without immediate reposition of the animals, was the best measure adopted, decreasing the proportion of all infected hosts. Particularly, culling hares was more efficacious than culling rabbits to reduce the proportion of infected individuals of all hosts. Likewise, lowering vector contact with hares highly influenced the reduction of the proportion of infected hosts. The reduction of the vector density per host in the park decreased the leishmaniasis incidence of hosts in the park and the urban areas. On the other hand, the reduction of the vector density per host of the urban area (humans, dogs and cats) decreased only their affected population, albeit at a higher proportion. The use of insecticide-impregnated collar and vaccination in dogs affected only the infected dogs’ population. The parameters related to the vector contact with dog, cat or human do not present a high impact on the other hosts infected by Leishmania. In conclusion, the efficacy of each control strategy was determined, in order to direct future actions in this and in other similar outbreaks. The present mathematical model was able to reproduce the leishmaniasis dynamics in the Madrid outbreak, providing theoretical support based on successful experiences, such as the reduction of human cases in Southwest Madrid, Spain. PMID:29028841

Efficacies of prevention and control measures applied during an outbreak in Southwest Madrid, Spain.

PubMed

Sevá, Anaiá da Paixão; Martcheva, Maia; Tuncer, Necibe; Fontana, Isabella; Carrillo, Eugenia; Moreno, Javier; Keesling, James

2017-01-01

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease of worldwide distribution, currently present in 98 countries. Since late 2010, an unusual increase of human visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases has been observed in the south-western Madrid region, totaling more than 600 cases until 2015. Some hosts, such as human, domestic dog and cat, rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and hare (Lepus granatensis), were found infected by the parasite of this disease in the area. Hares were described as the most important reservoir due to their higher prevalence, capacity to infect the vector, and presence of the same strains as in humans. Various measures were adopted to prevent and control the disease, and since 2013 there was a slight decline in the human sickness. We used a mathematical model to evaluate the efficacy of each measure in reducing the number of infected hosts. We identified in the present model that culling both hares and rabbits, without immediate reposition of the animals, was the best measure adopted, decreasing the proportion of all infected hosts. Particularly, culling hares was more efficacious than culling rabbits to reduce the proportion of infected individuals of all hosts. Likewise, lowering vector contact with hares highly influenced the reduction of the proportion of infected hosts. The reduction of the vector density per host in the park decreased the leishmaniasis incidence of hosts in the park and the urban areas. On the other hand, the reduction of the vector density per host of the urban area (humans, dogs and cats) decreased only their affected population, albeit at a higher proportion. The use of insecticide-impregnated collar and vaccination in dogs affected only the infected dogs' population. The parameters related to the vector contact with dog, cat or human do not present a high impact on the other hosts infected by Leishmania. In conclusion, the efficacy of each control strategy was determined, in order to direct future actions in this and in other similar outbreaks. The present mathematical model was able to reproduce the leishmaniasis dynamics in the Madrid outbreak, providing theoretical support based on successful experiences, such as the reduction of human cases in Southwest Madrid, Spain.

Production of ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids From Cull Potato Using an Algae Culture Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, Zhanyou; Hu, Bo; Liu, Yan; Frear, Craig; Wen, Zhiyou; Chen, Shulin

Algal cultivation for converting cull potato to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was studied. Schizochytrium limacinum SR21 was selected as the better producing strain, compared with Thraustochytrium aureum because of higher cell density and DHA content. Used as both carbon and nitrogen source, an optimal ratio of hydrolyzed potato broth in the culture medium was determined as 50%, with which the highest production of 21.7 g/L dry algae biomass and 5.35 g/L DHA was obtained, with extra glucose supplemented. Repeat culture further improved the cell density but not fed batch culture, suggesting limited growth was most likely caused by metabolites inhibition.

Factors associated with age at slaughter and carcass weight, price, and value of dairy cull cows.

PubMed

Bazzoli, I; De Marchi, M; Cecchinato, A; Berry, D P; Bittante, G

2014-02-01

The sale of cull cows contributes to the overall profit of dairy herds. The objective of this study was to quantify the factors associated with slaughter age (mo), cow carcass weight (kg), price (€/kg of carcass weight), and value (€/head) of dairy cull cows. Data included 20,995 slaughter records in the period from 2003 to 2011 of 5 different breeds: 2 dairy [Holstein Friesian (HF) and Brown Swiss (BS)] and 3 dual-purpose [Simmental (Si), Alpine Grey (AG), and Rendena (Re)]. Associations of breed, age of cow (except when the dependent variable was slaughter age), and year and month of slaughter with slaughter age, carcass weight, price, and value were quantified using a mixed linear model; herd was included as a random effect. The seasonal trends in cow price and value traits were inversely related to the number of cows slaughtered, whereas annual variation in external factors affected market conditions. Relative to BS cows, HF cows were younger at slaughter (73.1 vs. 80.7 mo), yielded slightly lighter carcasses (242 vs. 246 kg), and received a slightly lower price (1.69 vs. 1.73 €/kg) and total value (394 vs. 417 €/head). Dual-purpose breeds were older and heavier and received a much greater price and total value at slaughter (521, 516, and 549 €/head, respectively for Si, Re, and AG) than either dairy breed. Of the dual-purpose cows, Si carcasses were heavier (271 kg), whereas the carcasses of local breeds received a higher price (2.05 and 2.18 €/kg for Re and AG, respectively) and Alpine Grey cows were the oldest at slaughter (93.3 mo). The price per kilogram of cull cow carcasses was greatest for very young cows (i.e., <3 yr of age) and the differential in price and value between younger and older cows was greater in dual-purpose than in dairy breeds. Large differences in cull cow whole carcass value (carcass weight × unit price) among dairy breeds suggest that such a trait could be considered in the breeding objectives of the breeds. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of Salmonella sp. in California cull dairy cattle: prevalence of fecal shedding and diagnostic accuracy of pooled enriched broth culture of fecal samples.

PubMed

Abu Aboud, Omran A; Adaska, John M; Williams, Deniece R; Rossitto, Paul V; Champagne, John D; Lehenbauer, Terry W; Atwill, Robert; Li, Xunde; Aly, Sharif S

2016-01-01

The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the crude, seasonal and cull-reason stratified prevalence of Salmonella fecal shedding in cull dairy cattle on seven California dairies. A secondary objective was to estimate and compare the relative sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for pools of 5 and 10 enriched broth cultures of fecal samples for Salmonella sp. detection. Seven dairy farms located in the San Joaquin Valley of California were identified and enrolled in the study as a convenience sample. Cull cows were identified for fecal sampling once during each season between 2014 and 2015, specifically during spring, summer, fall, and winter, and 10 cows were randomly selected for fecal sampling at the day of their sale. In addition, study personnel completed a survey based on responses of the herd manager to questions related to the previous four month's herd management. Fecal samples were frozen until testing for Salmonella. After overnight enrichment in liquid broth, pools of enrichment broth (EBP) were created for 5 and 10 samples. All individual and pooled broths were cultured on selective media with putative Salmonella colonies confirmed by biochemical testing before being serogrouped and serotyped. A total of 249 cull cows were enrolled into the study and their fecal samples tested for Salmonella. The survey-weighted period prevalence of fecal shedding of all Salmonella sp. in the cull cow samples across all study herds and the entire study period was 3.42% (N = 249; SE 1.07). The within herd prevalence of Salmonella shed in feces did not differ over the four study seasons (P = 0.074). The Se of culture of EBP of five samples was 62.5% (SE = 17.12), which was not statistically different from the Se of culture of EBP of 10 (37.5%, SE = 17.12, P = 0.48). The Sp of culture of EBP of five samples was 95.24% (SE = 3.29) and for pools of 10 samples was 100.00% (SE = 0). There was no statistical difference between the culture relative specificities of EBP of 5 and 10 (P > 0.99). Our study showed a numerically higher prevalence of Salmonella shedding in the summer, although the results were not significant, most likely due to a lack of power from the small sample size. A higher prevalence in summer months may be related to heat stress. To detect Salmonella, investigators may expect a 62.5% sensitivity for culture of EBP of five, relative to individual fecal sample enrichment and culture. In contrast, culture of EBP of 10 samples resulted in a numerically lower Se. Culture of EBP of size 5 or 10 samples, given similar prevalence and limit of detection, can be expected to yield specificities of 95 and 100%, respectively.

Epidemiology of Salmonella sp. in California cull dairy cattle: prevalence of fecal shedding and diagnostic accuracy of pooled enriched broth culture of fecal samples

PubMed Central

Abu Aboud, Omran A.; Adaska, John M.; Williams, Deniece R.; Rossitto, Paul V.; Champagne, John D.; Lehenbauer, Terry W.; Atwill, Robert; Li, Xunde

2016-01-01

Background The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the crude, seasonal and cull-reason stratified prevalence of Salmonella fecal shedding in cull dairy cattle on seven California dairies. A secondary objective was to estimate and compare the relative sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for pools of 5 and 10 enriched broth cultures of fecal samples for Salmonella sp. detection. Methods Seven dairy farms located in the San Joaquin Valley of California were identified and enrolled in the study as a convenience sample. Cull cows were identified for fecal sampling once during each season between 2014 and 2015, specifically during spring, summer, fall, and winter, and 10 cows were randomly selected for fecal sampling at the day of their sale. In addition, study personnel completed a survey based on responses of the herd manager to questions related to the previous four month’s herd management. Fecal samples were frozen until testing for Salmonella. After overnight enrichment in liquid broth, pools of enrichment broth (EBP) were created for 5 and 10 samples. All individual and pooled broths were cultured on selective media with putative Salmonella colonies confirmed by biochemical testing before being serogrouped and serotyped. Results A total of 249 cull cows were enrolled into the study and their fecal samples tested for Salmonella. The survey-weighted period prevalence of fecal shedding of all Salmonella sp. in the cull cow samples across all study herds and the entire study period was 3.42% (N = 249; SE 1.07). The within herd prevalence of Salmonella shed in feces did not differ over the four study seasons (P = 0.074). The Se of culture of EBP of five samples was 62.5% (SE = 17.12), which was not statistically different from the Se of culture of EBP of 10 (37.5%, SE = 17.12, P = 0.48). The Sp of culture of EBP of five samples was 95.24% (SE = 3.29) and for pools of 10 samples was 100.00% (SE = 0). There was no statistical difference between the culture relative specificities of EBP of 5 and 10 (P > 0.99). Discussion Our study showed a numerically higher prevalence of Salmonella shedding in the summer, although the results were not significant, most likely due to a lack of power from the small sample size. A higher prevalence in summer months may be related to heat stress. To detect Salmonella, investigators may expect a 62.5% sensitivity for culture of EBP of five, relative to individual fecal sample enrichment and culture. In contrast, culture of EBP of 10 samples resulted in a numerically lower Se. Culture of EBP of size 5 or 10 samples, given similar prevalence and limit of detection, can be expected to yield specificities of 95 and 100%, respectively. PMID:27635350

Optimal strategy for controlling the spread of Plasmodium Knowlesi malaria: Treatment and culling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullahi, Mohammed Baba; Hasan, Yahya Abu; Abdullah, Farah Aini

2015-05-01

Plasmodium Knowlesi malaria is a parasitic mosquito-borne disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of genus Plasmodium Knowlesi transmitted by mosquito, Anopheles leucosphyrus to human and macaques. We developed and analyzed a deterministic Mathematical model for the transmission of Plasmodium Knowlesi malaria in human and macaques. The optimal control theory is applied to investigate optimal strategies for controlling the spread of Plasmodium Knowlesi malaria using treatment and culling as control strategies. The conditions for optimal control of the Plasmodium Knowlesi malaria are derived using Pontryagin's Maximum Principle. Finally, numerical simulations suggested that the combination of the control strategies is the best way to control the disease in any community.

Prevalence of maedi-visna infection in culled ewes in Alberta

PubMed Central

Fournier, Dominique; Campbell, John R.

2006-01-01

Abstract Maedi-visna (MV) is a relatively common chronic infection of sheep in North America resulting in economic loss to the sheep industry. The objectives of this study were to: 1) measure the prevalence of MV infection in culled ewes in Alberta, by histologic examination (lungs and udder) and serologic testing using an agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test, 2) examine any geographic differences in its prevalence in the province, 3) evaluate the level of agreement between histopathologic examination and serologic testing, 4) grade the lesions and correlate the serologic results with the presence of severe histological lesions, and 5) correlate the presence of histological lesions in the lungs and udder in the same animal. Based on histologic findings, the prevalence of MV was 26.8%, compared with 13.0% using serologic testing. There were no significant geographical differences in prevalence, fair agreement (kappa = 42.0%) between histopathologic and serologic results, and poor agreement (kappa = 11.5%) between the presence of lung and udder histological lesions within the same animal. This study indicates that MV is relatively common in culled ewes in Alberta, with no significant geographic variation. The poor sensitivity of the AGID test, compared with histologic examination, should be taken into consideration when interpreting serologic results. PMID:16734372

Culling and the Common Good: Re-evaluating Harms and Benefits under the One Health Paradigm

PubMed Central

Degeling, Chris; Lederman, Zohar; Rock, Melanie

2016-01-01

One Health (OH) is a novel paradigm that recognizes that human and non-human animal health is interlinked through our shared environment. Increasingly prominent in public health responses to zoonoses, OH differs from traditional approaches to animal-borne infectious risks, because it also aims to promote the health of animals and ecological systems. Despite the widespread adoption of OH, culling remains a key component of institutional responses to the risks of zoonoses. Using the threats posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses to human and animal health, economic activity and food security as a case exemplar, we explore whether culling and other standard control measures for animal-borne infectious disease might be justified as part of OH approaches. Our central premise is that OH requires us to reformulate ‘health’ as universal good that is best shared across species boundaries such that human health and well-being are contingent upon identifying and meeting the relevant sets of human and non-human interests and shared dependencies. Our purpose is to further nascent discussions about the ethical dimensions of OH and begin to describe the principles around which a public health agenda that truly seeks to co-promote human and non-human health could potentially begin to be implemented. PMID:27790290

Culling and the Common Good: Re-evaluating Harms and Benefits under the One Health Paradigm.

PubMed

Degeling, Chris; Lederman, Zohar; Rock, Melanie

2016-11-01

One Health (OH) is a novel paradigm that recognizes that human and non-human animal health is interlinked through our shared environment. Increasingly prominent in public health responses to zoonoses, OH differs from traditional approaches to animal-borne infectious risks, because it also aims to promote the health of animals and ecological systems. Despite the widespread adoption of OH, culling remains a key component of institutional responses to the risks of zoonoses. Using the threats posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses to human and animal health, economic activity and food security as a case exemplar, we explore whether culling and other standard control measures for animal-borne infectious disease might be justified as part of OH approaches. Our central premise is that OH requires us to reformulate 'health' as universal good that is best shared across species boundaries such that human health and well-being are contingent upon identifying and meeting the relevant sets of human and non-human interests and shared dependencies. Our purpose is to further nascent discussions about the ethical dimensions of OH and begin to describe the principles around which a public health agenda that truly seeks to co-promote human and non-human health could potentially begin to be implemented.

Disease Control in Wildlife: Evaluating a Test and Cull Programme for Bovine Tuberculosis in African Buffalo.

PubMed

le Roex, N; Cooper, D; van Helden, P D; Hoal, E G; Jolles, A E

2016-12-01

Providing an evidence base for wildlife population management is difficult, due to limited opportunities for experimentation and study replication at the population level. We utilized an opportunity to assess the outcome of a test and cull programme aimed at limiting the spread of Mycobacterium bovis in African buffalo. Buffalo act as reservoirs of M. bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (BTB), which can have major economic, ecological and public health impacts through the risk of infection to other wildlife species, livestock and surrounding communities. BTB prevalence data were collected in conjunction with disease control operations in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa, from 1999 to 2006. A total of 4733 buffalo (250-950 per year) were tested for BTB using the single comparative intradermal tuberculin (SCIT) test, with BTB-positive animals culled, and negative animals released. BTB prevalence was spatially and temporally variable, ranging from 2.3% to 54.7%. Geographic area was a strong predictor of BTB transmission in HiP, owing to relatively stable herds and home ranges. Herds experiencing more intensive and frequent captures showed reduced per capita disease transmission risk and less increase in herd prevalence over time. Disease hot spots did not expand spatially over time, and BTB prevalence in all but the hot spot areas was maintained between 10% and 15% throughout the study period. Our data suggest that HiP's test and cull programme was effective at reducing BTB transmission in buffalo, with capture effort and interval found to be the crucial components of the programme. The programme was thus successful with respect to the original goals; however, there are additional factors that should be considered in future cost/benefit analyses and decision-making. These findings may be utilized and expanded in future collaborative work between wildlife managers, veterinarians and scientists, to optimize wildlife disease control programmes and mitigate conflict at the interface of conservation, agricultural and urban areas. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Can compensatory culling offset undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting?

PubMed

Mysterud, Atle; Bischof, Richard

2010-01-01

1. There is growing concern about the evolutionary consequences of human harvesting on phenotypic trait quality in wild populations. Undesirable consequences are especially likely with trophy hunting because of its strong bias for specific phenotypic trait values, such as large antlers in cervids and horns in bovids. Selective hunting can cause a decline in a trophy trait over time if it is heritable, thereby reducing the long-term sustainability of the activity itself. 2. How can we build a sustainable trophy hunting tradition without the negative trait-altering effects? We used an individual-based model to explore whether selective compensatory culling of 'low quality' individuals at an early life stage can facilitate sustainability, as suggested by information from managed game populations in eastern and central Europe. Our model was rooted in empirical data on red deer, where heritability of sexual ornaments has been confirmed and phenotypic quality can be assessed by antler size in individuals as young as 1 year. 3. Simulations showed that targeted culling of low-quality yearlings could counter the selective effects of trophy hunting on the distribution of the affected trait (e.g. antler or horn size) in prime-aged individuals. Assumptions of trait heritability and young-to-adult correlation were essential for compensation, but the model proved robust to various other assumptions and changes to input parameters. The simulation approach allowed us to verify responses as evolutionary changes in trait values rather than short-term consequences of altered age structure, density and viability selection. 4. We conclude that evolutionarily enlightened management may accommodate trophy hunting. This has far reaching implications as income from trophy hunting is often channelled into local conservation efforts and rural economies. As an essential follow-up, we recommend an analysis of the effects of trophy hunting in conjunction with compensatory culling on the phenotypic and underlying genetic variance of the trophy trait.

High and variable copper status identified among dairy herds in the Waikato region by concentrations of Cu in liver sourced from biopsies and cull cows.

PubMed

Grace, N D; Knowles, S O; Hittmann, A R

2010-06-01

To document the Cu supplementation practices on dairy farms in the Waikato region, determine the Cu status of those herds, and compare the suitability of liver samples sourced from biopsies and cull cows for assessing Cu status. During spring 2008, concentrations of Cu, Mo and S were determined from pasture samples from 24 dairy farms. Feeding regimens, herd size, milksolids production, soil type, fertiliser policy and Cu supplementation practices were recorded for each property. Based on these data, 10 monitor farms were selected to represent a range of Cu intakes for herds, from 5 to 12 mg Cu/kg dry matter (DM). On each monitor farm 12 healthy lactating cows were selected for liver biopsy and collection of blood samples during the following autumn. Around the same time, livers were collected from 12 cull cows per farm when they were slaughtered, and samples of pasture were again collected from each farm. Concentrations of Cu were measured in all tissue samples. Concentrations of Cu in pasture tended to be higher (mean 10.4 vs 8.2 mg/kg DM) in the autumn than spring, while concentrations of Mo were lower in the autumn (mean 0.35 vs 1.07 mg/kg DM). Most of the 24 farms used Cu supplementation in some form. Mean concentrations of Cu in liver for herds ranged from 640 (SD 544) to 2,560 (SD 474) micromol/kg fresh tissue in biopsies, and 520 (SD 235) to 2,610 (SD 945) micromol/kg in liver from cull cows. Mean concentrations of Cu in serum ranged from 7.9 to 13.4 micromol/L. The variability in concentrations of Cu for each farm was greater for liver (CV 50%) than serum (CV 21%). For individual cows, concentrations of Cu in liver, obtained by biopsy, and serum were not correlated. The concentration of Cu in liver of dairy cows reflected widely differing dietary intakes of Cu between herds, although levels indicated an adequate Cu status on all farms in this study. Use of either biopsy samples or livers from cull cows were indicative of the Cu status of the herd. Wide variation in observed concentrations of Cu in liver indicated that at least 12 cows per herd should be sampled. On farms with intensive, long-term Cu supplementation programmes there is a risk of chronic Cu toxicity in some animals. Thus, the Cu status of dairy herds should be determined, and monitored, before making any recommendations regarding supplementation.

Reduction of Coxiella burnetii prevalence by vaccination of goats and sheep, The Netherlands.

PubMed

Hogerwerf, Lenny; van den Brom, René; Roest, Hendrik I J; Bouma, Annemarie; Vellema, Piet; Pieterse, Maarten; Dercksen, Daan; Nielen, Mirjam

2011-03-01

Recently, the number of human Q fever cases in the Netherlands increased dramatically. In response to this increase, dairy goats and dairy sheep were vaccinated against Coxiella burnetii. All pregnant dairy goats and dairy sheep in herds positive for Q fever were culled. We identified the effect of vaccination on bacterial shedding by small ruminants. On the day of culling, samples of uterine fluid, vaginal mucus, and milk were obtained from 957 pregnant animals in 13 herds. Prevalence and bacterial load were reduced in vaccinated animals compared with unvaccinated animals. These effects were most pronounced in animals during their first pregnancy. Results indicate that vaccination may reduce bacterial load in the environment and human exposure to C. burnetii.

Computer-generated holograms by multiple wavefront recording plane method with occlusion culling.

PubMed

Symeonidou, Athanasia; Blinder, David; Munteanu, Adrian; Schelkens, Peter

2015-08-24

We propose a novel fast method for full parallax computer-generated holograms with occlusion processing, suitable for volumetric data such as point clouds. A novel light wave propagation strategy relying on the sequential use of the wavefront recording plane method is proposed, which employs look-up tables in order to reduce the computational complexity in the calculation of the fields. Also, a novel technique for occlusion culling with little additional computation cost is introduced. Additionally, the method adheres a Gaussian distribution to the individual points in order to improve visual quality. Performance tests show that for a full-parallax high-definition CGH a speedup factor of more than 2,500 compared to the ray-tracing method can be achieved without hardware acceleration.

Prediction of beef carcass and meat traits from rearing factors in young bulls and cull cows.

PubMed

Soulat, J; Picard, B; Léger, S; Monteils, V

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to predict the beef carcass and LM (thoracis part) characteristics and the sensory properties of the LM from rearing factors applied during the fattening period. Individual data from 995 animals (688 young bulls and 307 cull cows) in 15 experiments were used to establish prediction models. The data concerned rearing factors (13 variables), carcass characteristics (5 variables), LM characteristics (2 variables), and LM sensory properties (3 variables). In this study, 8 prediction models were established: dressing percentage and the proportions of fat tissue and muscle in the carcass to characterize the beef carcass; cross-sectional area of fibers (mean fiber area) and isocitrate dehydrogenase activity to characterize the LM; and, finally, overall tenderness, juiciness, and flavor intensity scores to characterize the LM sensory properties. A random effect was considered in each model: the breed for the prediction models for the carcass and LM characteristics and the trained taste panel for the prediction of the meat sensory properties. To evaluate the quality of prediction models, 3 criteria were measured: robustness, accuracy, and precision. The model was robust when the root mean square errors of prediction of calibration and validation sub-data sets were near to one another. Except for the mean fiber area model, the obtained predicted models were robust. The prediction models were considered to have a high accuracy when the mean prediction error (MPE) was ≤0.10 and to have a high precision when the was the closest to 1. The prediction of the characteristics of the carcass from the rearing factors had a high precision ( > 0.70) and a high prediction accuracy (MPE < 0.10), except for the fat percentage model ( = 0.67, MPE = 0.16). However, the predictions of the LM characteristics and LM sensory properties from the rearing factors were not sufficiently precise ( < 0.50) and accurate (MPE > 0.10). Only the flavor intensity of the beef score could be satisfactorily predicted from the rearing factors with high precision ( = 0.72) and accuracy (MPE = 0.10). All the prediction models displayed different effects of the rearing factors according to animal categories (young bulls or cull cows). In consequence, these prediction models display the necessary adaption of rearing factors during the fattening period according to animal categories to optimize the carcass traits according to animal categories.

A field study of culling and mortality in beef cows from western Canada.

PubMed

Waldner, Cheryl L; Kennedy, Richard I; Rosengren, Leigh; Clark, Edward G

2009-05-01

The objectives were to describe the pattern of losses through culling, sales of breeding stock, mortality, and disappearance, and to characterize the causes of mortality of cows and replacement heifers of breeding age from Western Canadian beef herds. Cows and replacement heifers from 203 herds were observed for a 1-year period starting June 1, 2001. Veterinarians examined dead animals on-farm using a standard postmortem protocol. The incidence of culling in cows and replacements heifers was 14.3 per 100 cow-years at risk, and the frequencies of sales for breeding stock, mortality, and cows reported missing per cow-years at risk were 4.0, 1.1, and 0.4, respectively. During the study, 355 animals died or were euthanized, 209 were examined postmortem, and the requested tissues were submitted for histopathologic examination from 184. A cause of death was determined for 70% (128/184) of the cows with complete gross postmortem and histopathologic examinations. Hardware disease (traumatic reticuloperitonitis), malignant neoplasia (cancer), calving-associated injury, rumen tympany (bloat), myopathy, and pneumonia accounted for 56% (72/128) of the animals where a cause of death was determined. Twenty-three other causes of death accounted for the remaining 44% (56/128). Factors relating to cow nutrition accounted for 25% of the deaths, emphasizing the importance of feeding management as a determinant of cow health in western Canada.

Livestock Disease Management for Trading Across Different Regulatory Regimes.

PubMed

Bate, Andrew M; Jones, Glyn; Kleczkowski, Adam; Naylor, Rebecca; Timmis, Jon; White, Piran C L; Touza, Julia

2018-02-12

The maintenance of livestock health depends on the combined actions of many different actors, both within and across different regulatory frameworks. Prior work recognised that private risk management choices have the ability to reduce the spread of infection to trading partners. We evaluate the efficiency of farmers' alternative biosecurity choices in terms of their own-benefits from unilateral strategies and quantify the impact they may have in filtering the disease externality of trade. We use bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in England and Scotland as a case study, since this provides an example of a situation where contrasting strategies for BVD management occur between selling and purchasing farms. We use an agent-based bioeconomic model to assess the payoff dependence of farmers connected by trade but using different BVD management strategies. We compare three disease management actions: test-cull, test-cull with vaccination and vaccination alone. For a two-farm trading situation, all actions carried out by the selling farm provide substantial benefits to the purchasing farm in terms of disease avoided, with the greatest benefit resulting from test-culling with vaccination on the selling farm. Likewise, unilateral disease strategies by purchasers can be effective in reducing disease risks created through trade. We conclude that regulation needs to balance the trade-off between private gains from those bearing the disease management costs and the positive spillover effects on others.

Farmer attitudes to vaccination and culling of badgers in controlling bovine tuberculosis.

PubMed

Warren, M; Lobley, M; Winter, M

2013-07-13

Controversy persists in England, Wales and Northern Ireland concerning methods of controlling the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) between badgers and cattle. The National Trust, a major land-owning heritage organisation, in 2011, began a programme of vaccinating badgers against bTB on its Killerton Estate in Devon. Most of the estate is farmed by 18 tenant farmers, who thus have a strong interest in the Trust's approach, particularly as all have felt the effects of the disease. This article reports on a study of the attitudes to vaccination of badgers and to the alternative of a culling programme, using face-to-face interviews with 14 of the tenants. The results indicated first that the views of the respondents were more nuanced than the contemporary public debate about badger control would suggest. Secondly, the attitude of the interviewees to vaccination of badgers against bTB was generally one of resigned acceptance. Thirdly, most respondents would prefer a combination of an effective vaccination programme with an effective culling programme, the latter reducing population of density sufficiently (and preferably targeting the badgers most likely to be diseased) for vaccination to have a reasonable chance of success. While based on a small sample, these results will contribute to the vigorous debate concerning contrasting policy approaches to bTB control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Estimate of the economic impact of mastitis: A case study in a Holstein dairy herd under tropical conditions.

PubMed

Guimarães, Juliana L B; Brito, Maria A V P; Lange, Carla C; Silva, Márcio R; Ribeiro, João B; Mendonça, Letícia C; Mendonça, Juliana F M; Souza, Guilherme N

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the economic impact of mastitis at the herd level and the weight (percent) of the components of this impact in a Holstein dairy herd under tropical conditions. Three estimates of the economic impact of mastitis were performed. In estimates 1 and 2 the real production and economic indices from February 2011 to January 2012 were considered. In the estimate 1, indices for mastitis classified as ideal were considered, whereas in the estimate 2, the mastitis indices used were those recorded at the farm and at Holstein Cattle Association of Minas Gerais State database (real indices). Ideal mastitis indices were bulk milk somatic cell counts less than 250,000 cells/mL, incidence of clinical mastitis less than 25 cases/100 cows/year, number of culls due to udder health problems less than 5% and the percentage of cows with somatic cell counts greater than 200,000 cells/mL less than 20%. Considering the ideal indices of mastitis, the economic impact was US$19,132.35. The three main components of the economic impact were culling cows (39.4%) and the reduction in milk production due to subclinical and clinical mastitis (32.3% and 18.2%, respectively). Estimate 2 using real mastitis indices showed an economic impact of US$61,623.13 and the reduction in milk production due to mastitis (77.7%) and milk disposal (14.0%) were the most relevant components. The real impact of culling cows was approximately 16 times less than the weight that was considered ideal, indicating that this procedure could have been more frequently adopted. The reduction in milk production was 27.2% higher than the reduction in Estimate 1, indicating a need to control and prevent mastitis. The estimate 3 considered the same indices as estimate 2, but for the period from February 2012 to January 2013. Its economic impact was US$91,552.69. During this period, 161 treatments of cows with an intramammary antibiotic were performed to eliminate Streptococcus agalactiae, and eight cows chronically infected with Staphylococcus aureus were culled. The reduction in milk production due to mastitis was the main component of the economic impact (54.9%). The culling of cows with chronic infection was associated with an increase in the economic impact of mastitis and a reduction in the average productivity per cow. At the herd level reduction in milk production was the component that presented the largest weight in the economic impact of the disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: the effect of oral exposure dose on attack rate and incubation period in cattle - an update.

PubMed

Konold, Timm; Arnold, Mark E; Austin, Anthony R; Cawthraw, Saira; Hawkins, Steve A C; Stack, Michael J; Simmons, Marion M; Sayers, A Robin; Dawson, Michael; Wilesmith, John W; Wells, Gerald A H

2012-12-05

To provide information on dose-response and aid in modelling the exposure dynamics of the BSE epidemic in the United Kingdom groups of cattle were exposed orally to a range of different doses of brainstem homogenate of known infectious titre from clinical cases of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Interim data from this study was published in 2007. This communication documents additional BSE cases, which occurred subsequently, examines possible influence of the bovine prion protein gene on disease incidence and revises estimates of effective oral exposure. Following interim published results, two further cattle, one dosed with 100 mg and culled at 127 months post exposure and the other dosed with 10 mg and culled at 110 months post exposure, developed BSE. Both had a similar pathological phenotype to previous cases. Based on attack rate and incubation period distribution according to dose, the dose estimate at which 50% of confirmed cases would be clinically affected was revised to 0.15 g of the brain homogenate used in the experiment, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.03-0.79 g. Neither the full open reading frame nor the promoter region of the prion protein gene of dosed cattle appeared to influence susceptibility to BSE, but this may be due to the sample size. Oral exposure of cattle to a large range of doses of a BSE brainstem homogenate produced disease in all dose groups. The pathological presentation resembled natural disease. The attack rate and incubation period were dependent on the dose.

40 CFR 98.460 - Definition of the source category.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... cull. (viii) Bricks, mortar, or cement. (ix) Furnace slag. (x) Materials used as refractory (e.g., alumina, silicon, fire clay, fire brick). (xi) Plastics (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene...

Study on some risk factors and effects of bovine ketosis on dairy cows from the Galicia region (Spain).

PubMed

Viña, C; Fouz, R; Camino, F; Sanjuán, M L; Yus, E; Diéguez, F J

2017-10-01

The study was designed to determine the relation between β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations in milk from dairy cows after calving and the length of the previous lactation, the dry period and the 305-day normalized production, and to assess the influence of BHB concentrations on culling and test-day milk productions and somatic cell counts (SCC) throughout the lactation that followed the BHB measurement. The data used in the study were obtained from 59 187 cows in the Galicia region (Spain). BHB determination was performed using Fourier-transformed infrared spectrometry from the milk samples collected from each cow on the first post-partum test day. For statistical analysis, the following methods were applied: (i) ordinal regression to assess the effect of the length of the previous lactation, the dry period and the 305-day normalized milk production on milk BHB, (ii) a Cox model to estimate the influence of the BHB concentration on risk of culling (overall and for a variety of reasons) and (iii) linear regression to assess the link between BHB and the milk yield and SCC obtained from each of the tests day performed throughout lactation. The probability of having higher BHB concentrations increased when the length of the previous lactation (p = 0.006), the dry period (p = 0.003) and the 305-day normalized milk yield (p = 0.005) increased. However, the slight increase observed (especially for the case of the dry period and the 305-day milk yield) would not justify that measures be implemented to reduce these traits. Higher concentrations of BHB led to an increased risk of culling due to 'death' (p ≤ 0.001) and 'urgent slaughter' (p ≤ 0.002) (both causes of involuntary culling). It also led to a reduction in milk production (p < 0.001) and an increase in SCC (p < 0.001) in the post-partum; from that moment onward (including peak lactation), there were no differences in those two parameters depending on the BHB levels. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Association between isolation of Staphylococcus aureus one week after calving and milk yield, somatic cell count, clinical mastitis, and culling through the remaining lactation.

PubMed

Whist, Anne Cathrine; Osterås, Olav; Sølverød, Liv

2009-02-01

Cows with isolation of Staphylococcus aureus approximately 1 week after calving and milk yield, somatic cell count (SCC), clinical mastitis (CM), and culling risk through the remaining lactation were assessed in 178 Norwegian dairy herds. Mixed models with repeated measures were used to compare milk yield and SCC, and survival analyses were used to estimate the hazard ratio for CM and culling. On average, cows with an isolate of Staph. aureus had a significantly higher SCC than culture-negative cows. If no post-milking teat disinfection (PMTD) was used, the mean values of SCC were 42,000, 61,000, 68,000 and 77,000 cells/ml for cows with no Staph. aureus isolate, with Staph. aureus isolated in 1 quarter, in 2 quarters and more than 2 quarters respectively. If iodine PMTD was used, SCC means were 36,000; 63,000; 70,000 and 122,000, respectively. Primiparous cows testing positive for Staph. aureus had the same milk yield curve as culture-negative cows, except for those with Staph. aureus isolated in more than 2 quarters. They produced 229 kg less during a 305-d lactation. Multiparous cows with isolation of Staph. aureus in at least 1 quarter produced 94-161 kg less milk in 2nd and >3rd parity, respectively, and those with isolation in more than 2 quarters produced 303-390 kg less than multiparous culture-negative animals during a 305-d lactation. Compared with culture-negative cows, the hazard ratio for CM and culling in cows with isolation of Staph. aureus in at least 1 quarter was 2.0 (1.6-2.4) and 1.7 (1.5-1.9), respectively. There was a decrease in the SCC and in the CM risk in culture-negative cows where iodine PMTD had been used, indicating that iodine PMTD has a preventive effect on already healthy cows. For cows testing positive for Staph. aureus in more than 2 quarters at calving, iodine PMTD had a negative effect on the CM risk and on the SCC through the remaining lactation.

75 FR 22162 - Receipt of Applications for Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-27

... agency decisions are: (1) Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and (2) Those that... to import the sport- hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a...

7 CFR 987.16 - Cull dates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., group 4, article 24, section 24, section 1434 of the Food and Agricultural Code of California for dates for use in products or by-products other than alcohol, brandy, and products not intended for human...

75 FR 63196 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-14

...) Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and (2) Those that include citations to, and... a permit to import a sport-hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled...

78 FR 62647 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

...) Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and (2) Those that include citations to, and... permit to import the sport- hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from...

76 FR 54480 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-01

... quantitative information or studies; and (2) Those that include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable... sport- hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a captive herd...

Partial budget of the discounted annual benefit of mastitis control strategies.

PubMed

Allore, H G; Erb, H N

1998-08-01

The objective of this study was to rank the benefits associated with various mastitis control strategies in simulated herds with intramammary infections caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus spp. other than Strep. agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and Escherichia coli. The control strategies tested were prevention, vaccination for E. coli, lactation therapy, and dry cow antibiotic therapy. Partial budgets were based on changes caused by mastitis control strategies from the mean values for milk, fat, and protein yields of the control herd and the number of cows that were culled under a fixed mastitis culling criterion. Each annual benefit (dollars per cow per year) of a mastitis control strategy was compared with the revenue for the control herd and was calculated under two different milk pricing plans (3.5% milk fat and multiple-component pricing), three net replacement costs, and three prevalences of pathogen-specific intramammary infection. Twenty replicates of each control strategy were run with SIMMAST (a dynamic discrete event stochastic simulation model) for 5 simulated yr. Rankings of discounted annual benefits differed only slightly according to milk pricing plans within a pathogen group but differed among the pathogen groups. Differences in net replacement costs for cows culled because of mastitis did not change the ranking of control strategies within a pathogen group. Both prevention and dry cow therapy were important mastitis control strategies. For herds primarily infected with environmental pathogens, strategies that included vaccination for mastitis caused by E. coli dominated strategies that did not include vaccination against this microorganism.

Linear model analysis of the influencing factors of boar longevity in Southern China.

PubMed

Wang, Chao; Li, Jia-Lian; Wei, Hong-Kui; Zhou, Yuan-Fei; Jiang, Si-Wen; Peng, Jian

2017-04-15

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the boar herd life month (BHLM) in Southern China. A total of 1630 records of culling boars from nine artificial insemination centers were collected from January 2013 to May 2016. A logistic regression model and two linear models were used to analyze the effects of breed, housing type, age at herd entry, and seed stock herd on boar removal reason and BHLM, respectively. Boar breed and the age at herd entry had significant effects on the removal reasons (P < 0.001). Results of the two linear models (with or without removal reason including) showed boars raised individually in stalls exhibited shorter BHLM than those raised in pens (P < 0.001). Boars aged 5 and 6 months at herd entry (44.6%) showed shorter BHLM than those aged 8 and 9 months at herd entry (P < 0.05). Approximately 95% boars were culled for different reasons other than old age, and the BHLM of these boars was at least 12.3 months longer than that of boars culled for other reasons (P < 0.001). In conclusion, abnormal elimination in boars is serious and it had a negative effect on boar BHLM. Boar removal reason and BHLM can be affected by breed, housing type, and seed stock herd. Importantly, 8 months is suggested as the most suitable age for boar introduction. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Factors affecting the incidence and outcome of Trueperella pyogenes mastitis in cows

PubMed Central

ISHIYAMA, Dai; MIZOMOTO, Tomoko; UEDA, Chise; TAKAGI, Nobuyuki; SHIMIZU, Noriko; MATSUURA, Yu; MAKUUCHI, Yuto; WATANABE, Aiko; SHINOZUKA, Yasunori; KAWAI, Kazuhiro

2017-01-01

The main factors affecting the outcome of Trueperella pyogenes (T. pyogenes) mastitis were examined through a survey of diagnostic data and interviews relating to the occurrence of T. pyogenes mastitis in 83 quarters from 82 Holstein cows between August 2012 and April 2014. Ultimately, one cow was sold during the examination, and 82 quarters from 81 cows were used for analysis on prognosis. T. pyogenes mastitis occurred year round in both lactating and dry cows. The incidence of T. pyogenes mastitis did not significantly differ by month or show seasonality in either lactating or dry cows. Therefore, the occurrence of T. pyogenes mastitis also differed from that of summer mastitis. The 1-month survival rate of infected cows was 64.6% (53/82), and the recovery rate of quarters with T. pyogenes mastitis was 14.6% (12/82). Bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with survival and culling of infected cows as objective variables and with recovery and non-recovery of quarters with T. pyogenes mastitis as objective variables. The severe cases were significantly culled (odds ratio, 16.30) compared to mild cases, and the status of quarters didn’t recover (odds ratio, 6.50). The results suggest that mild to moderate symptom severity at the time of onset are the main factors affecting outcomes in cows and recovery of quarters infected with T. pyogenes mastitis. Further, high level of NAGase activity also suggested the potential use as an indicator of culling of cows with T. pyogenes mastitis. PMID:28163273

40 CFR 98.460 - Definition of the source category.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... foundry sand). (vii) Clay, gypsum, or pottery cull. (viii) Bricks, mortar, or cement. (ix) Furnace slag. (x) Materials used as refractory (e.g., alumina, silicon, fire clay, fire brick). (xi) Plastics (e.g...

40 CFR 98.460 - Definition of the source category.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... foundry sand). (vii) Clay, gypsum, or pottery cull. (viii) Bricks, mortar, or cement. (ix) Furnace slag. (x) Materials used as refractory (e.g., alumina, silicon, fire clay, fire brick). (xi) Plastics (e.g...

40 CFR 98.460 - Definition of the source category.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... foundry sand). (vii) Clay, gypsum, or pottery cull. (viii) Bricks, mortar, or cement. (ix) Furnace slag. (x) Materials used as refractory (e.g., alumina, silicon, fire clay, fire brick). (xi) Plastics (e.g...

Clinical diagnosis of uterine didelphia in Ayrshire heifer

PubMed Central

Raggio, Ignacio; Lefebvre, Rejean C.; Poitras, Pierre; Vaillancourt, Denis; Champagne, Jean P.

2006-01-01

A 24-month-old Ayrshire heifer was referred because of infertility. A clinical diagnosis of uterus didelphys was established after a complete genital examination before the animal was culled from the herd. PMID:17017655

76 FR 7580 - Endangered Species; Marine Mammals; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-10

... sport- hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a captive herd... Mammals and Marine Mammals Applicant: U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK; PRT...

Decrease of the incidence of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis after dog vaccination with Leishmune in Brazilian endemic areas.

PubMed

Palatnik-de-Sousa, Clarisa B; Silva-Antunes, Ilce; Morgado, Adilson de Aguiar; Menz, Ingrid; Palatnik, Marcos; Lavor, Carlile

2009-06-02

Leishmune, the first prophylactic vaccine licensed against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), has been used in Brazil since 2004, where seropositive dogs are sacrificed in order to control human visceral leishmaniasis (VL). We demonstrate here that vaccination with Leishmune does not interfere with the serological control campaign (110,000 dogs). Only 1.3% of positivity (76 among 5860) was detected among Leishmune uninfected vaccinees. We also analyzed the possible additive effect of Leishmune vaccination over dog culling, on the decrease of the incidence of CVL and VL in two Brazilian endemic areas, from 2004 to 2006. In Araçatuba, a 25% of decline was seen in CVL with a 61% decline in human cases, indicating the additive effect of Leishmune vaccination of 5.7% of the healthy dogs (1419 dogs), on regular dog culling. In Belo Horizonte (BH), rising curves of canine and human incidence were observed in the districts of Barreiro, Venda Nova and Noroeste, while the canine and human incidence of Centro Sul, Leste, Nordeste, Norte, Pampulha and Oeste, started to decrease or maintained a stabilized plateau after Leishmune vaccination. Among the districts showing a percent decrease of human incidence (-36.5%), Centro Sul and Pampulha showed the highest dog vaccination percents (63.27% and 27.27%, respectively) and the lowest dog incidence (-3.36% and 1.89%, respectively). They were followed by Oeste, that vaccinated 25.30% of the animals and experienced an increase of only 12.86% of dog incidence and by Leste and Nordeste, with lower proportions of vaccinees (11.72% and 10.76%, respectively) and probably because of that, slightly higher canine incidences (42.77% and 35.73%). The only exception was found in Norte district where the reduced human and canine incidence were not correlated to Leishmune vaccination. Much lower proportions of dogs were vaccinated in Venda Nova (4.35%), Noroeste (10.27%) and Barreiro (0.09%) districts, which according to that exhibited very increased canine incidences (24.48%, 21.85% and 328.57%, respectively), and pronounced increases in human incidence (14%, 4% and 17%, respectively). The decrease of canine (p=-0.008) and human incidences (p=-0.048) is directly correlated to the increase of the number of vaccinated dogs, confirming the additive control effect of Leishmune vaccination over dog culling, reducing the parasite reservoir, protecting dogs and, in this way, reducing the risk of transmission of VL to humans and becoming a new effective control tool.

Shared decision making in mental health: the importance for current clinical practice.

PubMed

Alguera-Lara, Victoria; Dowsey, Michelle M; Ride, Jemimah; Kinder, Skye; Castle, David

2017-12-01

We reviewed the literature on shared decision making (regarding treatments in psychiatry), with a view to informing our understanding of the decision making process and the barriers that exist in clinical practice. Narrative review of published English-language articles. After culling, 18 relevant articles were included. Themes identified included models of psychiatric care, benefits for patients, and barriers. There is a paucity of published studies specifically related to antipsychotic medications. Shared decision making is a central part of the recovery paradigm and is of increasing importance in mental health service delivery. The field needs to better understand the basis on which decisions are reached regarding psychiatric treatments. Discrete choice experiments might be useful to inform the development of tools to assist shared decision making in psychiatry.

Nyala and Bushbuck II: A Harvesting Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fay, Temple H.; Greeff, Johanna C.

1999-01-01

Adds a cropping or harvesting term to the animal overpopulation model developed in Part I of this article. Investigates various harvesting strategies that might suggest a solution to the overpopulation problem without actually culling any animals. (ASK)

Effects of bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis on productivity in a dairy herd in Israel.

PubMed

Blum, S; Mazuz, M; Brenner, J; Friedgut, O; Koren, O; Goshen, T; Elad, D

2008-05-01

Bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis (BNVV) is characterized by the development of a necrotic vulvovaginal lesion, almost exclusively in post-parturient first-lactation cows, associated with Porphyromonas levii. The scope of this survey was to evaluate the impact of BNVV on herd productivity as a means to rationally evaluate the resources that should be allocated in dealing with the syndrome. During an outbreak of BNVV in a dairy herd, following the introduction of a large number of cows from another farm, the impact of the animals' origin (local or transferred) and BNVV (positive or negative) upon involuntary culling rate, milk yield and days between pregnancies were assessed. The results indicated that the number of days between pregnancies was significantly higher in first-lactation cows with BNVV but was not influenced by the other independent variables. None of the other variables included in this survey had any effect on the involuntary culling rate and milk yield.

Cost-benefit analysis model of badger (Meles meles) culling to reduce cattle herd tuberculosis breakdowns in Britain, with particular reference to badger perturbation.

PubMed

Wilkinson, D; Bennett, R; McFarlane, I; Rushton, S; Shirley, M; Smith, G C

2009-10-01

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is an important economic disease. Badgers (Meles meles) are the wildlife source implicated in many cattle outbreaks of TB in Britain, and extensive badger control is a controversial option to reduce the disease. A badger and cattle population model was developed, simulating TB epidemiology; badger ecology, including postcull social perturbation; and TB-related farm management. An economic cost-benefit module was integrated into the model to assess whether badger control offers economic benefits. Model results strongly indicate that although, if perturbation were restricted, extensive badger culling could reduce rates in cattle, overall an economic loss would be more likely than a benefit. Perturbation of the badger population was a key factor determining success or failure of control. The model highlighted some important knowledge gaps regarding both the spatial and temporal characteristics of perturbation that warrant further research.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1, Thailand, 2004

PubMed Central

Chaitaweesub, Prasit; Songserm, Thaweesak; Chaisingh, Arunee; Hoonsuwan, Wirongrong; Buranathai, Chantanee; Parakamawongsa, Tippawon; Premashthira, Sith; Amonsin, Alongkorn; Gilbert, Marius; Nielen, Mirjam; Stegeman, Arjan

2005-01-01

In January 2004, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus of the H5N1 subtype was first confirmed in poultry and humans in Thailand. Control measures, e.g., culling poultry flocks, restricting poultry movement, and improving hygiene, were implemented. Poultry populations in 1,417 villages in 60 of 76 provinces were affected in 2004. A total of 83% of infected flocks confirmed by laboratories were backyard chickens (56%) or ducks (27%). Outbreaks were concentrated in the Central, the southern part of the Northern, and Eastern Regions of Thailand, which are wetlands, water reservoirs, and dense poultry areas. More than 62 million birds were either killed by HPAI viruses or culled. H5N1 virus from poultry caused 17 human cases and 12 deaths in Thailand; a number of domestic cats, captive tigers, and leopards also died of the H5N1 virus. In 2005, the epidemic is ongoing in Thailand. PMID:16318716

Improving Cull Cow Meat Quality Using Vacuum Impregnation.

PubMed

Leal-Ramos, Martha Y; Alarcón-Rojo, Alma D; Gutiérrez-Méndez, Néstor; Mújica-Paz, Hugo; Rodríguez-Almeida, Felipe; Quintero-Ramos, Armando

2018-05-07

Boneless strip loins from mature cows (50 to 70 months of age) were vacuum impregnated (VI) with an isotonic solution (IS) of sodium chloride. This study sought to determine the vacuum impregnation and microstructural properties of meat from cull cows. The experiments were conducted by varying the pressure, p 1 (20.3, 71.1 kPa), and time, t 1 (0.5, 2.0, 4.0 h), of impregnation. After the VI step, the meat was kept for a time, t 2 (0.0, 0.5, 2.0, 4.0 h), in the IS under atmospheric pressure. The microstructural changes, impregnation, deformation, and porosity of the meat were measured in all the treatments. Impregnation and deformation levels in terms of volume fractions of the initial sample at the end of the vacuum step and the VI processes were calculated according to the mathematical model for deformation-relaxation and hydrodynamic mechanisms. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the microstructure of the vacuum-impregnated meat samples. Results showed that both the vacuum and atmospheric pressures generated a positive impregnation and deformation. The highest values of impregnation X (10.5%) and deformation γ (9.3%) were obtained at p 1 of 71.1 kPa and t 1 of 4.0 h. The sample effective porosity ( ε e ) exhibited a significant interaction ( p < 0.01) between p 1 × t 1 . The highest ε e (14.0%) was achieved at p 1 of 20.3 kPa and t 1 of 4.0 h, whereas the most extended distension of meat fibers (98 μm) was observed at the highest levels of p ₁, t ₁, and t ₂. These results indicate that meat from mature cows can undergo a vacuum-wetting process successfully, with an IS of sodium chloride to improve its quality.

Relationships between transport conditions and welfare outcomes during commercial long haul transport of cattle in North America.

PubMed

González, L A; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K S; Bryan, M; Silasi, R; Brown, F

2012-10-01

The objective of the present study was to document the relationships between selected welfare outcomes and transport conditions during commercial long haul transport of cattle (≥400 km; 6,152 journeys; 290,866 animals). Surveys were delivered to transport carriers to collect information related to welfare outcomes including the number of dead, non-ambulatory (downer) and lame animals during each journey. Transport conditions surveyed included the length of time animals spent on truck, ambient temperature, animal density, shrinkage, loading time, cattle origin, season, experience of truck drivers, and vehicle characteristics. Overall 0.012% of assessed animals became lame, 0.022% non-ambulatory and 0.011% died onboard. Calves and cull cattle were more likely to die and become non-ambulatory during the journey, feeders intermediate, and fat cattle appeared to be the most able to cope with the stress of transport (P ≤ 0.01). The likelihood of cattle becoming non-ambulatory, lame, or dead increased sharply after animals spent over 30 h on truck (P < 0.001). The likelihood of animal death increased sharply when the midpoint ambient temperature fell below -15°C (P = 0.01) while the likelihood of becoming non-ambulatory increased when temperatures rose above 30°C (P = 0.03). Animals that lost 10% of their BW during transport had a greater (P < 0.001) likelihood of dying and becoming non-ambulatory or lame. Animals were more likely to die at smaller space allowances (P < 0.05), particularly at allometric coefficients below 0.015 (P = 0.10), which occurred more frequently in the belly and deck compartments of the trailers, and also at high space allowances in the deck (allometric coefficients > 0.035). The proportion of total compromised animals decreased with more years of truck driving experience (P < 0.001). Mortality was greater in cattle loaded at auction markets compared with feed yards and ranches (P < 0.01). Cull cattle, calves and feeders appear to be more affected by transport based on the likelihood of becoming non-ambulatory and dying within a journey. Most important welfare concerns during long distance transport include the total journey duration, too low or high space allowances, too high or too low ambient temperature, and the experience of the truck drivers.

Genetic and economic analyses of female replacement rates in the dam-daughter pathway of a hierarchical swine breeding structure.

PubMed

Faust, M A; Robison, O W; Tess, M W

1992-07-01

A stochastic life-cycle swine production model was used to study the effect of female replacement rates in the dam-daughter pathway for a tiered breeding structure on genetic change and returns to the breeder. Genetic, environmental, and economic parameters were used to simulate characteristics of individual pigs in a system producing F1 female replacements. Evaluated were maximum culling ages for nucleus and multiplier tier sows. System combinations included one- and five-parity alternatives for both levels and 10-parity options for the multiplier tier. Yearly changes and average phenotypic levels were computed for performance and economic measures. Generally, at the nucleus level, responses to 10 yr of selection for sow and pig performance in five-parity herds were 70 to 85% of response in one-parity herds. Similarly, the highest selection responses in multiplier herds were from systems with one-parity nucleus tiers. Responses in these were typically greater than 115% of the response for systems with the smallest yearly change, namely, the five-parity nucleus and five- and 10-parity multiplier levels. In contrast, the most profitable multiplier tiers (10-parity) had the lowest replacement costs. Within a multiplier culling strategy, rapid genetic change was desirable. Differences between systems that culled after five or 10 parities were smaller than differences between five- and one-parity multiplier options. To recover production costs, systems with the lowest returns required 140% of market hog value for gilts available to commercial tiers, whereas more economically efficient systems required no premium.

Associations between bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) seropositivity and performance indicators in beef suckler and dairy herds.

PubMed

Gates, M C; Humphry, R W; Gunn, G J

2013-12-01

Data from 255 Scottish beef suckler herds and 189 Scottish dairy herds surveyed as part of national bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) prevalence studies from October 2006 to May 2008 were examined retrospectively to determine the relationship between serological status and key performance indicators derived from national cattle movement records. On average, calf mortality rates were 1.35 percentage points higher in seropositive beef herds and 3.05 percentage points higher in seropositive dairy herds than in negative control herds. Seropositive beef herds were also more likely to show increases in calf mortality rates and culling rates between successive years. There were no discernible effects of BVDV on the average age at first calving or calving interval for either herd type. Accompanying questionnaire data revealed that only 27% of beef farmers and 25% of dairy farmers with seropositive herds thought their cattle were affected by BVDV, which suggests that the clinical effects of exposure may be inapparent under field conditions or masked by other causes of reproductive failure and culling. Beef farmers were significantly more likely to perceive a problem when their herd experienced acute changes in calf mortality rates, culling rates, and calving intervals between successive years. However, only 35% of these perceived positive herds were actually seropositive for BVDV. These findings emphasize both the importance of routinely screening herds to determine their true infection status and the potential for using national cattle movement records to identify herds that may be experiencing outbreaks from BVDV or other infectious diseases that impact herd performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the Farm Management of Culling Cattle: A Survey of Existing Practices and Suggestions for Drafting of Best Practices

PubMed Central

Frattasi, Alessandro Russo; Cesano, Lorenzo; Botta, Michelangelo

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate different aspects regarding culled cattle and to suggest operating procedures for their correct management. Information collected in Piedmont region allowed for an assessment of the number of cattle put down on the farm, a quantification of slaughters performed in urgency and emergency (SUS/SES) and a headcount of those which died during farming. The survey highlighted the limited use of euthanasia or putting down compared to the number of cases of SUS/SES which were approximately ten times higher. If cattle displays severe health problems, such as a multifactorial disease like downer cow, the farmer has to decide rapidly the treatment to avoid cattle distress. A checklist has been developed and a flow chart has been revised to assist farmers and vets to quicken the decision-taking process and to manage the cattle in a more efficient manner. During this study a number of different problems have been stressed out. Particularly, the shortcomings in the training of operators commissioned to manage the animals, the inadequacy of structures used for the sheltering and slaughter of bovines on the farm, and differences in the operating procedures for culled cattle across the territory. From the obtained results, we can conclude that it is necessary to adopt a transversal approach, so that the information regarding these animals (welfare, health status, drug treatments and destination) will be uniform and adequate during all the steps of production, to ensure animal welfare and food safety. PMID:27800327

Post-traumatic stress disorder in participants of foot-and-mouth disease epidemic control in Miyazaki, Japan, in 2010.

PubMed

Hibi, Juri; Kurosawa, Aiko; Watanabe, Takuto; Kadowaki, Hazumu; Watari, Michiko; Makita, Kohei

2015-08-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) occurred in Miyazaki, Japan, in 2010, and 290,000 animals were culled. This paper describes the mental distress of the volunteers who had been dispatched to Miyazaki for disease control two years after the epidemic. It also assesses risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A participatory appraisal and self-administered questionnaire survey were conducted in 2012 for those who were dispatched to Miyazaki in 2010. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used as an indicator of PTSD, and univariate and multivariable analyses were performed. Of the 875 respondents, 1.3% had higher IES-R scores than the cut-off point (25), which is suggestive of PTSD. Mental stresses during and soon after FMD control and after two years were described. Four risk factors associated with high IES-R scores were found: transporting culled animals (P<0.01), stress during FMD control (P<0.01) and at the time of the survey (P<0.01), and lack of someone to talk to about FMD-associated stress at the time of the survey (P<0.01). Veterinarians, livestock technicians and clerical officers involved in FMD control still suffer from mental stress two years later. Public services should provide an opportunity for them to consult with mental health specialists. These findings should be used to better prepare workers who deal with infectious diseases of animals, especially when they must be culled. The establishment of a collaborative framework between veterinary and mental health services is recommended.

Economic consequences of paratuberculosis control in dairy cattle: A stochastic modeling study.

PubMed

Smith, R L; Al-Mamun, M A; Gröhn, Y T

2017-03-01

The cost of paratuberculosis to dairy herds, through decreased milk production, early culling, and poor reproductive performance, has been well-studied. The benefit of control programs, however, has been debated. A recent stochastic compartmental model for paratuberculosis transmission in US dairy herds was modified to predict herd net present value (NPV) over 25 years in herds of 100 and 1000 dairy cattle with endemic paratuberculosis at initial prevalence of 10% and 20%. Control programs were designed by combining 5 tests (none, fecal culture, ELISA, PCR, or calf testing), 3 test-related culling strategies (all test-positive, high-positive, or repeated positive), 2 test frequencies (annual and biannual), 3 hygiene levels (standard, moderate, or improved), and 2 cessation decisions (testing ceased after 5 negative whole-herd tests or testing continued). Stochastic dominance was determined for each herd scenario; no control program was fully dominant for maximizing herd NPV in any scenario. Use of the ELISA test was generally preferred in all scenarios, but no paratuberculosis control was highly preferred for the small herd with 10% initial prevalence and was frequently preferred in other herd scenarios. Based on their effect on paratuberculosis alone, hygiene improvements were not found to be as cost-effective as test-and-cull strategies in most circumstances. Global sensitivity analysis found that economic parameters, such as the price of milk, had more influence on NPV than control program-related parameters. We conclude that paratuberculosis control can be cost effective, and multiple control programs can be applied for equivalent economic results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Survey of U.S. zoo and aquarium animal care staff attitudes regarding humane euthanasia for population management.

PubMed

Powell, David M; Ardaiolo, Matthew

2016-05-01

The humane euthanasia of animals for population management, or culling, has been suggested as one possible tool for managing animal populations for sustainability, and recent, highly publicized euthanasia of zoo animals in Copenhagen has stimulated global conversation about population management in zoos. We conducted a nationwide survey of U.S. zoo and aquarium personnel, including keepers, managers, and leaders of AZA animal programs, to assess their overall attitudes regarding population management euthanasia. The surveyed populations were generally very aware of the concept of population management euthanasia. Managers and animal program leaders were more supportive of euthanasia than keepers. We found that regardless of role, men were more supportive of euthanasia than women. Those personnel who were aware of instances of population management euthanasia at their institutions before were more supportive of it than those who were not. Support for culling varied with the kind of animal being considered for it, with three general taxon acceptability groupings emerging. Education, tenure in the profession, taxonomic expertise, and whether or not the responder took the survey before or after the Copenhagen events were not strong predictors of attitudes. Overall, the surveyed populations were approximately evenly split in terms of being in favor of euthanasia, not supporting euthanasia, or being unsure. Most responders indicated that they would be more likely to accept culling if more information was provided on its rationale. These results will form the basis for further discussions on the role of humane euthanasia for population management. Zoo Biol. 35:187-200, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social chromosome variants differentially affect queen determination and the survival of workers in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta.

PubMed

Buechel, Séverine D; Wurm, Yanick; Keller, Laurent

2014-10-01

Intraspecific variation in social organization is common, yet the underlying causes are rarely known. An exception is the fire ant Solenopsis invicta in which the existence of two distinct forms of social colony organization is under the control of the two variants of a pair of social chromosomes, SB and Sb. Colonies containing exclusively SB/SB workers accept only one single queen and she must be SB/SB. By contrast, when colonies contain more than 10% of SB/Sb workers, they accept several queens but only SB/Sb queens. The variants of the social chromosome are associated with several additional important phenotypic differences, including the size, fecundity and dispersal strategies of queens, aggressiveness of workers, and sperm count in males. However, little is known about whether social chromosome variants affect fitness in other life stages. Here, we perform experiments to determine whether differential selection occurs during development and in adult workers. We find evidence that the Sb variant of the social chromosome increases the likelihood of female brood to develop into queens and that adult SB/Sb workers, the workers that cull SB/SB queens, are overrepresented in comparison to SB/SB workers. This demonstrates that supergenes such as the social chromosome can have complex effects on phenotypes at various stages of development. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adaptive Management and the Value of Information: Learning Via Intervention in Epidemiology

PubMed Central

Shea, Katriona; Tildesley, Michael J.; Runge, Michael C.; Fonnesbeck, Christopher J.; Ferrari, Matthew J.

2014-01-01

Optimal intervention for disease outbreaks is often impeded by severe scientific uncertainty. Adaptive management (AM), long-used in natural resource management, is a structured decision-making approach to solving dynamic problems that accounts for the value of resolving uncertainty via real-time evaluation of alternative models. We propose an AM approach to design and evaluate intervention strategies in epidemiology, using real-time surveillance to resolve model uncertainty as management proceeds, with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) culling and measles vaccination as case studies. We use simulations of alternative intervention strategies under competing models to quantify the effect of model uncertainty on decision making, in terms of the value of information, and quantify the benefit of adaptive versus static intervention strategies. Culling decisions during the 2001 UK FMD outbreak were contentious due to uncertainty about the spatial scale of transmission. The expected benefit of resolving this uncertainty prior to a new outbreak on a UK-like landscape would be £45–£60 million relative to the strategy that minimizes livestock losses averaged over alternate transmission models. AM during the outbreak would be expected to recover up to £20.1 million of this expected benefit. AM would also recommend a more conservative initial approach (culling of infected premises and dangerous contact farms) than would a fixed strategy (which would additionally require culling of contiguous premises). For optimal targeting of measles vaccination, based on an outbreak in Malawi in 2010, AM allows better distribution of resources across the affected region; its utility depends on uncertainty about both the at-risk population and logistical capacity. When daily vaccination rates are highly constrained, the optimal initial strategy is to conduct a small, quick campaign; a reduction in expected burden of approximately 10,000 cases could result if campaign targets can be updated on the basis of the true susceptible population. Formal incorporation of a policy to update future management actions in response to information gained in the course of an outbreak can change the optimal initial response and result in significant cost savings. AM provides a framework for using multiple models to facilitate public-health decision making and an objective basis for updating management actions in response to improved scientific understanding. PMID:25333371

Adaptive management and the value of information: learning via intervention in epidemiology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shea, Katriona; Tildesley, Michael J.; Runge, Michael C.; Fonnesbeck, Christopher J.; Ferrari, Matthew J.

2014-01-01

Optimal intervention for disease outbreaks is often impeded by severe scientific uncertainty. Adaptive management (AM), long-used in natural resource management, is a structured decision-making approach to solving dynamic problems that accounts for the value of resolving uncertainty via real-time evaluation of alternative models. We propose an AM approach to design and evaluate intervention strategies in epidemiology, using real-time surveillance to resolve model uncertainty as management proceeds, with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) culling and measles vaccination as case studies. We use simulations of alternative intervention strategies under competing models to quantify the effect of model uncertainty on decision making, in terms of the value of information, and quantify the benefit of adaptive versus static intervention strategies. Culling decisions during the 2001 UK FMD outbreak were contentious due to uncertainty about the spatial scale of transmission. The expected benefit of resolving this uncertainty prior to a new outbreak on a UK-like landscape would be £45–£60 million relative to the strategy that minimizes livestock losses averaged over alternate transmission models. AM during the outbreak would be expected to recover up to £20.1 million of this expected benefit. AM would also recommend a more conservative initial approach (culling of infected premises and dangerous contact farms) than would a fixed strategy (which would additionally require culling of contiguous premises). For optimal targeting of measles vaccination, based on an outbreak in Malawi in 2010, AM allows better distribution of resources across the affected region; its utility depends on uncertainty about both the at-risk population and logistical capacity. When daily vaccination rates are highly constrained, the optimal initial strategy is to conduct a small, quick campaign; a reduction in expected burden of approximately 10,000 cases could result if campaign targets can be updated on the basis of the true susceptible population. Formal incorporation of a policy to update future management actions in response to information gained in the course of an outbreak can change the optimal initial response and result in significant cost savings. AM provides a framework for using multiple models to facilitate public-health decision making and an objective basis for updating management actions in response to improved scientific understanding.

Evaluation of testing strategies to identify infected animals at a single round of testing within dairy herds known to be infected with Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis.

PubMed

More, S J; Cameron, A R; Strain, S; Cashman, W; Ezanno, P; Kenny, K; Fourichon, C; Graham, D

2015-08-01

As part of a broader control strategy within herds known to be infected with Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP), individual animal testing is generally conducted to identify infected animals for action, usually culling. Opportunities are now available to quantitatively compare different testing strategies (combinations of tests) in known infected herds. This study evaluates the effectiveness, cost, and cost-effectiveness of different testing strategies to identify infected animals at a single round of testing within dairy herds known to be MAP infected. A model was developed, taking account of both within-herd infection dynamics and test performance, to simulate the use of different tests at a single round of testing in a known infected herd. Model inputs included the number of animals at different stages of infection, the sensitivity and specificity of each test, and the costs of testing and culling. Testing strategies included either milk or serum ELISA alone or with fecal culture in series. Model outputs included effectiveness (detection fraction, the proportion of truly infected animals in the herd that are successfully detected by the testing strategy), cost, and cost-effectiveness (testing cost per true positive detected, total cost per true positive detected). Several assumptions were made: MAP was introduced with a single animal and no management interventions were implemented to limit within-herd transmission of MAP before this test. In medium herds, between 7 and 26% of infected animals are detected at a single round of testing, the former using the milk ELISA and fecal culture in series 5 yr after MAP introduction and the latter using fecal culture alone 15 yr after MAP introduction. The combined costs of testing and culling at a single round of testing increases with time since introduction of MAP infection, with culling costs being much greater than testing costs. The cost-effectiveness of testing varied by testing strategy. It was also greater at 5 yr, compared with 10 or 15 yr, since MAP introduction, highlighting the importance of early detection. Future work is needed to evaluate these testing strategies in subsequent rounds of testing as well as accounting for different herd dynamics and different levels of herd biocontainment. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting body weight loss during commercial long haul transport of cattle in North America.

PubMed

González, L A; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K S; Bryan, M; Silasi, R; Brown, F

2012-10-01

The objective of the present study was to identify and quantify several factors affecting shrink in cattle during commercial long-haul transport (≥400 km; n = 6,152 journeys). Surveys were designed and delivered to transport carriers to collect relevant information regarding the characteristics of animals, time of loading, origin and destination, and loaded weight before and after transport. In contrast to fat cattle, feeder cattle exhibited greater shrink (4.9 vs. 7.9 ± 0.2% of BW, respectively; P < 0.01), and experienced longer total transport durations (12.4 vs. 14.9 ± 0.99, respectively; P < 0.01) due to border crossing protocols which require mandatory animal inspection. Shrink was greater (P < 0.001) for feeder cattle loaded at ranches/farms and feed yards compared with those loaded at auction markets. Cattle loaded during the afternoon and evening shrank more than those loaded during the night and morning (P < 0.05). Shrinkage was less in cattle transported by truck drivers having 6 or more years of experience hauling livestock compared with those with 5 yr or less (P < 0.05). Shrink increased with both midpoint ambient temperature (% of BW/°C; P < 0.001) and time on truck (% of BW/h; P < 0.001). Temperature and time on truck had a multiplicative effect on each other because shrink increased most rapidly in cattle transported for both longer durations and at higher ambient temperatures (P < 0.001). The rate of shrink over time (% of BW/h) was greatest in cull cattle, intermediate in calves and feeder cattle, and slowest in fat cattle (P < 0.05) but such differences disappeared when the effects of place of origin, loading time, and experience of truck drivers were included in the model. Cull cattle, calves and feeder cattle appear to be more affected by transport compared with fat cattle going to slaughter because of greater shrink. Several factors should be considered when developing guidelines to reduce cattle transport stress and shrink including type of cattle, ambient temperature, transport duration, driving quality, and time and origin of loading.

Calving traits, milk production, body condition, fertility, and survival of Holstein-Friesian and Norwegian Red dairy cattle on commercial dairy farms over 5 lactations.

PubMed

Ferris, C P; Patterson, D C; Gordon, F J; Watson, S; Kilpatrick, D J

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare calving traits, BCS, milk production, fertility, and survival of Holstein-Friesian (HF) and Norwegian Red (NR) dairy cattle in moderate-concentrate input systems. The experiment was conducted on 19 commercial Northern Ireland dairy farms, and involved 221 HF cows and 221 NR cows. Cows completed 5 lactations during the experiment, unless they died or were culled or sold. Norwegian Red cows had a lower calving difficulty score than HF cows when calving for the first and second time, but not for the third and fourth time. At first calving, the incidence of stillbirths for NR cows was 4%, compared with 13% for HF cows, whereas no difference existed between breeds in the proportion of calves born alive when calving for the second time. When calving for the first time, NR cows had a poorer milking temperament than HF cows, whereas milking temperament was unaffected by breed following the second calving. Holstein-Friesian cows had a higher full-lactation milk yield than NR cows, whereas NR cows produced milk with a higher milk fat and protein content. Full-lactation fat + protein yield was unaffected by genotype. Norwegian Red cows had a lower somatic cell score than HF cows during all lactations. Although NR cattle had a higher BCS than the HF cows during lactations 1 and 2, no evidence existed that the 2 genotypes either lost or gained body condition at different rates. Conception rates to first artificial insemination were higher with the NR cows during lactations 1 to 4 (57.8 vs. 40.9%, respectively), with 28.5% of HF cows and 11.8% of NR cows culled as infertile before lactation 6. A greater percentage of NR cows calved for a sixth time compared with HF cows (27.2 vs. 16.3%, respectively). In general, NR cows outperformed HF cows in traits that have been historically included in the NR breeding program. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Growth, cull, and, mortality as factors in managing timber in the Anthracite Region

Treesearch

Miles J. Ferree

1948-01-01

Timberland owners in the Anthracite Region of Pennsylvania frequently ask: What tree species grow best in the region? How large should they be grown? How should we treat them to get the most out of them?

Boar genotype as a factor shaping age-related changes in semen parameters and reproduction longevity simulations.

PubMed

Knecht, Damian; Jankowska-Mąkosa, Anna; Duziński, Kamil

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was a detailed analysis of the boar genotypes used in AI stations with an indication of their production capacity, including age and a precise analysis of their culling time and reason. The study included 334 boars: 81 Polish Large White (PLW), 108 Polish Landrace (PL), 49 Pietrain (P), 56 Duroc × Pietrain (D × P) and 40 Hampshire × Pietrain (H × P). Semen volume, spermatozoa concentration, total number of spermatozoa, number of motile spermatozoa, and number of insemination doses were analyzed. Quadratic regression was used to illustrate the selected sperm parameters at specific ages. Among all the studied boars the lowest motilities of spermatozoa were identified in white breeds PLW and PL, and the difference between motility extremes was 3.53% (P ≤ 0.01). The highest number of insemination doses were produced from D × P crossbreed boars: about 0.7 portions more compared to PL, 1.13 to PLW, 1.18 to H × P and 1.8 to P (all differences P ≤ 0.01). It has been shown in the case of ejaculate volume that for PLW and H × P boars the culling moment was far too early in terms of production capacity and differences were, respectively, 16.35 ml for PLW and 12.61 ml for H × P. Based on the developed regression equations, the earliest maximum number of motile sperm (73.82 × 10 9 ) was obtained by H × P crossbreed boars as early as at age 24 months. The highest values for this parameter were achieved, however, by other D × P crossbreed boars: 74.30 × 10 9  at the later age of 32 months. A consequence of the high number of motile sperm in young H × P boars was that the theoretical maximum value of the number of AI doses was produced as early as the 14th month (25.59 portions). Curves of similar shape were obtained for PL and D × P boars; the difference in maximal values was 0.54 portions in favor of crossbreeds, at a later age of 7 months. It was noted that for PLW and D × P boars the highest number of cullings were due to reduced demand (24.47% and even 31.19%, respectively). Other boars - PL, P and H × P - were most frequently culled because of low semen values. Regardless of the genotype, high survival probabilities (over 0.96) were noted for the age of 12 months. The highest probabilities (still over 0.96) were noted in the longest time period (up to 18 months) for P boars. The results of our study can be used in AI stations as reference points for the exploitation and culling of boars with different genotypes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regeneration methods

Treesearch

James P. Barnett; James B. Baker

1991-01-01

Southern pines can be regenerated naturally, by clearcutting, seedtree, shelterwood, or selection reproduction culling methods, or artificially, by direct seeding or by planting either container or bareroot seedlings. All regeneration methods have inherent advantages: and disadvantages; thus, land managers must consider many factors before deciding on a specific method...

Use ammate in notches for deadening trees only during the growing season

Treesearch

W. E. McQuilkin

1955-01-01

One of the commonly recommended methods for deadening weed and cull trees for timber-stand improvement is by use of ammate crystals in ax notches or cups spaced about 6 inches apart around the base of the tree.

7 CFR 948.20 - Marketing policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Marketing policy. 948.20 Section 948.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Order Regulating Handling Regulation § 948.20 Marketing policy. (a) General cull regulation. (1) It...

7 CFR 948.20 - Marketing policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Marketing policy. 948.20 Section 948.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Order Regulating Handling Regulation § 948.20 Marketing policy. (a) General cull regulation. (1) It...

7 CFR 948.20 - Marketing policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Marketing policy. 948.20 Section 948.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Order Regulating Handling Regulation § 948.20 Marketing policy. (a) General cull regulation. (1) It...

7 CFR 948.20 - Marketing policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Marketing policy. 948.20 Section 948.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS... Order Regulating Handling Regulation § 948.20 Marketing policy. (a) General cull regulation. (1) It...

7 CFR 948.20 - Marketing policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Marketing policy. 948.20 Section 948.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS... Order Regulating Handling Regulation § 948.20 Marketing policy. (a) General cull regulation. (1) It...

Economic impacts of avian influenza outbreaks in Kerala, India.

PubMed

Govindaraj, G; Sridevi, R; Nandakumar, S N; Vineet, R; Rajeev, P; Binu, M K; Balamurugan, V; Rahman, H

2018-04-01

This study assessed the short-run impact to poultry farmers, duck hatcheries, control costs, compensation paid to stakeholders (transfer payments) and market reactions on own and substitute product prices and backwater tourism (boat operators) due to avian influenza (AI) outbreaks in Kuttanad region of Kerala, India, during 2014. The primary data from 91 poultry farms (duck farms, broiler chicken and backyard poultry), four hatcheries and 90 backwater boat owners were collected through pre-tested schedules. The secondary data on transfer payments and expenditure incurred to control AI were collected from developmental departments and were analysed. The estimated loss (culling live birds, eggs and feed destruction) per duck farm was USD 9,181, USD 3,889 and USD 156 in case of commercial farms reared for meat, dual-purpose and backyard farms, respectively. The loss incurred by small-scale broiler and backyard poultry farms was USD 453 and USD 40, respectively. The loss incurred by large and small duck hatcheries was USD 11,963 and USD 5,790, respectively, due to culling of hatchlings, young birds and destroying eggs. The government invested USD 744,890 to contain the disease spread through massive culling, surveillance and monitoring of poultry and humans due to zoonotic nature of the disease. A sharp market reaction on own and substitute product prices and eight weeks' time lag in price recovery was observed. The consequential impact on tourism especially for the backwater boat operators amounted to a loss of USD 2,280/boat due to fall in tourist inflow. Since, control measures are post-incidence, it is necessary to adopt appropriate preventive bio-security measures at the farm level besides periodical screening of domestic birds in migratory birds' flyway locations like Kuttanad to reduce the AI burden on various stakeholders including government. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The cost of clinical mastitis in the first 30 days of lactation: An economic modeling tool.

PubMed

Rollin, E; Dhuyvetter, K C; Overton, M W

2015-12-01

Clinical mastitis results in considerable economic losses for dairy producers and is most commonly diagnosed in early lactation. The objective of this research was to estimate the economic impact of clinical mastitis occurring during the first 30 days of lactation for a representative US dairy. A deterministic partial budget model was created to estimate direct and indirect costs per case of clinical mastitis occurring during the first 30 days of lactation. Model inputs were selected from the available literature, or when none were available, from herd data. The average case of clinical mastitis resulted in a total economic cost of $444, including $128 in direct costs and $316 in indirect costs. Direct costs included diagnostics ($10), therapeutics ($36), non-saleable milk ($25), veterinary service ($4), labor ($21), and death loss ($32). Indirect costs included future milk production loss ($125), premature culling and replacement loss ($182), and future reproductive loss ($9). Accurate decision making regarding mastitis control relies on understanding the economic impacts of clinical mastitis, especially the longer term indirect costs that represent 71% of the total cost per case of mastitis. Future milk production loss represents 28% of total cost, and future culling and replacement loss represents 41% of the total cost of a case of clinical mastitis. In contrast to older estimates, these values represent the current dairy economic climate, including milk price ($0.461/kg), feed price ($0.279/kg DM (dry matter)), and replacement costs ($2,094/head), along with the latest published estimates on the production and culling effects of clinical mastitis. This economic model is designed to be customized for specific dairy producers and their herd characteristics to better aid them in developing mastitis control strategies. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of dystocia on subsequent reproductive performance and functional longevity in Holstein cows.

PubMed

Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, N

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dystocia on the reproductive performance and functional longevity in Iranian Holsteins. Data consisted of 1 467 064 lactation records of 581 421 Holstein cows from 3083 herds which were collected by the Animal Breeding Center of Iran from April 1987 to February 2014. Reproduction traits in this study included interval from first to second calving, days open and days from first calving to first service. The generalized linear model was used for the statistical analysis of reproductive traits. Survival analysis was performed using the Weibull proportional hazards models to analyse the impact of dystocia on functional longevity. The incidence of dystocia had an adverse effect on the reproductive performance of dairy cows. Therefore, reproductive traits deteriorated along with increase in dystocia score (p < 0.05). The culling risk was increased along with increase in the score of dystocia (p < 0.0001). The greatest culling risk was observed in primiparous cows, small herds and low-yielding cows (p < 0.0001). Also, the lowest culling risk was found for cows calving at the youngest age (<27 months), and cows with age at first calving >33 months had the greatest risk (p < 0.0001). The results of current study indicated that dystocia had important negative effects on the reproductive performance and functional longevity in dairy cows, and it should be avoided as much as possible to provide a good perspective in the scope of economic and animal welfare issues in dairy herds. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Economic comparison of common treatment protocols and J5 vaccination for clinical mastitis in dairy herds using optimized culling decisions.

PubMed

Kessels, J A; Cha, E; Johnson, S K; Welcome, F L; Kristensen, A R; Gröhn, Y T

2016-05-01

This study used an existing dynamic optimization model to compare costs of common treatment protocols and J5 vaccination for clinical mastitis in US dairy herds. Clinical mastitis is an infection of the mammary gland causing major economic losses in dairy herds due to reduced milk production, reduced conception, and increased risk of mortality and culling for infected cows. Treatment protocols were developed to reflect common practices in dairy herds. These included targeted therapy following pathogen identification, and therapy without pathogen identification using a broad-spectrum antimicrobial or treating with the cheapest treatment option. The cost-benefit of J5 vaccination was also estimated. Effects of treatment were accounted for as changes in treatment costs, milk loss due to mastitis, milk discarded due to treatment, and mortality. Following ineffective treatments, secondary decisions included extending the current treatment, alternative treatment, discontinuing treatment, and pathogen identification followed by recommended treatment. Average net returns for treatment protocols and vaccination were generated using an existing dynamic programming model. This model incorporates cow and pathogen characteristics to optimize management decisions to treat, inseminate, or cull cows. Of the treatment protocols where 100% of cows received recommended treatment, pathogen-specific identification followed by recommended therapy yielded the highest average net returns per cow per year. Out of all treatment scenarios, the highest net returns were achieved with selecting the cheapest treatment option and discontinuing treatment, or alternate treatment with a similar spectrum therapy; however, this may not account for the full consequences of giving nonrecommended therapies to cows with clinical mastitis. Vaccination increased average net returns in all scenarios. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Reproductive performance and milk production of Israeli-Holstein cows with different supplementation during the dry period].

PubMed

Francos, G; Distl, O; Ezra, E; Mayer, E

1999-06-01

In three field trials comprising 602 Israeli-Holstein dairy cows, the effect of the dry period ration on reproductive performance, culling rate and milk production was investigated. The cows were fed in groups. The basic dry period rations consisted for two herds of medium quality cereal hay and for one herd of corn straw, which were fed ad libitum. In each herd dry cows were assigned to an experimental and control group. Cows of the experimental group were supplemented with 1.5 to 3 kg of lactating cows mixed ration (LMR), whereas in the control group the amount of supplement was increased by the factor two or 3.3. In the experimental group the amount of the supplement was calculated to achieve levels of net energy and of crude protein close to NRC requirements; in the control group the level of net energy and protein was 12 to 18% higher as compared to the experimental group. The amount of LMR supplement in the experimental group of herds A, B, C were 1.5 kg, 1.9 kg, and 3 kg, respectively. In the control groups these amounts were 5 kg, 3.8 kg, and 6 kg, respectively. The groups fed moderate amounts of LMR supplement had a higher conception rate at first insemination, a higher percentage of cows conceiving and fewer cows culled in the consecutive lactation than cows fed increased amounts of LMR supplement. The lactational incidence of reproductive disorders and the milk production were not affected by the differences in feeding during the dry period. Reproductive performance and culling rate appeared to be more favorable for cows fed moderate amounts of supplement during the entire dry period or during the last 3 to 4 weeks of the dry period.

Balancing Detection and Eradication for Control of Epidemics: Sudden Oak Death in Mixed-Species Stands

PubMed Central

Ndeffo Mbah, Martial L.; Gilligan, Christopher A.

2010-01-01

Culling of infected individuals is a widely used measure for the control of several plant and animal pathogens but culling first requires detection of often cryptically-infected hosts. In this paper, we address the problem of how to allocate resources between detection and culling when the budget for disease management is limited. The results are generic but we motivate the problem for the control of a botanical epidemic in a natural ecosystem: sudden oak death in mixed evergreen forests in coastal California, in which species composition is generally dominated by a spreader species (bay laurel) and a second host species (coast live oak) that is an epidemiological dead-end in that it does not transmit infection but which is frequently a target for preservation. Using a combination of an epidemiological model for two host species with a common pathogen together with optimal control theory we address the problem of how to balance the allocation of resources for detection and epidemic control in order to preserve both host species in the ecosystem. Contrary to simple expectations our results show that an intermediate level of detection is optimal. Low levels of detection, characteristic of low effort expended on searching and detection of diseased trees, and high detection levels, exemplified by the deployment of large amounts of resources to identify diseased trees, fail to bring the epidemic under control. Importantly, we show that a slight change in the balance between the resources allocated to detection and those allocated to control may lead to drastic inefficiencies in control strategies. The results hold when quarantine is introduced to reduce the ingress of infected material into the region of interest. PMID:20856850

Efficacy of a control program for bovine trichomonosis based on testing and culling infected bulls in beef cattle managed under mountain pastoral systems of Northern Spain.

PubMed

Collantes-Fernández, Esther; Mendoza-Ibarra, Jesús Alberto; Pedraza-Díaz, Susana; Rojo-Montejo, Silvia; Navarro-Lozano, Vanesa; Sánchez-Sánchez, Roberto; Ruiz-Santa-Quiteria, Jose Antonio; Ortega-Mora, Luis Miguel; Osoro, Koldo

2014-04-01

Bovine trichomonosis (BT) is a sexually transmitted disease that is considered a cause of early reproductive failure in cattle under extensive management conditions. Recently, Tritrichomonas foetus was detected in 41.5% of herds from one representative beef cattle breed (Asturiana de la Montaña; AM) reared in traditional mountain systems in Spain. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of BT on reproductive performance and the economic consequences in AM herds. The benefits of a control program based on testing and culling infected bulls were also studied by comparing T. foetus prevalence and reproductive data before and after the implementation of the control measures. In infected herds, T. foetus infection increased calving intervals by 79 days (P<0.0001) and resulted in a higher percentage of cows-not-in calf (36% vs. 19%; P<0.001). An economic analysis showed that BT could reduce income by 68.7% in AM herds. The implementation of the control program decreased calving intervals (P<0.0001) and increased calving percentage (P<0.05). T. foetus prevalence showed a significant decline compared with the prevalence before implementing the control program (P<0.05). Nevertheless, after 2 years, the herd prevalence did not decrease (12.7-13.6%; P>0.05) and the herd incidence was 22.72%. The testing and culling policy was effective in improving reproductive efficiency but the complete elimination of BT without substantial changes in management appears unlikely because putative risk factors associated with the disease are present in the management of this breed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic costs of recorded reasons for cow mortality and culling in a pasture-based dairy industry.

PubMed

Kerslake, J I; Amer, P R; O'Neill, P L; Wong, S L; Roche, J R; Phyn, C V C

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to determine the economic costs associated with different reasons for cow culling or on-farm mortality in a pasture-based seasonal system. A bioeconomic model was developed to quantify costs associated with the different farmer-recorded reasons and timing of cow wastage. The model accounted for the parity and stage of lactation at which the cows were removed as well as the consequent effect on the replacement rate and average age structure of the herd. The costs and benefits associated with the change were quantified, including animal replacement cost, cull salvage value, milk production loss, and the profitability of altered genetic merit based on industry genetic trends for each parity. The total cost of cow wastage was estimated to be NZ$23,628/100 cows per year (NZ$1 = US$0.69) in a pasture-based system. Of this total cost, NZ$14,300/100 cows worth of removals were for nonpregnancy and unknown reasons, and another NZ$3,631/100 cows was attributed to low milk production, mastitis, and udder problems. The total cost for cow removals due to farmer-recorded biological reasons (excluding unknown, production, and management-related causes) was estimated to be NZ$13,632/100 cows per year. Of this cost, an estimated NZ$10,286/100 cows was attributed to nonpregnancy, mastitis, udder problems, calving trouble, and injury or accident. There is a strong economic case for the pasture-based dairy industries to invest in genetic, herd health, and production management research focused on reducing animal wastage due to reproductive failure, mastitis, udder problems, injuries or accidents, and calving difficulties. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transmissibility of caprine scrapie in ovine transgenic mice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disease of domestic sheep and goats. The current US and Canadian control programs are based on diagnosis by identification of abnormal prion protein in brain or lymphoid tissues with selective culling of genetically susceptible sheep exp...

Assessing the potential impact of Salmonella vaccines in an endemically infected dairy herd

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Salmonella spp. in cattle are contributing to bacterial foodborne disease for humans. Reduction of Salmonella prevalence in herds is important to prevent human Salmonella infections. Typical control measures are culling of infectious animals, vaccination, and improved hygiene management. Vaccines ha...

What is Our Youth Thinking? Social-Political Attitudes of the 1980s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hepburn, Mary A.

1985-01-01

Data culled from five 1980s studies show that youth today are committed to rewarding careers, good jobs, traditional values, marriage, and family. They are fixated on personal bread-and-butter issues and turn away from community and group problems. (RM)

Screening and Confirmatory Analyses of Flunixin in Tissues and Bodily Fluids after Intravenous or Intramuscular Administration to Cull Dairy Cows with or without Lipopolysaccharide Challenge.

PubMed

Shelver, Weilin L; Smith, David J; Tell, Lisa A; Baynes, Ronald E; Schroeder, J W; Riviere, Jim E

2016-01-13

Twenty cull dairy cows (645 ± 83 kg) were treated with 2.2 mg/kg bw flunixin by intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) administration with, or without, exposure to lipopolysaccharide in a two factor balanced design. The usefulness of screening assays to identify violative flunixin levels in a variety of easily accessible ante-mortem fluids in cattle was explored. Two animals with violative flunixin liver residue and/or violative 5-hydroxy flunixin milk residues were correctly identified by a flunixin liver ELISA screen. Oral fluid did not produce anticipated flunixin concentration profiles using ELISA determination. One cow that had liver and milk violative residues, and one cow that had a milk violation at the prescribed withdrawal period were correctly identified by flunixin milk lateral flow analyses. The ratio of urinary flunixin and 5-hydroxy flunixin may be useful for predicting disruption of metabolism caused by disease or other factors potentially leading to violative liver flunixin residues.

A comparison of wildlife control and cattle vaccination as methods for the control of bovine tuberculosis.

PubMed Central

Kao, R. R.; Roberts, M. G.

1999-01-01

The Australian brushtail possum is the major source of infection for new cases of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in New Zealand. Using hypothetical values for the cost of putative cattle and possum Tb vaccines, the relative efforts required to eradicate Tb in cattle using possum culling, possum vaccination or cattle vaccination are compared. For realistic assumed costs for 1080 poison bait, possum culling is found to be a cost-effective strategy compared to cattle vaccination if the required control area is below 13 ha per cattle herd, while possum vaccination is cost-effective for control areas of less than 3 ha per herd. Examination of other considerations such as the possible roles of possum migration and heterogeneities in possum population density suggest that each control strategy may be superior under different field conditions. Finally, the roles of the possum in New Zealand, and the Eurasian badger in Great Britain and Ireland in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis to cattle are compared. PMID:10459656

Effectiveness of removals of the invasive lionfish: how many dives are needed to deplete a reef?

PubMed

Usseglio, Paolo; Selwyn, Jason D; Downey-Wall, Alan M; Hogan, J Derek

2017-01-01

Introduced Indo-Pacific red lionfish ( Pterois volitans/miles ) have spread throughout the greater Caribbean and are associated with a number of negative impacts on reef ecosystems. Human interventions, in the form of culling activities, are becoming common to reduce their numbers and mitigate the negative effects associated with the invasion. However, marine managers must often decide how to best allocate limited resources. Previous work has identified the population size thresholds needed to limit the negative impacts of lionfish. Here we develop a framework that allows managers to predict the removal effort required to achieve specific targets (represented as the percent of lionfish remaining on the reef). We found an important trade-off between time spent removing and achieving an increasingly smaller lionfish density. The model used in our suggested framework requires relatively little data to parameterize, allowing its use with already existing data, permitting managers to tailor their culling strategy to maximize efficiency and rate of success.

Enhanced oxidative stability of fish oil by encapsulating in culled banana resistant starch-soy protein isolate based microcapsules in functional bakery products.

PubMed

Nasrin, Taslima Ayesha Aktar; Anal, Anil Kumar

2015-08-01

Oil in water emulsions were produced by the mixture of culled banana resistant starch (CBRS) & soy protein isolate (SPI), mixture of Hylon VII & SPI and SPI with 7.5 and 5 % (w/w) Menhaden fish oil. The emulsions were further freeze- dried obtaining 33 and 50 % oil load microcapsules. The range of particles diameter was 4.11 to 7.25 μm and viscosity was 34.6 to 146.48 cP of the emulsions. Compressibility index (CI), Hasner ratio (HR) and angle of repose (AR) was significantly (p < 0.01) lower of the microcapsules made with starch and protein (CBRS & SPI and Hylon VII & SPI) than that made with protein (SPI) only. Microcapsules composed of CBRS & SPI with 33 % oil load had maximum microencapsulation efficiency (82.49 %) and highest oxidative stability. Muffin made with emulsions containing mixture of CBRS & SPI exhibited less fishy flavour than that containing mixture of Hylon VII & SPI.

Effectiveness of removals of the invasive lionfish: how many dives are needed to deplete a reef?

PubMed Central

Downey-Wall, Alan M.; Hogan, J. Derek

2017-01-01

Introduced Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) have spread throughout the greater Caribbean and are associated with a number of negative impacts on reef ecosystems. Human interventions, in the form of culling activities, are becoming common to reduce their numbers and mitigate the negative effects associated with the invasion. However, marine managers must often decide how to best allocate limited resources. Previous work has identified the population size thresholds needed to limit the negative impacts of lionfish. Here we develop a framework that allows managers to predict the removal effort required to achieve specific targets (represented as the percent of lionfish remaining on the reef). We found an important trade-off between time spent removing and achieving an increasingly smaller lionfish density. The model used in our suggested framework requires relatively little data to parameterize, allowing its use with already existing data, permitting managers to tailor their culling strategy to maximize efficiency and rate of success. PMID:28243542

Optimal Culling and Biocontrol in a Predator-Prey Model.

PubMed

Numfor, Eric; Hilker, Frank M; Lenhart, Suzanne

2017-01-01

Invasive species cause enormous problems in ecosystems around the world. Motivated by introduced feral cats that prey on bird populations and threaten to drive them extinct on remote oceanic islands, we formulate and analyze optimal control problems. Their novelty is that they involve both scalar and time-dependent controls. They represent different forms of control, namely the initial release of infected predators on the one hand and culling as well as trapping, infecting, and returning predators on the other hand. Combinations of different control methods have been proposed to complement their respective strengths in reducing predator numbers and thus protecting endangered prey. Here, we formulate and analyze an eco-epidemiological model, provide analytical results on the optimal control problem, and use a forward-backward sweep method for numerical simulations. By taking into account different ecological scenarios, initial conditions, and control durations, our model allows to gain insight how the different methods interact and in which cases they could be effective.

Estimate of the direct production losses in Canadian dairy herds with subclinical Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection

PubMed Central

Tiwari, Ashwani; VanLeeuwen, John A.; Dohoo, Ian R.; Keefe, Greg P.; Weersink, Alfons

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the annual losses from Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) for an average, MAP-seropositive, Canadian dairy herd. A partial-budget simulation model was developed with 4 components of direct production losses (decreased milk production, premature voluntary culling, mortality, and reproductive losses). Input values were obtained primarily from a national seroprevalence survey of 373 Canadian dairy farms in 8 of 10 provinces. The model took into account the variability and uncertainty of the required input values; consequently, it produced probability distributions of the estimated losses. For an average Canadian dairy herd with 12.7% of 61 cows seropositive for MAP, the mean loss was $2992 (95% C.I., $143 to $9741) annually, or $49 per cow per year. Additional culling, decreased milk production, mortality, and reproductive losses accounted for 46%, 9%, 16%, and 29% of the losses, respectively. Canadian dairy producers should use best management practices to reduce these substantial annual losses. PMID:18624066

An Effective Algorithm Research of Scenario Voxelization Organization and Occlusion Culling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Guangling; Ding, Lu; Qin, Zhiyuan; Tong, Xiaochong

2016-11-01

Compared with the traditional triangulation approaches, the voxelized point cloud data can reduce the sensitivity of scenario and complexity of calculation. While on the base of the point cloud data, implementation scenario organization could be accomplishment by subtle voxel, but it will add more memory consumption. Therefore, an effective voxel representation method is very necessary. At present, the specific study of voxel visualization algorithm is less. This paper improved the ray tracing algorithm by the characteristics of voxel configuration. Firstly, according to the scope of point cloud data, determined the scope of the pixels on the screen. Then, calculated the light vector came from each pixel. Lastly, used the rules of voxel configuration to calculate all the voxel penetrated through by light. The voxels closest to viewpoint were named visible ones, the rest were all obscured ones. This experimental showed that the method could realize voxelization organization and voxel occlusion culling of implementation scenario efficiently, and increased the render efficiency.

Quarantine security of bananas at harvest maturity against Mediterranean and Oriental fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii.

PubMed

Armstrong, J W

2001-02-01

Culled bananas (dwarf 'Brazilian', 'Grand Nain', 'Valery', and 'Williams') sampled from packing houses on the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu identified specific "faults" that were at risk from oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), infestation. Faults at risk included bunches with precociously ripened bananas, or bananas with tip rot, fused fingers, or damage that compromised skin integrity to permit fruit fly oviposition into fruit flesh. No Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), or melon fly, B. cucurbitae (Coquillett), infestations were found in culled banana samples. Field infestation tests indicated that mature green bananas were not susceptible to fruit fly infestation for up to 1 wk past the scheduled harvest date when attached to the plant or within 24 h after harvest. Recommendations for exporting mature green bananas from Hawaii without risk of fruit fly infestation are provided. The research reported herein resulted in a USDA-APHIS protocol for exporting mature green bananas from Hawaii.

Marine mammals' influence on ecosystem processes affecting fisheries in the Barents Sea is trivial.

PubMed

Corkeron, Peter J

2009-04-23

Some interpretations of ecosystem-based fishery management include culling marine mammals as an integral component. The current Norwegian policy on marine mammal management is one example. Scientific support for this policy includes the Scenario Barents Sea (SBS) models. These modelled interactions between cod, Gadus morhua, herring, Clupea harengus, capelin, Mallotus villosus and northern minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Adding harp seals Phoca groenlandica into this top-down modelling approach resulted in unrealistic model outputs. Another set of models of the Barents Sea fish-fisheries system focused on interactions within and between the three fish populations, fisheries and climate. These model key processes of the system successfully. Continuing calls to support the SBS models despite their failure suggest a belief that marine mammal predation must be a problem for fisheries. The best available scientific evidence provides no justification for marine mammal culls as a primary component of an ecosystem-based approach to managing the fisheries of the Barents Sea.

An LBGT/Queer Glossary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chase, Becca; Ressler, Paula

2009-01-01

This article presents a glossary of LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay, transsexual). This glossary is based on definitions culled from a few different sources, including the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN); the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance; and Wikipedia, which provides useful up-to-date information that people use when they…

Research Issues Update, 1978; Research Issues 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Gregory A., Ed.; And Others

This collection of resources contains abstracts of selected research studies and theoretical expositions dealing with psychosocial aspects of drug use, culled from professional literature published between 1974 and 1977. The 13 topics covered in this survey include: sex, pregnancy, attitude change, family/peer influences, employment, crime,…

Translational genomics for improving sow reproductive longevity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sow reproductive longevity is a composite trait that is expressed throughout life that depends on the potential of females to resume ovarian cyclicity, re-breed, and farrow multiple parities. Approximately 50% of sows are culled annually with more than one third due to poor fertility. Age at puberty...

Effects of Culling on Leptospira interrogans Carriage by Rats

PubMed Central

Byers, Kaylee A.; Donovan, Christina M.; Bidulka, Julie J.; Stephen, Craig; Patrick, David M.; Himsworth, Chelsea G.

2018-01-01

We found that lethal, urban rat control is associated with a significant increase in the odds that surviving rats carry Leptospira interrogans. Our results suggest that human interventions have the potential to affect and even increase the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens within rat populations. PMID:29350160

Salmonella in lymph nodes of cull and fed cattle at harvest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Category: Pre-harvest pathogen reduction Objective: To evaluate the potential association between Salmonella enterica burden within bovine subiliac lymph nodes (LNs), animal type, season, and region of harvest. Methods: Bovine LNs (n = 4,764) were collected from 12 abattoirs, 8 that primarily h...

Nutrition Education: Selected Resources. Bibliographies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhea, Harold C.

Intended chiefly for nutrition instructors in elementary, secondary, and college classes, this bibliography can supplement the reading lists of other nutrition fields, such as food science and diet therapy. Separate sections of the document are devoted to books, documents and journal articles culled from the ERIC data base, films, multimedia…

A systematic review of financial and economic assessments of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) prevention and mitigation activities worldwide.

PubMed

Pinior, Beate; Firth, Clair L; Richter, Veronika; Lebl, Karin; Trauffler, Martine; Dzieciol, Monika; Hutter, Sabine E; Burgstaller, Johann; Obritzhauser, Walter; Winter, Petra; Käsbohrer, Annemarie

2017-02-01

Infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) results in major economic losses either directly through decreased productive performance in cattle herds or indirectly, such as through expenses for control programs. The aim of this systematic review was to review financial and/or economic assessment studies of prevention and/or mitigation activities of BVDV at national, regional and farm level worldwide. Once all predefined criteria had been met, 35 articles were included for this systematic review. Studies were analyzed with particular focus on the type of financially and/or economically-assessed prevention and/or mitigation activities. Due to the wide range of possible prevention and/or mitigation activities, these activities were grouped into five categories: i) control and/or eradication programs, ii) monitoring or surveillance, iii) prevention, iv) vaccination and v) individual culling, control and testing strategies. Additionally, the studies were analyzed according to economically-related variables such as efficiency, costs or benefits of prevention and/or mitigation activities, the applied financial and/or economic and statistical methods, the payers of prevention and/or mitigation activities, the assessed production systems, and the countries for which such evaluations are available. Financial and/or economic assessments performed in Europe were dominated by those from the United Kingdom, which assessed mostly vaccination strategies, and Norway which primarily carried out assessments in the area of control and eradication programs; whereas among non-European countries the United States carried out the majority of financial and/or economic assessments in the area of individual culling, control and testing. More than half of all studies provided an efficiency calculation of prevention and/or mitigation activities and demonstrated whether the inherent costs of implemented activities were or were not justified. The dairy sector was three times more likely to be assessed by the countries than beef production systems. In addition, the dairy sector was approximately eight times more likely to be assessed economically with respect to prevention and/or mitigation activities than calf and youngstock production systems. Furthermore, the private sector was identified as the primary payer of prevention and/or mitigation activities. This systematic review demonstrated a lack of studies relating to efficiency calculations, in particular at national and regional level, and the specific production systems. Thus, we confirmed the need for more well-designed studies in animal health economics in order to demonstrate that the implementation and inherent costs of BVDV prevention and/or mitigation activities are justified. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bovine Necrotic Vulvovaginitis Associated with Porphyromonas levii

PubMed Central

Friedgut, Orly; Alpert, Nir; Stram, Yehuda; Lahav, Dan; Tiomkin, Doron; Avramson, Miriam; Grinberg, Kalia; Bernstein, Michael

2004-01-01

An outbreak of bovine necrotic vulvovaginitis associated with Porphyromonas levii, an emerging animal and human pathogen, affected 32 cows on a dairy farm in the northeast of Israel. Five animals had to be culled. This report appears to be the first that associates P. levii with bovine necrotic vulvovagnitis. PMID:15109423

A Model Privacy Statement for Ohio Library Web Sites.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monaco, Michael J.

The purpose of this research was to develop a model privacy policy statement for library World Wide Web sites. First, standards of privacy protection were identified. These standards were culled from the privacy and confidentiality policies of the American Library Association, the Federal Trade Commission's online privacy reports, the guidelines…

Nipah Virus Infection in Dogs, Malaysia, 1999

PubMed Central

Alim, Asiah N.M.; Bunning, Michel L.; Lee, Ong Bee; Wagoner, Kent D.; Amman, Brian R.; Stockton, Patrick C.; Ksiazek, Thomas G.

2009-01-01

The 1999 outbreak of Nipah virus encephalitis in humans and pigs in Peninsular Malaysia ended with the evacuation of humans and culling of pigs in the epidemic area. Serologic screening showed that, in the absence of infected pigs, dogs were not a secondary reservoir for Nipah virus. PMID:19523300

Teachers and Research: Language Learning in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinnell, Gay Su, Ed.; Matlin, Myna L., Ed.

This book provides information culled from classroom research, including some from teacher researchers, for those engaged in creating educational settings that support children's development of language and literacy. The book contains the following chapters: (1) "Observing Carlos: One Day of Language Use in School" (Mary M. Kitagawa); (2) "What…

Avian Metapneumovirus Subgroup C Infection in Chickens, China

PubMed Central

Wei, Li; Zhu, Shanshan; Yan, Xv; Wang, Jing; Zhang, Chunyan; She, Ruiping; Hu, Fengjiao; Quan, Rong

2013-01-01

Avian metapneumovirus causes acute respiratory tract infection and reductions in egg production in various avian species. We isolated and characterized an increasingly prevalent avian metapneumovirus subgroup C strain from meat-type commercial chickens with severe respiratory signs in China. Culling of infected flocks could lead to economic consequences. PMID:23763901

The Race Race: Assimilation in America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balis, Andrea; Aman, Michael

2013-01-01

Can race and assimilation be taught? Interdisciplinary pedagogy provides a methodology, context, and use of nontraditional texts culled from American cultural history such as from, theater and historical texts. This approach and these texts prove useful for an examination of race and assimilation in America. The paper describes a course that while…

Who Will Stay and Who Will Leave? Predicting Secondary English Teacher Attrition Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hancock, Carl B.; Scherff, Lisa

2010-01-01

Although there are considerable large-scale data on teacher attrition, few researchers have culled information specifically related to English teachers' risk for attrition. This study examines the effects of teacher characteristics, teaching conditions, student variables, self-efficacy, external support, and salary on secondary English language…

Collective Information Literacy in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Crystle; Steinkuehler, Constance

2010-01-01

This article explores the forms of information literacy that arise in commercial entertainment games like "World of Warcraft." Using examples culled from eight months of online ethnographic data, the authors detail the forms of information literacy that arise as a regular part of in-game social interaction, emphasizing (ironically) the…

29 CFR 780.213 - Produce business.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Produce business. 780.213 Section 780.213 Labor Regulations... Specific Situations Hatchery Operations § 780.213 Produce business. In some instances, hatcheries also engage in the produce business as such and commingle with the culled eggs and chickens other eggs and...

Salmonella in peripheral lymph nodes of healthy cattle at slaughter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To more fully characterize the burden of Salmonella enterica in bovine peripheral lymph nodes (PLN), PLN (n=5,450) were collected from healthy cattle at slaughter in 12 commercial abattoirs that slaughtered feedlot-fattened (FF) cattle exclusively (n=7), cattle removed (or culled) from breeding herd...

SABRE--A Novel Software Tool for Bibliographic Post-Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burge, Cecil D.

1989-01-01

Describes the software architecture and application of SABRE (Semi-Automated Bibliographic Environment), which is one of the first products to provide a semi-automatic environment for relevancy ranking of citations obtained from searches of bibliographic databases. Features designed to meet the review, categorization, culling, and reporting needs…

Organizing and Conducting Farmer-Scientist Focus Sessions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lev, Larry S.; And Others

1993-01-01

Farmer-scientist focus sessions represent a means by which participants exchange ideas for action, identify researchable topics, and enhance long-term farmer-scientist team work. Three examples involving controlling weeds, disposal of cull onion, and food safety concerns are described that illustrate the types of issues treated, the format, and…

Culturally Competent Services: Bibliography of Materials from the NCEMCH Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, Arlington, VA.

Culled from the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health reference collection, this list contains 186 materials which focus on assessing current services for cultural sensitivity, developing culturally competent services, or providing services in a multicultural health care context. Audiovisual items are included. Each listing…

78 FR 53473 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-29

... Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 22203... activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period. Applicant: Daniel Pearson, Gainesville, FL... bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a captive herd maintained under the management program...

29 CFR 780.213 - Produce business.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Produce business. 780.213 Section 780.213 Labor Regulations... Specific Situations Hatchery Operations § 780.213 Produce business. In some instances, hatcheries also engage in the produce business as such and commingle with the culled eggs and chickens other eggs and...

29 CFR 780.213 - Produce business.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Produce business. 780.213 Section 780.213 Labor Regulations... Specific Situations Hatchery Operations § 780.213 Produce business. In some instances, hatcheries also engage in the produce business as such and commingle with the culled eggs and chickens other eggs and...

29 CFR 780.213 - Produce business.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Produce business. 780.213 Section 780.213 Labor Regulations... Specific Situations Hatchery Operations § 780.213 Produce business. In some instances, hatcheries also engage in the produce business as such and commingle with the culled eggs and chickens other eggs and...

29 CFR 780.213 - Produce business.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Produce business. 780.213 Section 780.213 Labor Regulations... Specific Situations Hatchery Operations § 780.213 Produce business. In some instances, hatcheries also engage in the produce business as such and commingle with the culled eggs and chickens other eggs and...

The NGO-ization of Community Colleges: One (More) Manifestation of Globalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quint-Rapoport, Mia

2006-01-01

In this essay the author discusses the effects of globalization on Canadian community colleges. She applies contemporary social theories culled from the fields of feminism, geography and political science to understand one hidden manifestation of globalization in community colleges: involvement in global civil society via participation in…

Back Home on the Range.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breining, Greg

1992-01-01

Presents the history of the buffalo's demise and reemergence in the United States and Canada. Discusses the problems facing herds today caused by a small genetic pool, disease, range concerns, lack of predation, and culling. Points out the benefits of buffalo raising as compared to cattle raising, including the marketing advantages. (MCO)

Release and recovery of pectic hydrocolloids and phenolics from culled citrus fruits

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Citrus worldwide is threatened by a bacterial disease Huanglongbing (HLB) spread by a sap sucking hemipteran. Before tree death, there is a period of increased preharvest fruit drop and reduced fruit size with off-flavored juice. The increasing frequency of HLB symptomatic fruit moving into the juic...

7 CFR 932.161 - Reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Reports. 932.161 Section 932.161 Agriculture... Regulations § 932.161 Reports. (a) Reports of olives received. Each handler shall submit to the committee, on... than the fourth day after the close of such week, a report showing by size designation and culls the...

7 CFR 932.161 - Reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Reports. 932.161 Section 932.161 Agriculture... Regulations § 932.161 Reports. (a) Reports of olives received. Each handler shall submit to the committee, on... than the fourth day after the close of such week, a report showing by size designation and culls the...

RPA Data Wiz users guide, version 1.0

Treesearch

Scott A. Pugh

2004-01-01

RPA Data Wiz is a computer application use to create summary tables, graphs, and maps of Resource Planning Act (RPA) Assessment forest information (English or metric units). Volumes for growing stock, live cull, dead salvable, netgrowth, and mortality can be estimated. Acreage, biomass, and tree count estimates are also available.

Development of a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for flunixin in cattle (Bos taurus)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Violative residues of flunixin in tissues from bob veal calves and cull dairy cows has been attributed to noncompliance with the FDA-approved route of administration and withdrawal time, however, the effect of administration route and physiological differences among animals on tissue residue depleti...

Doing the Right Thing: Ethical Leadership and Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garza Mitchell, Regina L.

2012-01-01

This chapter explores the relationship between leadership style, ethical orientation, and the AACC competencies. A glimpse of the competencies in practices is provided through the results of interviews with thirteen community college presidents. The findings presented here are culled from a larger study of presidential decision making during…

Answers to the 50 Most Important Questions about Private Mental Health Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forman, Bruce D.; Silverman, Wade H.

Designed for anyone contemplating or presently established in private mental health practice, this book provides the answers to 50 pertinent questions concerning private practice. Questions were culled from a survey of graduate students in psychology, as well as experienced psychotherapists, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health counselors,…

Gastrointestinal parasites in an isolated Norwegian population of wild red deer (Cervus elaphus)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Thirteen red deer, culled from the isolated population at the Mongstad Oil Refinery, were investigated for gastrointestinal helminths. These animals, enclosed by the refinery fence, do not have contact with other ruminants and have a high population density considering the available browsing area (1...

Transmission Parameters of the 2001 Foot and Mouth Epidemic in Great Britain

PubMed Central

Chis Ster, Irina; Ferguson, Neil M.

2007-01-01

Despite intensive ongoing research, key aspects of the spatial-temporal evolution of the 2001 foot and mouth disease (FMD) epidemic in Great Britain (GB) remain unexplained. Here we develop a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for estimating epidemiological parameters of the 2001 outbreak for a range of simple transmission models. We make the simplifying assumption that infectious farms were completely observed in 2001, equivalent to assuming that farms that were proactively culled but not diagnosed with FMD were not infectious, even if some were infected. We estimate how transmission parameters varied through time, highlighting the impact of the control measures on the progression of the epidemic. We demonstrate statistically significant evidence for assortative contact patterns between animals of the same species. Predictive risk maps of the transmission potential in different geographic areas of GB are presented for the fitted models. PMID:17551582

Fascial flap reconstruction of the hand: a single surgeon's 30-year experience.

PubMed

Carty, Matthew J; Taghinia, Amir; Upton, Joseph

2010-03-01

The reconstruction of complex hand wounds is challenging due to the requirements for thin and pliable coverage with a reliable vascular supply, potential for sensibility, and provision of a gliding surface. Fascial flaps represent an excellent option for the reconstruction of these complicated defects. A retrospective review of fascial flap reconstructive procedures to the hand undertaken by a single microsurgeon was performed for operations occurring between 1979 and 2009. Both pedicled and free tissue transfer procedures were included in both pediatric and adult patients. Data were culled from a combination of patient charts, hospital records, radiographic studies, and clinical photographs. Sixty fascial flap reconstructive procedures to the hand were analyzed in 60 patients from the defined 30-year period. The most common pathological process necessitating reconstruction was acute trauma (n = 32, 53 percent). Most of the soft-tissue injuries included in the study sample were located on the dorsal hand and wrist (n = 27, 45 percent). The most commonly utilized reconstructive modality was the temporoparietal fascial flap (n = 35, 58 percent). Most reconstructions were completed as free tissue transfers (n = 46, 77 percent). Perioperative complications were relatively minor; no flap losses were recorded. All cases studied demonstrated excellent long-term coverage with no evidence of underlying tendon adhesion or contracture. Fascial flaps represent an excellent option for coverage of soft-tissue defects of the hand that are not amenable to reconstruction with skin grafting alone, particularly for localized defects with denuded tendons or exposed joints.

Examining Player Anger in World of Warcraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnett, Jane; Coulson, Mark; Foreman, Nigel

This questionnaire study of the sources of anger in World of Warcraft applies classical quantitative measurement scale construction to a new problem, generating a host of questionnaire items that could find use in future studies, and identifying four major categories of events that cause negative effect among players. First, 33 players provided examples of in-game scenarios that had made them angry, and their responses were culled to create a 93-item battery rated by hundreds of player respondents in terms of anger intensity and anger frequency. An iterative process of factor analysis and scale reliability assessment led to a 28-item instrument measuring four anger-provoking factors: Raids/Instances, Griefers, Perceived Time Wasting, and Anti-social Players. These anger-causing scenarios were then illustrated by concrete examples from player and researcher experiences in World of Warcraft. One striking finding is that players become angry at other players' negative behavior, regardless of whether that behavior was intended to harm.

Systematic review of management strategies to control chronic wasting disease in wild deer populations in North America.

PubMed

Uehlinger, F D; Johnston, A C; Bollinger, T K; Waldner, C L

2016-08-22

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious, fatal prion disease affecting cervids in a growing number of regions across North America. Projected deer population declines and concern about potential spread of CWD to other species warrant strategies to manage this disease. Control efforts to date have been largely unsuccessful, resulting in continuing spread and increasing prevalence. This systematic review summarizes peer-reviewed published reports describing field-applicable CWD control strategies in wild deer populations in North America using systematic review methods. Ten databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature. Following deduplication, relevance screening, full-text appraisal, subject matter expert review and qualitative data extraction, nine references were included describing four distinct management strategies. Six of the nine studies used predictive modeling to evaluate control strategies. All six demonstrated one or more interventions to be effective but results were dependant on parameters and assumptions used in the model. Three found preferential removal of CWD infected deer to be effective in reducing CWD prevalence; one model evaluated a test and slaughter strategy, the other selective removal of infected deer by predators and the third evaluated increased harvest of the sex with highest prevalence (males). Three models evaluated non-selective harvest of deer. There were only three reports that examined primary data collected as part of observational studies. Two of these studies supported the effectiveness of intensive non-selective culling; the third study did not find a difference between areas that were subjected to culling and those that were not. Seven of the nine studies were conducted in the United States. This review highlights the paucity of evaluated, field-applicable control strategies for CWD in wild deer populations. Knowledge gaps in the complex epidemiology of CWD and the intricacies inherent to prion diseases currently pose significant challenges to effective control of this disease in wild deer in North America.

Techniques of Neutralising Wildlife Crime in Rural England and Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enticott, Gareth

2011-01-01

Within rural studies there have been few attempts to critically analyse crimes against nature. This paper addresses this gap by providing an analysis of farmers' reasons for illegally culling badgers in the United Kingdom. Drawing on Sykes and Matza's (1957) concepts of neutralisation and drift, the paper shows how farmers rationalise this…

Framing the Issue: Religion, Secular Ethics and the Case of Animal Rights Mobilization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mika, Marie

2006-01-01

This article addresses social movement framing, generally, and within contemporary animal rights movements specifically by conducting focus group analyses of a non-activist population. This contrasts with previous studies of recruitment that have examined the conversion process retroactively, culling data from those already involved in a cause. By…

Killing cull trees with ammate crystals - a case study

Treesearch

Harry W. Yawney

1961-01-01

The use of ammate (ammonium sulfamate) as a tree-killing agent has become widespread during recent years; it is well established as an effective and economical silvicide. The purpose of this report is to supplement present knowledge and also to present a case study on the use of ammate in practical application.

Basidiomycetes Associated with Decay of Living Oak Trees

Treesearch

Frederick H. Berry; Frances F. Lombard

1978-01-01

Thirty-one identified species of wood-rotting hymenomycetes were associated with decay and cull in upland oak stands in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio. Seven of these species produced brown rots that accounted for a volume loss of approximately 381 ft3 in the trees sampled. The remaining species produced white rots that were...

Parent, Family, and Community Involvement in the Middle Grades. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford, Barry; Billig, Shelley H.

From a synthesis of findings culled from a study that examined partnerships of families and communities with middle schools at multiple sites, researchers derived eight "lessons" that can help foster understanding of the nature of family-school partnerships in the middle grades. Researchers also elaborated implications of these lessons,…

Salmonella spp. in lymph nodes of fed and cull cattle: Relative assessment of risk to ground beef

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ground beef products have been implicated as the vehicle for the transmission of Salmonella in a number of outbreaks. Although carcass surface interventions have proven effective, Salmonella contamination in ground beef still occurs. Recent studies indicate that deep tissue lymph nodes (DTLNs) may b...

A key for the Forest Service hardwood tree grades

Treesearch

Gary W. Miller; Leland F. Hanks; Harry V., Jr. Wiant

1986-01-01

A dichotomous key organizes the USDA Forest Service hardwood tree grade specifications into a stepwise procedure for those learning to grade hardwood sawtimber. The key addresses the major grade factors, tree size, surface characteristics, and allowable cull deductions in a series of paried choices that lead the user to a decision regarding tree grade.

Fixing Dataset Search

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Chris

2014-01-01

Three current search engines are queried for ozone data at the GES DISC. The results range from sub-optimal to counter-intuitive. We propose a method to fix dataset search by implementing a robust relevancy ranking scheme. The relevancy ranking scheme is based on several heuristics culled from more than 20 years of helping users select datasets.

Choosing among Tests of Emotional Intelligence: What Is the Evidence?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEnrue, Mary Pat; Groves, Kevin

2006-01-01

This article provides a comprehensive review of research regarding five types of validity for each of four major tests used to measure emotional intelligence (EI). It culls and synthesizes information scattered among a host of articles in academic journals, technical reports, chapters, and books, as well as unpublished papers and manuscripts. It…

Negative Life Events Scale for Students (NLESS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buri, John R.; Cromett, Cristina E.; Post, Maria C.; Landis, Anna Marie; Alliegro, Marissa C.

2015-01-01

Rationale is presented for the derivation of a new measure of stressful life events for use with students [Negative Life Events Scale for Students (NLESS)]. Ten stressful life events questionnaires were reviewed, and the more than 600 items mentioned in these scales were culled based on the following criteria: (a) only long-term and unpleasant…

Some Preliminary Results on an SEIARD Epidemic Model with Vaccination and Antiviral Treatment Controls and Dead-Infective Culling Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De la Sen, M.; Nistal, R.; Alonso-Quesada, S.; Garrido, A. J.

2016-08-01

This paper studies the non-negativity and stability properties of the solutions of a newly proposed SEIADR model which incorporates asymptomatic and dead-infective subpopulations to those defining the standard SEIR model and, in parallel, it incorporates feedback vaccination and antiviral treatment controls.

Learning Instructor Intervention from MOOC Forums: Early Results and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Muthu; Kan, Min-Yen; Tan, Bernard C. Y.; Ragupathi, Kiruthika

2015-01-01

With large student enrollment, MOOC instructors face the unique challenge in deciding when to intervene in forum discussions with their limited bandwidth. We study this problem of "instructor intervention." Using a large sample of forum data culled from 61 courses, we design a binary classifier to predict whether an instructor should…

Communication between United States-Based Firms and Mexican Production Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldman, Lila

A study examined the types of communication technologies being used by United States-based corporations with operations in Mexico to determine the challenges these companies face when communicating across the border. A total of 703 U.S. corporations doing business with Mexico (culled from lists in two professional directories) were chosen for the…

Bovine leukemia virus seroprevalence among cattle presented for slaughter in the United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infection with bovine leukemia virus (BLV) results in economic loss due reduced productivity, especially the reduction of milk production and early culling. In the USA.,USA, previous studies in 1996, 1999 and 2007 showed BLV infections widespread, especially in the dairy herds. The goal of this stud...

Diversity of Multi-drug Resistant Salmonella enterica Associated with Cull Cattle at Harvest in the United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Salmonella is an important foodborne pathogen, causing millions of cases of food poisoning in the U.S. each year. While poultry products and contaminated fresh produce are well established vectors for Salmonella, several foodborne disease case studies have shown that undercooked ground b...

Family composition of Douglas-fir nursery stock as influenced by seed characters, mortality, and culling practices.

Treesearch

J.B. St. Clair; W.T. Adams

1993-01-01

Changes in family composition during nursery production were evaluated by following individual seeds and seedlings of 36 wind-pollinated Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) families sown in mixture in two operational nurseries in western Washington and Oregon. Families differed significantly in...

Innovative Approaches to Achieving Universal Primary Education and Its Democratization: A Synopsis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ranaweera, A. Mahinda

This paper presents information culled from a study of 200 publications about innovative approaches towards achieving universal primary education (UPE) and its democratization. The first part of the paper addresses the topics of children's right to primary education, the role of primary education in eradicating adult illiteracy, and the difficulty…

Standing timber coefficients for Indiana walnut log production.

Treesearch

James E. Blyth; Edwin Kallio; John C. Callahan

1969-01-01

If the volume of walnut veneer logs and saw logs received at processing plants from Indiana forests is known, conversion factors developed in this paper can be used to determine how much timber was cut to provide these logs and the kinds of timber that were cut (sawtimber, cull trees, trees on nonforest land, etc.).

Technique for ranking potential predictor layers for use in remote sensing analysis

Treesearch

Andrew Lister; Mike Hoppus; Rachel Riemann

2004-01-01

Spatial modeling using GIS-based predictor layers often requires that extraneous predictors be culled before conducting analysis. In some cases, using extraneous predictor layers might improve model accuracy but at the expense of increasing complexity and interpretability. In other cases, using extraneous layers can dilute the relationship between predictors and target...

Wood fuel potential from harvested areas in the eastern United States.

Treesearch

Eugene M. Carpenter

1980-01-01

Estimates amount of wood fiber that could be available for fuel from forest residues on harvested areas in the eastern United States. Includes a key to resource data published by the USDA Forest Service and factors for estimating amounts of cull, bark, tops, and limbs from inventory and product output tabulations.

Applying Mastery Learning in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvir, Howard P.

This booklet is intended for nursing education teachers, and provides them with the product and process that was successfully used to develop education learning packets. The booklet contains six self-paced modules which aid the student in the assessment of the patient and which have been culled by one teacher from a larger bank of material…

Ideas Plus: A Collection of Practical Teaching Ideas. Book 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufmann, Felice, Comp.; Kent, Jeannette, Ed.

Culled from ideas contributed by people attending conferences of the National Council of Teachers of English and by readers of "NOTES Plus" and "IDEAS Plus," the activities contained in this booklet are intended to promote the effective teaching of writing and literature. Teaching strategies offered in the first section of the…

Lymphoproliferative and gamma interferon responses to stress-regulated Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis recombinant proteins

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Johne’s disease in ruminants is a chronic infection of the intestines caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Economic losses associated with Johne’s disease arise due to premature culling, reduced production of milk and wool and mortalities. The disease is characterised by a long inc...

Potential of Heterorhabditis indica to control Cylas formicarius in field culled sweet potato roots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius, is one of the most destructive insect pests of sweet potato in Hawaii. The larvae feed and tunnel inside the root causing malformation and a bitter taste that makes the product unmarketable. During harvest, farmers leave off-grade roots in the field which se...

Answers to Health Questions in Physical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Robert, Ed.

Culled from the answers of physical education teachers and coaches, this booklet attempts to indicate the scope of health problems and suggests some directions which the solutions may take. It is divided into three parts. Part 1, Health and Safety in Activity Programs, answers questions on first aid, excused absences, and desirability of…

Genetic diversity and frequency of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) detected in cattle in Turkey

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rapid detection and culling of persistently infected animals and efficacious vaccination are key factors to control bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infections in cattle. The aim of this study was to investigate frequency of detection of persistently infected cattle and examine the diversity of bo...

Mass Marketers Have a Sweet Deal for You, but There are Strings Attached.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rist, Marilee C.

1989-01-01

Teenagers are the target audience for Whittle Communication's "Channel One" news show and its commercials. Critics are calling the trade of equipment for commercials a "Trojan horse." Advice, culled from several sources, is offered to boards of education regarding the issue of whether commercial television belongs in schools.…

Ten year regeneration of southern Appalachian hardwood clearcuts after controlling residual trees

Treesearch

P.M. Zaldivar-Garcia; D.T. Tew

1991-01-01

Two upland hardwood stands were clearcut in 1978 and three treatments to control the unmerchantable and/or cull trees were applied. The treatments applied to the residual trees were chainsaw felling, herbicide injection, and a control, where residual trees were left standing. Regeneration was sampled 10 years after the cutting.

Of Texts AND Translations And Rhizomes: Postcolonial Anxieties and Deracinations and Knowledge Constructions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramanathan, Vaidehi

2006-01-01

This article uncovers some problems involved in culling and translating non-western texts--written in other languages, at particular times, for specific audiences, and rooted in particular local milieus--before assembling them into academic arguments in English in the west. Based on my longterm, evolving endeavour regarding English- and…

Cattle Differ in Ability to Adapt to Small Intestinal Digestion of Starch

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of post-ruminal starch digestion on inflammatory response in dairy cattle. Six cull, nonpregnant, nonlactating, multiparous cannulated Holstein dairy cows (BW 804±101 kg) were fed a high forage diet ad libitum starting 15 d before the infusion p...

Establishment of northern red oak genetic tests with nursery-graded seedlings

Treesearch

S. A. Lay; M. A. Remaley; S. E. Schlarbaum; P. P. Kormanik; T. Tibbs; R. A. Cox; T. LaFarge; A. M. Saxton

1997-01-01

Artificial regeneration of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) has had variable success over time. Current nursery practices generally involve the growth of seedlings to a standardized height and form with little regard to seed source, seedling quality, or subsequent field performance. Additionally, there is not an accepted culling criteria for...

Limited antigenic diversity in contemporary H7 avian-origin influenza A viruses from North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Subtype H7 avian–origin influenza A viruses (AIVs) have caused at least 500 confirmed human infections since 2003 and culling of >75 million birds in recent years. Understanding the antigenic diversity and genetic evolution of H7 AIVs is critical for developing effective strategies for disease prev...

Ovarian activity and uterus organometry in delayed puberty gilts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

About 30% of the total number of gilts selected for reproduction at the large breeding farm units in Vojvodina (Republic of Serbia) are culled due to the prolonged pre-insemination anoestrus (estrus not detected until 8 months of age). The aim of this study was to provide the answer to the followin...

Erupting with Great Force: Performing Text to Enhance Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bullion-Mears, Ann; McCauley, Joyce K.; McWhorter, J. YeVette

2007-01-01

Performing text in the form of choral reading, rap, reader's theatre, and/or simulations offers students a powerful vehicle for understanding and recalling key concepts and significant details culled from textual materials. Creating a script, poem, or lyrics to perform requires repeated readings of a text, a practice that increases participants'…

The Courtship and Consequences of Liberalization: A Snapshot of Educational Restructuring in Central East Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tibbitts, Felisa

Trends of educational change in (formerly) East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria are examined as restructuring takes place during the establishment of democratic political processes. These trends are culled from over 50 onsite semistructured interviews in August 1990, as part of a longitudinal study to document educational…

Glucosamine:chondroitin or ginger root extract have little effect on articular cartilage in swine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sows are culled at a high rate from breeding herds due to musclo-skeletal problems and lameness. Research in our laboratory has shown that even first-parity sows have significant amounts of osteochondritic lesions of their articular cartilage. Glusoamine chondroitin and ginger root extract have both...

Spatial epidemiology of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin white-tailed deer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Joly, D.O.; Samuel, M.D.; Langenberg, J.A.; Blanchong, Julie A.; Batha, C.A.; Rolley, R.E.; Keane, D.P.; Ribic, C.A.

2006-01-01

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, emerging disease of cervids associated with transmissible protease-resistant prion proteins. The potential for CWD to cause dramatic declines in deer and elk populations and perceived human health risks associated with consuming CWD-contaminated venison have led wildlife agencies to embark on extensive CWD control programs, typically involving culling to reduce deer populations. We characterized the spatial distribution of CWD in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Wisconsin to facilitate CWD management. We found that CWD prevalence declined with distance from a central location, was locally correlated at a scale of 3.6 km, and was correlated with deer habitat abundance. The latter result is consistent with patterns expected for a positive relationship between density and prevalence of CWD. We recommend management activities focused on culling in geographic areas with high prevalence to have the greatest probability of removing infected individuals. Further research is needed to elucidate the factors in envolved in CWD spread and infection rates, especially the role of density-dependent transmission. ?? Wildlife Disease Association 2006.

Can calcium chloride injection facilitate the ageing-derived improvement in the quality of meat from culled dairy cows?

PubMed

Bunmee, T; Jaturasitha, S; Kreuzer, M; Wicke, M

2014-04-01

This study investigated whether the positive effects of ageing on tenderness of meat from culled dairy cows can be facilitated by CaCl₂. Injections of 250 mM CaCl₂ solution (10% wt/wt) were performed on Longissimus dorsi samples from 32 7-yrs old cows. Samples were vacuum packaged and aged for 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 days. Ageing alone produced lighter and less red meat with lower shear force, higher myofibrillar fragmentation and tenderness scores but also elevated lipid oxidation. For most traits investigated, CaCl₂-injected meat exhibited similar ageing effects, but drip loss increased with age. The CaCl₂-injected meat had a lower shear force and myofibrillar fragmentation increased more rapidly, but drip loss, off-flavour scores, colour stability and oxidative stability were inferior to untreated meat. Overall, it was found possible to accelerate tenderisation of such meat with CaCl₂, but only at the cost of adverse effects in some other quality traits. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of skeletal separation and moisture enhancement for improving the eating quality of cull cow beef.

PubMed

Streiter, P J; Campbell, C P; Mandell, I B

2012-12-01

Sixty-two cull beef cows were slaughtered to investigate effects of skeletal separation and moisture enhancement on beef eating quality. Muscles from each carcass side were randomly assigned to 1) no postmortem processing (NPP), 2) prerigor skeletal separation (SS), 3) moisture enhancement (ME) using calcium ascorbate or 4) a combination of SS and ME (SS/ME). Postmortem processing treatment (PPT) by ageing (PM) interactions (P<0.01) for shear force were present for longissimus. As PM ageing increased from 7 to 21 d, there was a greater decrease (P<0.05) in shear force with NPP vs. all other PPT. Trained taste panellists found SS, ME and SS/ME improved (P<0.05) palatability attributes vs. NPP. An additive effect of combining SS and ME improved palatability traits versus SS or ME alone. Panellists found no differences (P>0.14) in softness and tenderness between SS/ME and Canadian AA or AAA beef. Postmortem processing of beef cows may produce beef as tender and juicy as beef from younger carcasses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources of Salmonellae in broiler chickens in Ontario.

PubMed Central

Hacking, W C; Mitchell, W R; Carlson, H C

1978-01-01

Sources of Salmonellae infecting broiler chicken flocks in Ontario were investigated from July, 1975 to April, 1976. Three broiler flocks were investigated on each of four farms which received chicks from a common hatchery. Samples of feed and new litter were preenriched in nonselective broth subcultured to Salmonella-selective enrichment broth and plated on Salmonella-selective differential agar.Samples of used litter, water, culled chicks, insects, mice, wild birds and environmental swabs were not cultured initially in the nonselective broth. Fecal samples from principal and occasional flock attendants were examined for Samonellae. Salmonella infection, as judged by contaminated flock litter was detected in six flocks on two of the farms while the flocks on the other farms remained negative. Salmonellae were isolated from 23 of 412 feed samples (nine serotypes), six of 35 new wood shaving samples (four serotypes), one of 29 pools of culled chick viscera (one serotype) and 44 of 267 used litter samples (14 serotypes). These results indicate that broiler chicken flocks were infected with diverse Salmonellae introduced in day old chicks, pelleted feeds, wood shavings and residual contamination from the preceding flock. PMID:743597

Evaluation of Two Compressed Air Foam Systems for Culling Caged Layer Hens.

PubMed

Benson, Eric R; Weiher, Jaclyn A; Alphin, Robert L; Farnell, Morgan; Hougentogler, Daniel P

2018-04-24

Outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) and other highly contagious poultry diseases continue to be a concern for those involved in the poultry industry. In the situation of an outbreak, emergency depopulation of the birds involved is necessary. In this project, two compressed air foam systems (CAFS) were evaluated for mass emergency depopulation of layer hens in a manure belt equipped cage system. In both experiments, a randomized block design was used with multiple commercial layer hens treated with one of three randomly selected depopulation methods: CAFS, CAFS with CO₂ gas, and CO₂ gas. In Experiment 1, a Rowe manufactured CAFS was used, a selection of birds were instrumented, and the time to unconsciousness, brain death, altered terminal cardiac activity and motion cessation were recorded. CAFS with and without CO₂ was faster to unconsciousness, however, the other parameters were not statistically significant. In Experiment 2, a custom Hale based CAFS was used to evaluate the impact of bird age, a selection of birds were instrumented, and the time to motion cessation was recorded. The difference in time to cessation of movement between pullets and spent hens using CAFS was not statistically significant. Both CAFS depopulate caged layers, however, there was no benefit to including CO₂.

In the minority: black physicians in residency and their experiences.

PubMed Central

Liebschutz, Jane M.; Darko, Godwin O.; Finley, Erin P.; Cawse, Jeanne M.; Bharel, Monica; Orlander, Jay D.

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To describe black residents' perceptions of the impact of race on medical training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Open-ended interviews were conducted of black physicians in postgraduate year 22 who had graduated from U.S. medical schools and were enrolled in residency programs at one medical school. Using Grounded Theory tenets of qualitative research, data was culled for common themes through repeated readings; later, participants commented on themes from earlier interviews. RESULTS: Of 19 participants 10 were male, distributed evenly among medical and surgical fields. Four major themes emerged from the narratives: discrimination, differing expectations, social isolation and consequences. Participants' sense of being a highly visible minority permeated each theme. Overt discrimination was rare. Participants perceived blacks to be punished more harshly for the same transgression and expected to perform at lower levels than white counterparts. Participants' suspicion of racism as a motivation for individual and institutional behaviors was tempered by self-doubt. Social isolation from participants' white colleagues contrasted with connections experienced with black physicians, support staff and patients, and participants strongly desired black mentors. Consequences of these experiences varied greatly. CONCLUSIONS: Black physicians face complex social and emotional challenges during postgraduate training. Creating supportive networks and raising awareness of these issues may improve training experiences for black physicians. PMID:17019911

Olfactory experience and the development of odor preference and vaginal marking in female Syrian hamsters.

PubMed

Maras, Pamela M; Petrulis, Aras

2008-07-05

Rodent reproductive behavior relies heavily on odor processing, and evidence suggests that many odor-guided sexual behaviors are shaped by prior experience. We sought to determine if exposure to male odors during development is required for the adult expression of proceptive sexual behavior toward male odors in female Syrian hamsters. Exposure to male odors was restricted in naïve subjects by removing all male siblings from the litter at three to five days of age. Control litters were also culled, but included equal numbers of male and female pups. As adults, naïve females displayed investigatory preferences toward male odors in a Y-maze that were comparable to control females; this preference was observed whether contact with the odor stimuli was prevented of allowed. In contrast, naïve females vaginal scent-marked equally toward male and female volatile odors, suggesting an inability to target behavior toward sexually relevant odors. However, naïve females marked preferentially toward male odors when allowed to contact the odor stimuli. These results provide evidence for the experience-dependent development of vaginal marking behavior toward volatile components of sexual odors. Furthermore, they suggest that distinct mechanisms regulate the development of odor preferences and vaginal marking behavior in this species.

Comparison between a Weibull proportional hazards model and a linear model for predicting the genetic merit of US Jersey sires for daughter longevity.

PubMed

Caraviello, D Z; Weigel, K A; Gianola, D

2004-05-01

Predicted transmitting abilities (PTA) of US Jersey sires for daughter longevity were calculated using a Weibull proportional hazards sire model and compared with predictions from a conventional linear animal model. Culling data from 268,008 Jersey cows with first calving from 1981 to 2000 were used. The proportional hazards model included time-dependent effects of herd-year-season contemporary group and parity by stage of lactation interaction, as well as time-independent effects of sire and age at first calving. Sire variances and parameters of the Weibull distribution were estimated, providing heritability estimates of 4.7% on the log scale and 18.0% on the original scale. The PTA of each sire was expressed as the expected risk of culling relative to daughters of an average sire. Risk ratios (RR) ranged from 0.7 to 1.3, indicating that the risk of culling for daughters of the best sires was 30% lower than for daughters of average sires and nearly 50% lower than than for daughters of the poorest sires. Sire PTA from the proportional hazards model were compared with PTA from a linear model similar to that used for routine national genetic evaluation of length of productive life (PL) using cross-validation in independent samples of herds. Models were compared using logistic regression of daughters' stayability to second, third, fourth, or fifth lactation on their sires' PTA values, with alternative approaches for weighting the contribution of each sire. Models were also compared using logistic regression of daughters' stayability to 36, 48, 60, 72, and 84 mo of life. The proportional hazards model generally yielded more accurate predictions according to these criteria, but differences in predictive ability between methods were smaller when using a Kullback-Leibler distance than with other approaches. Results of this study suggest that survival analysis methodology may provide more accurate predictions of genetic merit for longevity than conventional linear models.

Modeling seasonal behavior changes and disease transmission with application to chronic wasting disease.

PubMed

Oraby, Tamer; Vasilyeva, Olga; Krewski, Daniel; Lutscher, Frithjof

2014-01-07

Behavior and habitat of wildlife animals change seasonally according to environmental conditions. Mathematical models need to represent this seasonality to be able to make realistic predictions about the future of a population and the effectiveness of human interventions. Managing and modeling disease in wild animal populations requires particular care in that disease transmission dynamics is a critical consideration in the etiology of both human and animal diseases, with different transmission paradigms requiring different disease risk management strategies. Since transmission of infectious diseases among wildlife depends strongly on social behavior, mechanisms of disease transmission could also change seasonally. A specific consideration in this regard confronted by modellers is whether the contact rate between individuals is density-dependent or frequency-dependent. We argue that seasonal behavior changes could lead to a seasonal shift between density and frequency dependence. This hypothesis is explored in the case of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal disease that affects deer, elk and moose in many areas of North America. Specifically, we introduce a strategic CWD risk model based on direct disease transmission that accounts for the seasonal change in the transmission dynamics and habitats occupied, guided by information derived from cervid ecology. The model is composed of summer and winter susceptible-infected (SI) equations, with frequency-dependent and density-dependent transmission dynamics, respectively. The model includes impulsive birth events with density-dependent birth rate. We determine the basic reproduction number as a weighted average of two seasonal reproduction numbers. We parameterize the model from data derived from the scientific literature on CWD and deer ecology, and conduct global and local sensitivity analyses of the basic reproduction number. We explore the effectiveness of different culling strategies for the management of CWD: although summer culling seems to be an effective disease eradication strategy, the total culling rate is limited by the requirement to preserve the herd. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk factors and the economic impact of ovarian cysts on reproductive performance of dairy cows in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Doek; Ki, Kwang-Sook; Kang, Hyun-Gu; Kim, Ill-Hwa

2005-08-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the risk factors for development of postpartum ovarian cysts by evaluating several reproductive factors in individual cows, and to determine the economic impact of ovarian cysts on subsequent reproductive performance in dairy herds in Korea. The data, including cow parity, abnormal puerperium, endometritis, body condition score (BCS), and breeding status were collected from 634 cows in 9 dairy herds. We used logistic regression to evaluate the effects of these factors on ovarian cysts. A stepwise procedure, used to obtain the appropriate model with alpha=0.05, revealed that cow parity was the most important risk factor for ovarian cyst development within 8 weeks postpartum, while development of endometritis and BCS loss>or=1 from the dry period to 8 weeks postpartum were the most important risk factors for ovarian cyst development beyond 8 weeks postpartum. The occurrence of ovarian cysts beyond 8 weeks postpartum prolonged (P<0.01) the mean intervals from calving to first service (27 days) and conception (77 days), and increased (P<0.05) the culling rate (7.8%), while ovarian cyst development within 8 weeks postpartum did not affect (P>0.05) the mean intervals from calving to first service and conception or the culling rate. The economic loss resulting from the occurrence of ovarian cysts was estimated at approximately 823,996 won ($687) due to effects on the cost of nutrition, average growth of calves, labor and medical costs, and culling. These results suggest that cow parity is correlated with the development of ovarian cysts within 8 weeks postpartum, and endometritis and BCS loss>or=1 from the dry period to 8 weeks postpartum are correlated with the development of ovarian cysts after 8 weeks postpartum, which decreases reproductive performance and results in economic loss in dairy herds in Korea.

Controlling disease outbreaks in wildlife using limited culling: modelling classical swine fever incursions in wild pigs in Australia.

PubMed

Cowled, Brendan D; Garner, M Graeme; Negus, Katherine; Ward, Michael P

2012-01-16

Disease modelling is one approach for providing new insights into wildlife disease epidemiology. This paper describes a spatio-temporal, stochastic, susceptible- exposed-infected-recovered process model that simulates the potential spread of classical swine fever through a documented, large and free living wild pig population following a simulated incursion. The study area (300 000 km2) was in northern Australia. Published data on wild pig ecology from Australia, and international Classical Swine Fever data was used to parameterise the model. Sensitivity analyses revealed that herd density (best estimate 1-3 pigs km-2), daily herd movement distances (best estimate approximately 1 km), probability of infection transmission between herds (best estimate 0.75) and disease related herd mortality (best estimate 42%) were highly influential on epidemic size but that extraordinary movements of pigs and the yearly home range size of a pig herd were not. CSF generally established (98% of simulations) following a single point introduction. CSF spread at approximately 9 km2 per day with low incidence rates (< 2 herds per day) in an epidemic wave along contiguous habitat for several years, before dying out (when the epidemic arrived at the end of a contiguous sub-population or at a low density wild pig area). The low incidence rate indicates that surveillance for wildlife disease epidemics caused by short lived infections will be most efficient when surveillance is based on detection and investigation of clinical events, although this may not always be practical. Epidemics could be contained and eradicated with culling (aerial shooting) or vaccination when these were adequately implemented. It was apparent that the spatial structure, ecology and behaviour of wild populations must be accounted for during disease management in wildlife. An important finding was that it may only be necessary to cull or vaccinate relatively small proportions of a population to successfully contain and eradicate some wildlife disease epidemics.

Controlling disease outbreaks in wildlife using limited culling: modelling classical swine fever incursions in wild pigs in Australia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Disease modelling is one approach for providing new insights into wildlife disease epidemiology. This paper describes a spatio-temporal, stochastic, susceptible- exposed-infected-recovered process model that simulates the potential spread of classical swine fever through a documented, large and free living wild pig population following a simulated incursion. The study area (300 000 km2) was in northern Australia. Published data on wild pig ecology from Australia, and international Classical Swine Fever data was used to parameterise the model. Sensitivity analyses revealed that herd density (best estimate 1-3 pigs km-2), daily herd movement distances (best estimate approximately 1 km), probability of infection transmission between herds (best estimate 0.75) and disease related herd mortality (best estimate 42%) were highly influential on epidemic size but that extraordinary movements of pigs and the yearly home range size of a pig herd were not. CSF generally established (98% of simulations) following a single point introduction. CSF spread at approximately 9 km2 per day with low incidence rates (< 2 herds per day) in an epidemic wave along contiguous habitat for several years, before dying out (when the epidemic arrived at the end of a contiguous sub-population or at a low density wild pig area). The low incidence rate indicates that surveillance for wildlife disease epidemics caused by short lived infections will be most efficient when surveillance is based on detection and investigation of clinical events, although this may not always be practical. Epidemics could be contained and eradicated with culling (aerial shooting) or vaccination when these were adequately implemented. It was apparent that the spatial structure, ecology and behaviour of wild populations must be accounted for during disease management in wildlife. An important finding was that it may only be necessary to cull or vaccinate relatively small proportions of a population to successfully contain and eradicate some wildlife disease epidemics. PMID:22243996

Cross-sectional Study Examining Salmonella enterica Carriage in Subiliac Lymph Nodes of Cull and Feedlot Cattle at Harvest

PubMed Central

Gragg, Sara E.; Loneragan, Guy H.; Brashears, Mindy M.; Arthur, Terrance M.; Bosilevac, Joseph M.; Kalchayanand, Norasak; Wang, Rong; Schmidt, John W.; Brooks, J. Chance; Shackelford, Steven D.; Wheeler, Tommy L.; Brown, Tyson R.; Edrington, Thomas S.

2013-01-01

Abstract Bovine peripheral lymph nodes (LNs), including subiliac LNs, have been identified as a potential source of human exposure to Salmonella enterica, when adipose trim containing these nodes is incorporated into ground beef. In order to gain a better understanding of the burden of S. enterica in peripheral LNs of feedlot and cull cattle, a cross-sectional study was undertaken in which 3327 subiliac LNs were collected from cattle at harvest in seven plants, located in three geographically distinct regions of the United States. Samples were collected in three seasons: Fall 2010, Winter/Spring 2011, and Summer/Fall 2011. A convenience sample of 76 LNs per day, 2 days per season (approximately 1 month apart), was collected per plant, from carcasses held in the cooler for no less than 24 h. Every 10th carcass half on a rail was sampled, in an attempt to avoid oversampling any single cohort of cattle. Median point estimates of S. enterica contamination were generally low (1.3%); however, median Salmonella prevalence was found to be greater in subiliac LNs of feedlot cattle (11.8%) compared to those of cull cattle (0.65%). Enumeration analysis of a subset of 618 feedlot cattle LNs showed that 67% of those harboring S. enterica (97 of 144) did so at concentrations ranging from <0.1 to 1.8 log10 CFU/g, while 33% carried a higher burden of S. enterica, with levels ranging from 1.9 to >3.8 log10 CFU/g. Serotyping of S. enterica isolated identified 24 serotypes, with the majority being Montevideo (44.0%) and Anatum (24.8%). Antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes were determined for all isolates, and the majority (86.1%) were pansusceptible; however, multidrug-resistant isolates (8.3%) were also occasionally observed. As Salmonella contained within LNs are protected from carcass interventions, research is needed to define opportunities for mitigating the risk of Salmonella contamination in LNs of apparently healthy cattle. PMID:23566273

Traditional livestock breeding practices of men and women Somali pastoralists: trait preferences and selection of breeding animals.

PubMed

Marshall, K; Mtimet, N; Wanyoike, F; Ndiwa, N; Ghebremariam, H; Mugunieri, L; Costagli, R

2016-12-01

Somalia, one of the world's poorest countries, has livestock as the mainstay of the economy, with an estimated 65% of the population engaged in the livestock sector. This paper presents a gendered study on the traditional livestock breeding practices of Somali pastoralists for camels, cattle, sheep and goats, with a focus on documenting livestock traits of importance, the criteria used to select male breeding animals and the criteria used to cull female breeding animals. Data for the study were obtained by performing participatory rural appraisals (PRAs) with separate male and female pastoral groups from 20 settlements of the Tog-Dheer region of Somaliland (in north-western Somalia). In total, more than 500 pastoralists were involved. In terms of livestock ownership, goats were the most common species kept (97% of all households), followed by sheep (64%), camels (37%) and cattle (9%), with considerable herd size variation across households. Traits of key importance to the pastoralists varied by species and gender of the PRA group, but included adaptedness to harsh environmental conditions, high market value/high meat production and high milk production. The pastoralists practised sensible criteria for the selection of male breeding animals for all species, capturing aspects of productivity (milk yield, reproduction), adaptedness (good hardiness) and marketability (body size and conformation). Similarly, they practised sensible criteria for culling of female breeding animals, with females removed from the herd primarily for poor performance, but also to meet the livelihood needs of the family. Differences in the selection and culling criteria were noted by species, as well as gender of the pastoralists. On the whole, there was strong alignment between the livestock selection criteria used by the Somali pastoralists, their reasons for keeping livestock and the market requirements. This is not surprising given the intimate and long-standing relationship between Somali pastoralists and their livestock. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Randomized clinical trial of a calcium supplement for improvement of health in dairy cows in early lactation.

PubMed

Miltenburg, Cynthia L; Duffield, Todd F; Bienzle, Dorothee; Scholtz, Elizabeth L; LeBlanc, Stephen J

2016-08-01

Prophylactic Ca supplementation immediately after calving is a common strategy to prevent clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia in parturient dairy cows. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of prophylactic administration of an injected Ca supplement on blood Ca concentration at 24 and 48h after treatment, incidence risk of clinical disease and culling, milk production in early lactation, and probability of pregnancy at first insemination. Cows without signs of visible milk fever (n=984) from 7 farms were blocked by parity and randomly assigned to receive either Ca gluconate (35% wt/vol) in combination with Ca glucoheptonate (10% wt/vol; TheraCalcium, Vétoquinol Canada Inc., Lavaltrie, Quebec) or a placebo (medication vehicle solution with no Ca) at first contact with each cow after calving and again 12 to 24h later. Each dose was 120mL injected subcutaneously over 2 sites. Total serum Ca concentration (tCa) was measured from coccygeal blood samples before (time 0) and 24 and 48h after first treatment in a subsample of cows (n=129). Blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were measured from all cows twice between 3 and 16d in milk at weekly visits and cows were evaluated for vaginal discharge once between 28 and 42d in milk. Disease events, production data from the first 3 Dairy Herd Improvement milk tests, reproduction, and culling data were collected from each herd. For cows that had received 1 injection of Ca before the blood sample at 24h (n=95), tCa was significantly higher in the treated cows: mean ± standard error, 2.03±0.03 versus 1.90±0.03mmol/L, accounting for tCa at time of enrollment and a treatment by tCa at enrollment interaction. At 48h, no significant difference was found in tCa between treatment and control (mean ± SE, 2.12±0.02 and 2.10±0.03mmol/L, respectively). Cows treated with the Ca product were significantly less likely to have received intravenous, subcutaneous, or oral supplemental Ca for exhibiting clinical signs of hypocalcemia than control cows (5.0 vs. 8.4%). No effect was found of treatment on retained placenta, metritis, hyperketonemia, prevalence of purulent vaginal discharge, culling from the herd, early lactation production, probability of pregnancy to first artificial insemination, or time to pregnancy. With this subcutaneous prophylactic Ca treatment regimen, blood Ca levels were temporarily increased at 24h after treatment, but no effect was observed of supplemental Ca on the risk of disease or culling, milk production, or reproductive performance. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feeding strategy and age on live animal performance, carcass characteristics, and economics of short-term feeding programs for culled beef cows.

PubMed

Sawyer, J E; Mathis, C P; Davis, B

2004-12-01

To evaluate production and economic effects of feeding management strategy and age on intensively managed culled beef cows, a study was conducted using 125 cows of British breeding blocked by age (Young = 3 and 4 yr olds; LowMid = 5 and 6 yr olds; HighMid = 7 and 8 yr olds; and Aged = 9 yr and older) and assigned to one of three steam-flaked corn based feeding strategies. Treatments were as follows: Conservative (CSV), 30% roughage throughout; Standard (STD), decrease roughage from 30 to 10% over 20 d; and Aggressive (AGR), decrease roughage from 30 to 10% over 10 d. There were four pens per treatment in a randomized complete block design. Cows were fed for a total of 54 d, and BW was measured on d 0, 14, 28, 42, and 54. Half the cows from each pen were randomly selected and slaughtered at a commercial abattoir, and carcass data were collected. Average daily gain, daily DMI, and G:F during each weigh period and across the entire feeding period were calculated. Over the 54-d feeding period, strategies that employed more energy-dense diets numerically increased ADG (1.28, 1.63, and 1.55 +/- 0.14 kg/d for CSV, STD, and AGR; P = 0.26) and decreased DMI (11.91, 10.74, and 10.89 +/- 0.27 kg/d for CSV, STD, and AGR; P = 0.05), such that G:F was lower for CSV than for STD or AGR (0.105, 0.150, and 0.141 +/- 0.010; P = 0.05). Carcass weight was least for the CSV strategy (298 kg) and greatest for STD (328 kg); AGR resulted in intermediate carcass weight (317 +/- 6 kg; P = 0.04). Total cost of gain was over 30% greater for CSV strategy than for STD or AGR strategies (P < 0.01). In many cases, block effects (age) had a greater effect on responses than treatments. Average daily gain, DMI, and G:F decreased linearly with age (P < 0.01). Hot carcass weight, dressing percent, and fat thickness decreased linearly with age (P < 0.03); yield grade decreased and carcass maturity attributes increased linearly with age (P < 0.02). Performance and intake differences resulted in linear increases in total cost of gain (P < 0.01) and breakeven price (P = 0.03) with increasing age. These data indicate advantages to more aggressive feeding management strategies for culled beef cows, although maximal intake may be achieved with higher-roughage diets. Despite management effects, an increase in market price above purchase price may be required for intensive feeding of culled beef cows to be a profitable enterprise.

Rx for Abies: silvicultural options for diseased firs in Oregon and Washington.

Treesearch

G.M. Filip; C.L. Schmitt

1990-01-01

The true firs are important species in Oregon and Washington forests, but root diseases, stem decays, and dwarf mistletoes cause more mortality, growth loss, and cull in these species than in any other. This paper consolidates research, observations, and management techniques for diseases of true firs, especially the effects of silvicultural activities on root diseases...

"For the Best Interests of the Community": Riverside's 14th Street School Debate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groen, Mark

2017-01-01

The placement of schoolhouses provided a forum for animated and often colorful local debate during the late 19th century. Local newspaper editors occasionally interspersed references culled from national educational debates within their columns, indicating that their readers were well aware of the issues and the rhetoric of national politics…

Association of the host immune response with protection using a live attenuated African swine fever virus model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal hemorrhagic disease of swine caused by a double-stranded DNA virus, African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). There is no vaccine to prevent the disease and current control measures are limited to culling and restricted animal movement. Swine infected with attenuated st...

Progress of Heart Rot Following Fire in Bottomland Red Oaks

Treesearch

E. Richard Toole; George M. Furnival

1957-01-01

The most important cause of cull in southern hardwood forests is heart rot that develops from wounds made by fire. This study derived means by which the forester working with bottomland red oaks can determine the amount of decay behind old fire scars and estimate the rot that can be expected from new wounds.

Differences in Computed Individual-Tree Volumes Caused by Differences in Field Measurements

Treesearch

James A. Westfall

2008-01-01

Individual-tree volumes are primarily predicted using volume equations that rely on measured tree attributes. In the northeastern United States, the Forest Inventory and Analysis program determines tree volume using dbh, bole height, proportion of cull, and species information. These measurements are subject to variability due to a host of factors. The sensitivity of...

Neurofibromin and Neuronal Apoptosis

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

role of familial pheochromocytoma genes, including succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and Nf1, in modulating neuronal apoptosis following neurotrophin...gene products, in Nf1-/- sensory and sympathetic neurons; this work will also have relevance to the biology of familial pheochromocytoma . "So what...Schlisio, S. (2005). Neuronal apoptosis linked to EglN3 prolyl hydroxylase and familial pheochromocytoma genes: Developmental culling and cancer. Cancer

7 CFR 987.56 - Outlets for utility and cull dates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... finds that the use of utility dates of any variety in certain products for human consumption would tend to effectuate the declared policy of the act, the Secretary shall specify such products, and dates of..., alcohol, or brandy outlets, or in such other outlets for non-human food products as the Committee with the...

ICAR guidelines for recording, evaluation and genetic improvement of female fertility in dairy cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fertility refers to the ability of a cow to conceive and maintain pregnancy within a specific time period, and is of substantial economic importance in the dairy industry because lactations begin with the birth of a calf. Culling rates due to infertility are much higher than two or three decades ago...

Caught between Stages: Relational Aggression Emerging as a Developmental Advance in At-Risk Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Erika M.; Nangle, Douglas W.

2006-01-01

Eighty-two Head Start preschoolers were assessed with a peer rating measure of sociometric status, the Social Skills Rating System for Teachers (Gresham & Elliott, 1990), an Overt Aggression scale culled from items from the Aggressive Behavior subscale of the CBCL-TRF (Achenbach, 1997), and teacher ratings of relational aggression (Crick,…

Response to a rabies epidemic, Bali, Indonesia, 2008-2011.

PubMed

Putra, Anak Agung Gde; Hampson, Katie; Girardi, Janice; Hiby, Elly; Knobel, Darryn; Mardiana, I Wayan; Townsend, Sunny; Scott-Orr, Helen

2013-04-01

Emergency vaccinations and culling failed to contain an outbreak of rabies in Bali, Indonesia, during 2008-2009. Subsequent island-wide mass vaccination (reaching 70% coverage, >200,000 dogs) led to substantial declines in rabies incidence and spread. However, the incidence of dog bites remains high, and repeat campaigns are necessary to eliminate rabies in Bali.

Troping the Primitive: The Rhetoric of Socialization in Novels of Education and Educational Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Katherine

2012-01-01

One narrative form that has significantly shaped the Western profile of adolescence is the novel of education, or traditional "bildungsroman." The very notion that adolescence is punctuated with "storm and stress" is culled from G. Stanley Hall's close reading of Goethe's (1774) "bildungsroman," "The Sorrows of Young Werther." For Hall, Werther's…

Family-Work Conflict and Type-E Personality as Stress Inducers in Married Female Nigerian University Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shobola, A. A.; Nwoha, P. C.

2013-01-01

This piece of article is culled from a larger study. The study investigated the relationship between family-work conflict, Type-E personality and stress in married female Nigerian University Administrators. The study adopted ex-post facto design. The sample consisted of 800 female administrators in the senior cadre of executive/administrative…

Family indices for seed-orchard selection

Treesearch

Gene Namkoong

1966-01-01

Many seed orchard programs include a stage at which clones or seedlings are culled on the basis of progeny tests. Though breeding systems which involve progeny testing differ in efficiency, they all provide information on an individual's breeding value through its own performance and that of parental or seedling relatives. A combined index on any one trait, using...

77 FR 24671 - Compliance Guide for Residue Prevention and Agency Testing Policy for Residues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

... cows and bob veal, that account for 90 percent of the residues found in animals presented for slaughter, pointing to the need for the Agency to continue to focus compliance efforts on cull dairy cows and bob veal. This Compliance Guide emphasizes that establishments, especially those that slaughter dairy cows and...

Flunixin urine residues in culled dairy cows and its relevance to food safety and environmental concerns

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Flunixin is a US-FDA approved non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent; it is prominent due to violative meat residues detected by the US-FSIS in dairy cows. The effects of route of administration (2.2 mg/kg) and endotoxin challenge on flunixin elimination and residues were investigated. High urinary ...

Ovarian reaction and estrus manifestation in delayed puberty gilts after treatment with equine chorionic gonadotropin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Prolonged pre-insemination anestrus (estrus not detected until 8 mo of age, i.e. delayed puberty) is the major reason for culling about 30% of the total number of gilts selected for reproduction at the large breeding farm units in Vojvodina (Republic of Serbia). It is important to determine whether...

Outcome and Efficacy of Interventions by a Public Figure Threat Assessment and Management Unit: A Mirrored Study of Concerning Behaviors and Police Contacts Before and After Intervention.

PubMed

James, David V; Farnham, Frank R

2016-09-01

Specialized units for the assessment and management of concerning behaviors towards public figures have been set up in various jurisdictions. Their efficacy has been demonstrated descriptively and in terms of reduction in concern rates. This study of 100 consecutive cases from the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) in the UK uses a novel measure of outcome in the form of reduction in behaviors of concern and in police call-outs/stops, using data culled from police and health service records. It adopts a mirrored design, comparing individuals over 12-month and 2-year periods before and after FTAC intervention. It demonstrates significant reductions in both numbers of individuals involved in, and number of actual incidents of, concerning communication and problematic approach, as well as police call-outs/stops. Most results are consistent across subgroups with regard to gender, previous convictions, concern level, compulsory hospitalization and grievance-driven behavior. Such threat assessment units reduce risky behavior and save police time and, possibly, costs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The flux and reflux of science: The study of the tides and the organization of early Victorian science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reidy, Michael Sean

2000-07-01

For a fortnight in June, 1835, nine countries observed simultaneously the oceanic tides bordering their countries and their possessions. Over 650 tidal stations participated. This multi-national venture, which William Whewell affirmed to include the most ``multiplied and extensive observations yet encountered in science,'' was prototypical of what Susan Faye Cannon has termed ``Humboldtian science.'' This dissertation demonstrates how the beginnings of the politics of imperialism, the economics of a worldwide export trade, and the extensive diffusion of science to the middle and working classes laid the foundation for the increasing expansiveness Humboldtian research and the fruitful connection between science and government. The social matrix and internal mechanisms of this tidal research demonstrates that Humboldtian initiatives relied on a broad base of support and activity. This included significant contributions from Missionary Societies, the British Association, and especially the British Admiralty, from the Preventive Coast Guard to the Duke of Wellington, then Foreign Secretary. I also stress the essential contribution of the working-classes, a group previous historiography often described as mere data collectors. I uncover their roles in not only gathering data, but in initiating research topics, building self- registering instruments, reducing observational data, and advancing mathematical methods of analysis. Whewell's twenty-year research project helped him formulate what it was to do science and placed him at the forefront of the emerging profession of science in the early Victorian era. His approach to tidology was culled from a study of its history and philosophy and followed two major lines of research. The first entailed finding the phenomenological laws of the tides through long-term observations. His second approach entailed short-term but simultaneous observations along the entire coast of Great Britain, and eventually Europe and America. Through a combination of these two approaches, Whewell both advanced the study of the tides and used his experiences as a researcher extensively in his History and Philosophy to comment on issues of scientific methodology.

Canker Rots in Southern Hardwoods

Treesearch

F.I. McCracken

1978-01-01

Canker-rot fungi cause serious degrade and cull in southern hardwoods, especially the red oaks. Heartwood decay is the most serious form of damage, but the fungi also kill the cambium and decay the sapwood for as much as 3 feet (.91 m) above and below the entrance point into the tree. The ability of these fungi to kill the cambium and cause cankers distinguishes them...

History, Reflection, and Narrative: The Professionalization of Composition, 1963-1983. Perspectives on Writing: Theory, Research, Practice. Volume 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosner, Mary, Ed.; Boehm, Beth, Ed.; Journet, Debra, Ed.

This collection of essays, culled from presentations at the first Thomas R. Watson Conference in Rhetoric and Composition, examines the development of composition as a profession, focusing on the period between 1963 and 1983 when composition changed in a number of crucial ways. Essays in the collection are: (1) "Composition History and…

Heart Rots of Red and White Firs

Treesearch

J.W. Kimmey; H.H. Jr. Bynum

1961-01-01

Heart rots, caused by fungi that attack the heartwood of living trees, are responsible for the greatest volume loss sustained by California red fir (Abies magnifica A. Murr.) and white fir (A. concolor (Gord. and Glend.) Lindl.). These two firs comprise 25 percent of the commercial timber of California. More than 13 percent of the volume in these firs is useless cull...

A preview of Vermont's forest resource

Treesearch

Joseph E. Barnard; Teresa M. Bowers

1974-01-01

Forest land occupies 75 percent of the total land area in Vermont. Nearly one-half of this forest land is the beech-birch-maple forest type. The inventory data show volume increasing but at a lower rate than in neighboring states. This is due to large losses from cull and mortality. Total growing-stock volume is now 4.7 billion cubic feet.

Field Performance of High-Quality and Standard Northern Red Oak Seedlings in Tennessee

Treesearch

David S. Buckley

2002-01-01

First-year performance of high-quality (HQ), high-quality cull (HQC) and standard (ST) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) nursery seedlings was compared in a study established in a recent clearcut in mid-March, 2000. Objectives were to test effects of 1) seedling type, 2) planting treatment, and 3) control of competitors on the growth, browsing, and...

At-Risk Youth: Considerations for State-Level Policymakers, Including a Summary of Recent State-Level Actions in the Region.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the Northeast & Islands, Andover, MA.

In response to the growing dropout problem, most of the northeastern states (and islands) and many of their local districts have implemented policies and programs designed to reduce the number of students leaving school. This paper presents some observations, culled from various reports, for policymakers' consideration. Section I offers a set of…

New Tree-Classification System Used by the Southern Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit

Treesearch

Dennis M. May; John S. Vissage; D. Vince Few

1990-01-01

Trees at USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Inventory and Analysis, sample locations are classified as growing stock or cull based on their ability to produce sawlogs. The old and new classification systems are compared, and the impacts of the new system on the reporting of tree volumes are illustrated with inventory data from north Alabama.

Safe application of regionalization for trade in poultry and poultry products during highly pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks in USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The 2014-15 H5Nx high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak affected 211 commercial premises, 21 backyard flocks, 75 individual wild birds and four captive-reared raptors in 21 Western and upper Midwestern states, resulting in death or culling of over 49.7 million poultry in the stamping-out...

Response to a Rabies Epidemic, Bali, Indonesia, 2008–2011

PubMed Central

Hampson, Katie; Girardi, Janice; Hiby, Elly; Knobel, Darryn; Mardiana, Wayan; Townsend, Sunny; Scott-Orr, Helen

2013-01-01

Emergency vaccinations and culling failed to contain an outbreak of rabies in Bali, Indonesia, during 2008–2009. Subsequent island-wide mass vaccination (reaching 70% coverage, >200,000 dogs) led to substantial declines in rabies incidence and spread. However, the incidence of dog bites remains high, and repeat campaigns are necessary to eliminate rabies in Bali. PMID:23632033

Incidence and impact of damage and mortality trends to South Carolina's timber, 1986

Treesearch

Robert L. Anderson; Noel D. Cost; William H. Hoffard; Clair Redmond; Joe Glover

1990-01-01

On South Carolina's 12.2 million acres of timberland, 186 million cubic feet of timber were lost annually to mortality and cull between 1978 and 1986. The estimated annual monetary loss was $97.3 million. Among broad management types. natural pine, planted pine, upland hardwoods, and bottomland hardwoods - the greatest loss occurred in natural pine stands. About...

Culturally-Inclusive Behavior of Filipino Teachers in International Schools in the Philippines: Perspectives of International Education in a Developing Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernardo, Maria Aurora Correa; Malakolunthu, Suseela

2013-01-01

The study explored the culturally inclusive behavior of Filipino teachers using information culled from interviews of six Filipino teachers in international schools on their perception of international education, and how it translates into their pedagogy. The findings of the study reveal inherent patterns of behavior the teachers manifest in…

Exploring the Influence of Select Demographic, Academic, and Athletic Variables on the Retention of Student-Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, James E.; Wessel, Roger D.; Pierce, David A.

2013-01-01

The population of 674 first-year student-athletes culled from 5 successive freshman classes (2004-2008) at a mid-size midwestern university was examined to determine what combination of demographic, academic, and athletic variables best predicted retention into the 2nd academic year. The dependent variable of retention was chosen because it is a…

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 989 - Procedures for Holding Public Hearings on Draft Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... chance to speak, when the hearing has culled a representative view of public opinion, or when the time... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Procedures for Holding Public Hearings on Draft..., App. C Appendix C to Part 989—Procedures for Holding Public Hearings on Draft Environmental Impact...

The genetic and economic effect of preliminary culling in the seedling orchard

Treesearch

Don E. Riemenschneider

1977-01-01

The genetic and economic effects of two stages of truncation selection in a white spruce seedling orchard were investigated by computer simulation. Genetic effects were computed by assuming a bivariate distribution of juvenile and mature traits and volume was used as the selection criterion. Seed production was assumed to rise in a linear fashion to maturity and then...

A scenario and forecast model for Gulf of Mexico hypoxic area and volume

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scavia, Donald; Evans, Mary Anne; Obenour, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

For almost three decades, the relative size of the hypoxic region on the Louisiana-Texas continental shelf has drawn scientific and policy attention. During that time, both simple and complex models have been used to explore hypoxia dynamics and to provide management guidance relating the size of the hypoxic zone to key drivers. Throughout much of that development, analyses had to accommodate an apparent change in hypoxic sensitivity to loads and often cull observations due to anomalous meteorological conditions. Here, we describe an adaptation of our earlier, simple biophysical model, calibrated to revised hypoxic area estimates and new hypoxic volume estimates through Bayesian estimation. This application eliminates the need to cull observations and provides revised hypoxic extent estimates with uncertainties, corresponding to different nutrient loading reduction scenarios. We compare guidance from this model application, suggesting an approximately 62% nutrient loading reduction is required to reduce Gulf hypoxia to the Action Plan goal of 5,000 km2, to that of previous applications. In addition, we describe for the first time, the corresponding response of hypoxic volume. We also analyze model results to test for increasing system sensitivity to hypoxia formation, but find no strong evidence of such change.

[Epidemiological and financial considerations for the control of Neospora caninum on Swiss dairy farms].

PubMed

Häsler, B; Stärk, K; Gottstein, B; Reist, M

2008-06-01

Neospora caninum is widely recognized as one of the most important abortifacients in cattle and causes substantial financial losses to bovine livestock production. This study aimed to calculate the losses caused by N. caninum on Swiss dairy farms and to evaluate the efficacy and profitability of the control strategies culling, not breeding replacements and chemotherapy of calves on farm level. Three different farm sizes with high, medium and low herd prevalences were defined. Epidemiological and financial models were used to simulate the effect of control strategies on the prevalence over time and to perform a cost-benefit analysis. The median annual losses on farm level ranged between CHF 3094.- (= Euro 1875; 60 dairy cattle, high prevalence) and CHF 134.- (= Euro 81; 15 dairy cattle, low prevalence). Culling of animals that had any abortion or a N. caninum abortion, or not breeding replacements from such animals, respectively, were neither effective nor profitable. Only the strategy "not breeding replacements from N. caninum seropositive cows" on farms with a high prevalence was financially attractive. The strategy "chemotherapy of calves" should be re-evaluated as soon as new data regarding the efficacy of treatment and a corresponding protocol have been scientifically validated.

The price of the precautionary principle: cost-effectiveness of BSE intervention strategies in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Benedictus, A; Hogeveen, H; Berends, B R

2009-06-01

Since 1996, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle has been linked to a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a fatal brain disease in man. This paper assessed the cost-effectiveness of BSE control strategies instituted by the European Commission. In a Monte Carlo simulation model, a non-intervention baseline scenario was compared to three intervention strategies: removal of specified risk materials from slaughter animals, post-mortem testing for BSE and the culling of feed and age cohorts of BSE cases. The food risk in the baseline scenario ranged from 16.98 lost life years in 2002 to 2.69 lost life years in 2005. Removing specified risk materials removal practices, post-mortem testing and post-mortem testing plus cohort culling reduced this risk with 93%, 82.7% and 83.1%. The estimated cost-effectiveness of all BSE measures in The Netherlands ranged from 4.3 million euros per life year saved in 2002 to 17.7 million euros in 2005. It was discussed that the cost-effectiveness of BSE control strategies will further deviate from regular health economics thresholds as BSE prevalence and incidence declines.

Development and validation of an electronic phenotyping algorithm for chronic kidney disease

PubMed Central

Nadkarni, Girish N; Gottesman, Omri; Linneman, James G; Chase, Herbert; Berg, Richard L; Farouk, Samira; Nadukuru, Rajiv; Lotay, Vaneet; Ellis, Steve; Hripcsak, George; Peissig, Peggy; Weng, Chunhua; Bottinger, Erwin P

2014-01-01

Twenty-six million Americans are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD) with increased risk for cardiovascular disease and end stage renal disease. CKD is frequently undiagnosed and patients are unaware, hampering intervention. A tool for accurate and timely identification of CKD from electronic medical records (EMR) could improve healthcare quality and identify patients for research. As members of eMERGE (electronic medical records and genomics) Network, we developed an automated phenotyping algorithm that can be deployed to identify rapidly diabetic and/or hypertensive CKD cases and controls in health systems with EMRs It uses diagnostic codes, laboratory results, medication and blood pressure records, and textual information culled from notes. Validation statistics demonstrated positive predictive values of 96% and negative predictive values of 93.3. Similar results were obtained on implementation by two independent eMERGE member institutions. The algorithm dramatically outperformed identification by ICD-9-CM codes with 63% positive and 54% negative predictive values, respectively. PMID:25954398

Analyzing Visibility Configurations.

PubMed

Dachsbacher, C

2011-04-01

Many algorithms, such as level of detail rendering and occlusion culling methods, make decisions based on the degree of visibility of an object, but do not analyze the distribution, or structure, of the visible and occluded regions across surfaces. We present an efficient method to classify different visibility configurations and show how this can be used on top of existing methods based on visibility determination. We adapt co-occurrence matrices for visibility analysis and generalize them to operate on clusters of triangular surfaces instead of pixels. We employ machine learning techniques to reliably classify the thus extracted feature vectors. Our method allows perceptually motivated level of detail methods for real-time rendering applications by detecting configurations with expected visual masking. We exemplify the versatility of our method with an analysis of area light visibility configurations in ray tracing and an area-to-area visibility analysis suitable for hierarchical radiosity refinement. Initial results demonstrate the robustness, simplicity, and performance of our method in synthetic scenes, as well as real applications.

Ralstonia pickettii-Induced Ataxia in Immunodeficient Mice

PubMed Central

Berard, Marion; Medaille, Christine; Simon, Meredith; Serre, Stéphanie; Pritchett-Corning, Kathleen; Dangles-Marie, Virginie

2009-01-01

We report here the characterization of an asymmetric ataxia syndrome (head tilt and circling, with death in the most severe cases) demonstrated by profoundly immunodeficient mice housed at the Institut Curie SPF facility. The immune system of the affected mice had been genetically modified so that they were deficient in both B and T cells. Extensive bacteriologic, parasitic, serologic, and histopathologic analysis of the affected animals and their healthy controls led us to identify Ralstonia pickettii as the causative agent of the ataxic syndrome. The outbreak was managed through a test-and-cull process. Even though they also carried Ralstonia pickettii, immunocompetent mice that were kept in the same facility, did not show any of the signs that were expressed by their immunodeficient counterparts. This case highlights the difficulty of maintaining immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice in the same microbiologic unit and the importance of enlarging the spectrum of health monitoring to opportunistic agents when investigating clinical cases in populations of immunocompromised rodents. PMID:19389312

Intervention strategies for carcass disposal: pareto analysis of exposures for exotic disease outbreaks.

PubMed

Delgado, João; Longhurst, Phil; Hickman, Gordon A W; Gauntlett, Daniel M; Howson, Simon F; Irving, Phil; Hart, Alwyn; Pollard, Simon J T

2010-06-15

An enhanced methodology for the policy-level prioritization of intervention options during carcass disposal is presented. Pareto charts provide a semiquantitative analysis of opportunities for multiple exposures to human health, animal health, and the wider environment during carcass disposal; they identify critical control points for risk management and assist in waste technology assessment. Eighty percent of the total availability of more than 1300 potential exposures to human, animal, or environmental receptors is represented by 16 processes, these being dominated by on-farm collection and carcass processing, reinforcing the criticality of effective controls during early stages of animal culling and waste processing. Exposures during mass burials are dominated by ground- and surface-water exposures with noise and odor nuisance prevalent for mass pyres, consistent with U.K. experience. Pareto charts are discussed in the context of other visualization formats for policy officials and promoted as a communication tool for informing the site-specific risk assessments required during the operational phases of exotic disease outbreaks.

Semi-automatic segmentation of nonviable cardiac tissue using cine and delayed enhancement magnetic resonance images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Donnell, Thomas P.; Xu, Ning; Setser, Randolph M.; White, Richard D.

2003-05-01

Post myocardial infarction, the identification and assessment of non-viable (necrotic) tissues is necessary for effective development of intervention strategies and treatment plans. Delayed Enhancement Magnetic Resonance (DEMR) imaging is a technique whereby non-viable cardiac tissue appears with increased signal intensity. Radiologists typically acquire these images in conjunction with other functional modalities (e.g., MR Cine), and use domain knowledge and experience to isolate the non-viable tissues. In this paper, we present a technique for automatically segmenting these tissues given the delineation of myocardial borders in the DEMR and in the End-systolic and End-diastolic MR Cine images. Briefly, we obtain a set of segmentations furnished by an expert and employ an artificial intelligence technique, Support Vector Machines (SVMs), to "learn" the segmentations based on features culled from the images. Using those features we then allow the SVM to predict the segmentations the expert would provide on previously unseen images.

The Efficiency of an Integrated Program Using Falconry to Deter Gulls from Landfills

PubMed Central

Thiériot, Ericka; Patenaude-Monette, Martin; Molina, Pierre; Giroux, Jean-François

2015-01-01

Simple Summary We evaluated the long-term effect of an intensive integrated program based on falconry to deter gulls, mostly ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis), from a landfill. Gulls were counted at different periods each day, and the annual sum of the maximum count at any observation period each day declined from over 1.1 million to only 20,300 during the 20 years of the study. This could not be explained by a decline in the local breeding population that remained relatively large throughout this period as determined in a concomitant study. The effectiveness of the falconry program was also confirmed by tracking individual birds fitted with GPS data loggers. The tagged gulls stopped less often and spent less time at the landfill with falconry than at another one where a selective culling program was conducted. We conclude that the use of an integrated program using falconry, which we consider more socially acceptable than culling, can be effective in deterring gulls from landfills. Abstract Gulls are commonly attracted to landfills, and managers are often required to implement cost-effective and socially accepted deterrence programs. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive program that integrated the use of trained birds of prey, pyrotechnics, and playback of gull distress calls at a landfill located close to a large ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) colony near Montreal, Quebec, Canada. We used long-term survey data on bird use of the landfill, conducted behavioral observations of gulls during one season and tracked birds fitted with GPS data loggers. We also carried out observations at another landfill located farther from the colony, where less refuse was brought and where a limited culling program was conducted. The integrated program based on falconry resulted in a 98% decrease in the annual total number of gulls counted each day between 1995 and 2014. A separate study indicated that the local breeding population of ring-billed gulls increased and then declined during this period but remained relatively large. In 2010, there was an average (±SE) of 59 ± 15 gulls/day using the site with falconry and only 0.4% ± 0.2% of these birds were feeding. At the other site, there was an average of 347 ± 55 gulls/day and 13% ± 3% were feeding. Twenty-two gulls tracked from the colony made 41 trips towards the landfills: twenty-five percent of the trips that passed by the site with falconry resulted in a stopover that lasted 22 ± 7 min compared to 85% at the other landfill lasting 63 ± 15 min. We concluded that the integrated program using falconry, which we consider more socially acceptable than selective culling, was effective in reducing the number of gulls at the landfill. PMID:26479231

Evaluation of Movement Restriction Zone Sizes in Controlling Classical Swine Fever Outbreaks

PubMed Central

Yadav, Shankar; Olynk Widmar, Nicole; Lay, Donald C.; Croney, Candace; Weng, Hsin-Yi

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the impacts of movement restriction zone sizes of 3, 5, 9, and 11 km with that of 7 km (the recommended zone size in the United States) in controlling a classical swine fever (CSF) outbreak. In addition to zone size, different compliance assumptions and outbreak types (single site and multiple site) were incorporated in the study. Three assumptions of compliance level were simulated: baseline, baseline ± 10%, and baseline ± 15%. The compliance level was held constant across all zone sizes in the baseline simulation. In the baseline ± 10% and baseline ± 15% simulations, the compliance level was increased for 3 and 5 km and decreased for 9 and 11 km from the baseline by the indicated percentages. The compliance level remained constant in all simulations for the 7-km zone size. Four single-site (i.e., with one index premises at the onset of outbreak) and four multiple-site (i.e., with more than one index premises at the onset of outbreak) CSF outbreak scenarios in Indiana were simulated incorporating various zone sizes and compliance assumptions using a stochastic between-premises disease spread model to estimate epidemic duration, percentage of infected, and preemptively culled swine premises. Furthermore, a risk assessment model that incorporated the results from the disease spread model was developed to estimate the number of swine premises under movement restrictions that would experience animal welfare outcomes of overcrowding or feed interruption during a CSF outbreak in Indiana. Compared with the 7-km zone size, the 3-km zone size resulted in a longer median epidemic duration, larger percentages of infected premises, and preemptively culled premises (P’s < 0.001) across all compliance assumptions and outbreak types. With the assumption of a higher compliance level, the 5-km zone size significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the epidemic duration and percentage of swine premises that would experience animal welfare outcomes in both outbreak types, whereas assumption of a lower compliance level for 9- and 11-km zone sizes significantly (P < 0.001) increased the epidemic duration and percentage of swine premises with animal welfare outcomes compared with the 7-km zone size. The magnitude of impact due to a zone size varied across the outbreak types (single site and multiple site). Overall, the 7-km zone size was found to be most effective in controlling CSF outbreaks, whereas the 5-km zone size was comparable to the 7-km zone size in some circumstances. PMID:28119920

Seasoning and surfacing degrade in kiln-drying ponderosa pine in eastern Washington.

Treesearch

A.C. Knauss; E.H. Clarke

1961-01-01

This report presents results of a study to determine the degrade (loss in volume and value) of ponderosa pine lumber when cut, kiln-dried, and surfaced in accordance with commercial practice. The study measured (1) loss in volume due to culling and trimming surfaced dry lumber because of sawing, seasoning, and surfacing defects; (2) reduction in grade due to seasoning...

Seasoning and surfacing degrade in kiln-drying western hemlock in western Oregon.

Treesearch

A.C. Knauss; E.H. Clarke

1961-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to determine the degrade (loss in volume and value) of western hemlock lumber cut, kiln-dried, and surfaced in accordance with commercial practice in western Oregon. The study measured (1) loss in volume due to culling and trimming surfaced dry lumber because of sawing, seasoning, and surfacing defects; (2) reduction in grade...

Controlling cull ohia trees by injecting herbicides

Treesearch

Stanley B. Carpenter

1966-01-01

Ohia trees less than 6 inches d .b.h. on the island of Hawaii were killed by injection of undiluted 2,4.S-T ester. This chemical was less effective on larger trees. Injections applied in September and January were more effective than the May applications. Injections of 2,4-D were relatively ineffective, any season of the year, even for small trees. Tardon 22K proved...

Educating CPE supervisors: a grounded theory study.

PubMed

Ragsdale, Judith R; Holloway, Elizabeth L; Ivy, Steven S

2009-01-01

This qualitative study was designed to cull the wisdom of CPE supervisors doing especially competent supervisory education and to develop a theory of CPE supervisory education. Grounded theory methodology included interviewing 11 supervisors and coding the data to identify themes. Four primary dimensions emerged along with a reciprocal core dimension, Supervisory Wisdom, which refers to work the supervisors do in terms of their continuing growth and development.

An Evaluation of the Navy’s Health Promotion Videotapes

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-30

has mainly occurred in hospitals, clinics, and patient education centers. However, as noted by Holm (1983), the broader intent of the patient ...Mitchell, M. (1977). Evaluation of a patient education program for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 52, 106-111...effectiveness of videotape in patient education on depression. Journal of Biocommunication, 1Q, 19-23. Cull, P. (1988). The production process of health

Seasoning and surfacing degrade in kiln-drying Douglas-fir in western Oregon.

Treesearch

A.C. Knauss; E.H. Clarke

1959-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to determine the degrade—loss in volume and grade—of coast-type Douglas-fir lumber when kiln-dried and surfaced in accordance with commercial practice. The study measured (1) loss in volume due to culling and trimming of dry-surfaced lumber because of seasoning and surfacing defects, (2) reduction in grade...

Conserving genomic variability in large mammals: Effect of population fluctuations and variance in male reproductive success on variability in Yellowstone bison

Treesearch

Andres Perez-Figueroa; Rick L. Wallen; Tiago Antao; Jason A. Coombs; Michael K. Schwartz; P. J. White; Gordon Luikart

2012-01-01

Loss of genetic variation through genetic drift can reduce population viability. However, relatively little is known about loss of variation caused by the combination of fluctuating population size and variance in reproductive success in age structured populations. We built an individual-based computer simulation model to examine how actual culling and hunting...

Seasoning degrade in kiln drying ponderosa pine in south central Oregon.

Treesearch

A.C. Knauss

1957-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to determine the loss in volume and value of lumber when kiln drying and surfacing the production from ponderosa pine logs. The study measured (1) the reduction in volume due to trimming and culling dry lumber after surfacing, (2) the reduction in grade due to seasoning defects, (3) the reduction in grade due to failure of...

Diversity of the Eastern Hardwood Resource and How This Diversity Influences Timber Utilization

Treesearch

William Luppold; Scott A. Pugh

2016-01-01

The eastern hardwood resource is often associated with high-quality sawtimber used in the production of grade products, but this segment of the resource accounts for approximately 20 percent of the cubic volume of all live trees. By contrast, 17 percent of the hardwood timber volume is classified as cull trees, and an additional 14 percent is low-quality sawlog-size...

Pelletized ponderosa pine bark for adsorption of toxic heavy metals from water

Treesearch

Miyoung Oh; Mandla A. Tshabalala

2007-01-01

Bark flour from ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) was consolidated into pellets using citric acid as cross-linking agent. The pellets were evaluated for removal of toxic heavy metals from synthetic aqueous solutions. When soaked in water, pellets did not leach tannins, and they showed high adsorption capacity for Cu(ll), Zn(ll), Cd(ll). and Ni(ll) under both equilibrium...

Ratios for estimating logging residue in the Pacific Northwest.

Treesearch

James O. Howard

1981-01-01

Ratios are presented for estimating the volume of logging residue for any location in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. They show cubic-foot volume of logging residue per 1,000 board feet of timber harvested and per acre harvested. Tables show gross and net volumes, with and without bark. The volumes of live and dead and cull residue at the time of harvest are also given...

Insect and Canker Disease Impact in Cottonwood Nurseries

Treesearch

J. D. Solomon; J. R. Cook; F. L. Oliveria; T. H. Filer

1976-01-01

Insects (primarily cottonwood leaf beetle) reduced height growth in nurseries an average of 48.8 cm (19 in) per switch. Such a growth loss would mean a 20-25 percent drop in cuttings produced. In a survey of nine nursery plantings, cull due to borers (primarily clearwing borers)and disease cankers reduced the number of potential cuttings from 1.6 to 25.6 percent and...

Our Healing Is next to the Wound: Endarkened Feminisms, Spirituality, and Wisdom for Teaching, Learning, and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okpalaoka, Chinwe L.; Dillard, Cynthia B.

2011-01-01

This article arises from dialogue culled from a yearlong doctoral seminar in which both authors participated. The authors are both African ascendant women who teach and learn in a higher education setting. As one of the professors who co-taught the seminar (Cynthia) and a college administrator who was a doctoral student at the time of the seminar…

Assessing plant community composition fails to capture impacts of white-tailed deer on native and invasive plant species.

PubMed

Nuzzo, Victoria; Dávalos, Andrea; Blossey, Bernd

2017-07-01

Excessive herbivory can have transformative effects on forest understory vegetation, converting diverse communities into depauperate ones, often with increased abundance of non-native plants. White-tailed deer are a problematic herbivore throughout much of eastern North America and alter forest understory community structure. Reducing (by culling) or eliminating (by fencing) deer herbivory is expected to return understory vegetation to a previously diverse condition. We examined this assumption from 1992 to 2006 at Fermilab (Batavia, IL) where a cull reduced white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) abundance in 1998/1999 by 90 % from 24.6 to 2.5/km 2 , and at West Point, NY, where we assessed interactive effects of deer, earthworms, and invasive plants using 30 × 30 m paired fenced and open plots in 12 different forests from 2009 to 2012. We recorded not only plant community responses (species presence and cover) within 1 m 2 quadrats, but also responses of select individual species (growth, reproduction). At Fermilab, introduced Alliaria petiolata abundance initially increased as deer density increased, but then declined after deer reduction. The understory community responded to the deer cull by increased cover, species richness and height, and community composition changed but was dominated by early successional native forbs. At West Point plant community composition was affected by introduced earthworm density but not deer exclusion. Native plant cover increased and non-native plant cover decreased in fenced plots, thus keeping overall plant cover similar. At both sites native forb cover increased in response to deer reduction, but the anticipated response of understory vegetation failed to materialize at the community level. Deer-favoured forbs ( Eurybia divaricata , Maianthemum racemosum , Polygonatum pubescens and Trillium recurvatum ) grew taller and flowering probability increased in the absence of deer. Plant community monitoring fails to capture initial and subtle effects of reduced or even cessation of deer browse on browse sensitive species. Measuring responses of individual plants (growth, flowering and reproductive success) provides a more sensitive and powerful assessment of forest understory responses to deer management.

Bulk tank milk surveillance as a measure to detect Coxiella burnetii shedding dairy goat herds in the Netherlands between 2009 and 2014.

PubMed

Van den Brom, R; Santman-Berends, I; Luttikholt, S; Moll, L; Van Engelen, E; Vellema, P

2015-06-01

In the period from 2005 to 2009, Coxiella burnetii was a cause of abortion waves at 28 dairy goat farms and 2 dairy sheep farms in the Netherlands. Two years after the first abortion waves, a large human Q fever outbreak started mainly in the same region, and aborting small ruminants were regarded as most probable source. To distinguish between infected and noninfected herds, a surveillance program started in October 2009, based on PCR testing of bulk tank milk (BTM) samples, which had never been described before. The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of this surveillance program and to evaluate both the effect of culling of pregnant dairy goats on positive farms and of vaccination on BTM results. Bulk tank milk samples were tested for C. burnetii DNA using a real-time PCR, and results were analyzed in relation to vaccination, culling, and notifiable (officially reported to government) C. burnetii abortion records. In spring and autumn, BTM samples were also tested for antibodies using an ELISA, and results were evaluated in relation to the compulsory vaccination campaign. Between October 2009 and April 2014, 1,660 (5.6%) out of 29,875 BTM samples from 401 dairy goat farms tested positive for C. burnetii DNA. The percentage of positive samples dropped from 20.5% in 2009 to 0.3% in 2014. In a multivariable model, significantly higher odds of being PCR positive in the BTM surveillance program were found in farms of which all pregnant dairy goats were culled. Additionally, the risk for C. burnetii BTM PCR positivity significantly decreased after multiple vaccinations. Bulk tank milk ELISA results were significantly higher after vaccination than before. The ELISA results were higher after multiple vaccinations compared with a single vaccination, and ELISA results on officially declared infected farms were significantly higher compared with noninfected farms. In conclusion, BTM surveillance is an effective and useful tool to detect C. burnetii shedding dairy goat herds and to monitor a Q fever outbreak, and thus the effect of implemented measures. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of feeding complete feed block containing rumen protected protein, non-protein nitrogen and rumen protected fat on improving body condition and carcass traits of cull ewes.

PubMed

Bhatt, R S; Sahoo, A

2017-12-01

Nutrient utilization, body condition and carcass traits of cull ewes were studied in three dietary regimens based on complete feed block (CFB) feeding to control (C) with rumen protected protein (RPP), CU [RPP + urea (6 g/kg)] and CUF [RPP + urea + rumen protected fat (RPF; 40 g/kg)]. The RPP component (g/kg) in C had 1% formaldehyde-treated soy flakes 50, mustard cake 50 and sesame cake 30. The mustard and sesame cakes were replaced with urea on equivalent N basis in CU and CUF. The ewes were offered ad libitum CFB composed (g/kg) of concentrate 650, roughage 300 and molasses 50. The digestibility of OM and EE was higher (p < 0.05) in CUF than in CU and C, while that of NDF and ADF was lower (p < 0.05). The CP digestibility was higher in both CU and CUF. Utilization of N and Ca was higher (p < 0.05) in CUF compared with C and CU. Urinary purine derivatives analysis and microbial N synthesis were similar in all the groups. Blood glucose concentration improved at 90 day compared with 0 day. Ruminal attributes showed a higher (p < 0.05) pH, total N, TCA precipitable N, entodiniomorphs and total ciliate population in CU and CUF than in the control. The CUF had higher (p < 0.01) DM, digestible OM and ME intake, which resulted in higher (p < 0.05) weight gain and better feed efficiency. Ewes in all the groups showed an improvement in carcass traits at 90 day. The pre-slaughter weight was higher (p < 0.05) and dissected and KOH bone content was lower in CUF. Thus, feeding of CFB with urea as a cheaper N source and RPF to enrich with energy supported the improved performance as evidenced from higher nutrient input, 'utilization and efficiency with enhanced carcass traits' for better marketability and returns from cull ewes. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Assessing plant community composition fails to capture impacts of white-tailed deer on native and invasive plant species

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nuzzo, Victoria; Davalos, Andrea; Blossey, Bernd

Excessive herbivory can have transformative effects on forest understory vegetation, converting diverse communities into depauperate ones, often with increased abundance of non-native plants. White-tailed deer are a problematic herbivore throughout much of eastern North America and alter forest understory community structure. Reducing (by culling) or eliminating (by fencing) deer herbivory is expected to return understory vegetation to a previously diverse condition. We examined this assumption from 1992 to 2006 at Fermilab (Batavia, IL) where a cull reduced white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) abundance in 1998/1999 by 90 % from 24.6 to 2.5/km 2, and at West Point, NY, where wemore » assessed interactive effects of deer, earthworms, and invasive plants using 30 × 30 m paired fenced and open plots in 12 different forests from 2009 to 2012. We recorded not only plant community responses (species presence and cover) within 1 m 2 quadrats, but also responses of select individual species (growth, reproduction). At Fermilab, introduced Alliaria petiolata abundance initially increased as deer density increased, but then declined after deer reduction. The understory community responded to the deer cull by increased cover, species richness and height, and community composition changed but was dominated by early successional native forbs. At West Point plant community composition was affected by introduced earthworm density but not deer exclusion. Native plant cover increased and non-native plant cover decreased in fenced plots, thus keeping overall plant cover similar. At both sites native forb cover increased in response to deer reduction, but the anticipated response of understory vegetation failed to materialize at the community level. Deer-favoured forbs ( Eurybia divaricata, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum pubescens and Trillium recurvatum) grew taller and flowering probability increased in the absence of deer. Plant community monitoring fails to capture initial and subtle effects of reduced or even cessation of deer browse on browse sensitive species. As a result, measuring responses of individual plants (growth, flowering and reproductive success) provides a more sensitive and powerful assessment of forest understory responses to deer management.« less

Stochastic bio-economic modeling of mastitis in Ethiopian dairy farms.

PubMed

Getaneh, Abraham Mekibeb; Mekonnen, Sefinew Alemu; Hogeveen, Henk

2017-03-01

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland that is considered to be one of the most frequent and costly diseases in the dairy industry. Also in Ethiopia, bovine mastitis is one of the most frequently encountered diseases of dairy cows. However, there was no study, so far, regarding the costs of clinical mastitis and only two studies were reported on costs of subclinical mastitis. Presenting an appropriate and complete study of the costs of mastitis will help farmers in making management decisions for mastitis control. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic effects of mastitis on Ethiopian market-oriented dairy farms. Market-oriented dairy farming is driven by making profits through selling milk in the market on a regular basis. A dynamic stochastic Monte-Carlo simulation model (bio-economic model) was developed taking into account both clinical and subclinical mastitis. Production losses, culling, veterinarian costs, treatment, discarded milk, and labour were the main cost factors which were modeled in this study. The annual incidence of clinical mastitis varied from 0 to 50% with a mean annual incidence of 21.6%, whereas the mean annual incidence of subclinical mastitis was 36.2% which varied between 0 and 75%. The total costs due to mastitis for a default farm size of 8 lactating cows were 6,709 ETB per year (838 ETB per cow per year). The costs varied considerably, with 5th and 95th percentiles of 109 ETB and 22,009 ETB, respectively. The factor most contributing to the total annual cost of mastitis was culling. On average a clinical case costs 3,631 ETB, varying from 0 to 12,401, whereas a sub clinical case costs 147 ETB, varying from 0 to 412. The sensitivity analysis showed that the total costs at the farm level were most sensitive for variation in the probability of occurrence of clinical mastitis and the probability of culling. This study helps farmers to raise awareness about the actual costs of mastitis and motivate them to timely treat and/or take preventive measures. As a results, the dairy industry will improve. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing plant community composition fails to capture impacts of white-tailed deer on native and invasive plant species

DOE PAGES

Nuzzo, Victoria; Davalos, Andrea; Blossey, Bernd

2017-06-08

Excessive herbivory can have transformative effects on forest understory vegetation, converting diverse communities into depauperate ones, often with increased abundance of non-native plants. White-tailed deer are a problematic herbivore throughout much of eastern North America and alter forest understory community structure. Reducing (by culling) or eliminating (by fencing) deer herbivory is expected to return understory vegetation to a previously diverse condition. We examined this assumption from 1992 to 2006 at Fermilab (Batavia, IL) where a cull reduced white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) abundance in 1998/1999 by 90 % from 24.6 to 2.5/km 2, and at West Point, NY, where wemore » assessed interactive effects of deer, earthworms, and invasive plants using 30 × 30 m paired fenced and open plots in 12 different forests from 2009 to 2012. We recorded not only plant community responses (species presence and cover) within 1 m 2 quadrats, but also responses of select individual species (growth, reproduction). At Fermilab, introduced Alliaria petiolata abundance initially increased as deer density increased, but then declined after deer reduction. The understory community responded to the deer cull by increased cover, species richness and height, and community composition changed but was dominated by early successional native forbs. At West Point plant community composition was affected by introduced earthworm density but not deer exclusion. Native plant cover increased and non-native plant cover decreased in fenced plots, thus keeping overall plant cover similar. At both sites native forb cover increased in response to deer reduction, but the anticipated response of understory vegetation failed to materialize at the community level. Deer-favoured forbs ( Eurybia divaricata, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum pubescens and Trillium recurvatum) grew taller and flowering probability increased in the absence of deer. Plant community monitoring fails to capture initial and subtle effects of reduced or even cessation of deer browse on browse sensitive species. As a result, measuring responses of individual plants (growth, flowering and reproductive success) provides a more sensitive and powerful assessment of forest understory responses to deer management.« less

Effect of ractopamine-hydrochloride and trenbolone acetate on longissimus muscle fiber area, diameter, and satellite cell numbers in cull beef cows.

PubMed

Gonzalez, J M; Carter, J N; Johnson, D D; Ouellette, S E; Johnson, S E

2007-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of coadministration of ractopamine-HCl (RAC) and trenbolone acetate plus estradiol (TBA) on LM fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), diameter, fiber-associated myonuclei, and satellite cell number. Culled crossbred beef cows (n = 98; 11 +/- 1.8 yr old; BCS 4.3 +/- 0.03) from a single ranch in south Florida were fed a concentrate diet for 92 d in a 2 x 2, randomized block design. Cows were blocked by BW on arrival into light (initial BW = 369.75 +/- 2.68 kg and end BW = 501.96 +/- 6.90 kg) and heavy (initial BW = 418.31 +/- 2.75 kg and end BW = 522.15 +/- 7.09 kg) groups before assignment to treatment. Factors included dietary treatment (0 or 15 ppm) and implant status (0 or 80 mg of trenbolone acetate + 16 mg of estradiol). Ractopamine was provided in the diet to 2 pens or half the treatments during the final 35 d of feeding. Cows were slaughtered on d 92. Forty-eight hours postmortem, the 6th-rib portions of the LM were obtained from 10 randomly selected carcasses from each treatment group (n = 40). Cryosections (12 mum) were immunostained for dystrophin and myosin heavy chain I or II for the measurement of fiber CSA and type, respectively. Fiber-associated nuclei and satellite cell numbers were measured in serial cryosections. There was a RAC x TBA interaction (P < 0.05). Type I fiber CSA and diameter were increased (P < 0.05) by TBA and RAC. Type I CSA and diameter were larger (P < 0.05) in TBA + RAC than RAC only. Type II fiber CSA and diameter were not affected by TBA (P = 0.48), RAC (P = 0.15), or TBA + RAC (P = 0.60). Satellite cell numbers and fiber-associated nuclei were not affected (P > 0.05) by implant status or ractopamine supplementation. These results indicate that TBA and RAC preferentially increase the size of type I fibers in cull cows.

USSR Report, Agriculture

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-02

in a decrease in continuous cross- sections and finally, in poor milking, trauma to the milk glands and in mastitis in cows . The use of milk storage...Seek Solution Quality Upgrading Discussed -a - [III - USSR - 7] Culling Nonproductive Cows From Herds Recommended (G. Bembinov; SOVETSKAYA ROSSIYA...was lost prior to use of the preparation). At the same time, it was noted that the preserved forage raised the productivity of the cows and the fat

Algaemia in a dairy cow by Prototheca blaschkeae.

PubMed

Thompson, Gertrude; Silva, Eliane; Marques, Sara; Müller, Alexandra; Carvalheira, Júlio

2009-01-01

We describe the first known case of an algaemia by Prototheca blaschkeae in a dairy cow, which occurred after a chronic episode of mastitis caused by this pathogen. The organism was isolated from milk, joint fluid and blood samples, and microbiologic and molecular methods were performed to obtain a definitive identification of the algae. The affected cow was culled only after confirmation of a systemic infection by Prototheca.

KIF1Bβ and Neuroblastoma: Failure to Divide and Cull.

PubMed

Blackstone, Craig

2016-01-25

Neuroblastomas are associated with KIF1Bβ mutations within tumor suppressor region 1p36. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Li et al. (2016) show that KIF1Bβ binding releases calcineurin autoinhibition, leading to dephosphorylation of the DRP1 GTPase and subsequent mitochondrial fragmentation. KIF1Bβ impairment causes mitochondrial hyperfusion, impairing developmental apoptosis and promoting tumorigenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moisture patterns in douglas-fir and tanoak slash

Treesearch

Norman C. Scott

1964-01-01

Moisture content in Douglas-fir cull logs and boles of felled tanoaks was sampled periodically at 2-inch intervals to a depth of 6 inches from October 1960-0ctober 1961. The study area had been clear cut in 1958 and the hardwoods felled in 1959. Analysis of the data showed that the moisture level in tanoak stems decreased at an increasing rate from a 6-inch depth to...

Minimization of bovine tuberculosis control costs in US dairy herds

PubMed Central

Smith, Rebecca L.; Tauer, Loren W.; Schukken, Ynte H.; Lu, Zhao; Grohn, Yrjo T.

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to minimize the cost of controlling an isolated bovine tuberculosis (bTB) outbreak in a US dairy herd, using a stochastic simulation model of bTB with economic and biological layers. A model optimizer produced a control program that required 2-month testing intervals (TI) with 2 negative whole-herd tests to leave quarantine. This control program minimized both farm and government costs. In all cases, test-and-removal costs were lower than depopulation costs, although the variability in costs increased for farms with high holding costs or small herd sizes. Increasing herd size significantly increased costs for both the farm and the government, while increasing indemnity payments significantly decreased farm costs and increasing testing costs significantly increased government costs. Based on the results of this model, we recommend 2-month testing intervals for herds after an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis, with 2 negative whole herd tests being sufficient to lift quarantine. A prolonged test and cull program may cause a state to lose its bTB-free status during the testing period. When the cost of losing the bTB-free status is greater than $1.4 million then depopulation of farms could be preferred over a test and cull program. PMID:23953679

Quantifying the Value of Perfect Information in Emergency Vaccination Campaigns.

PubMed

Bradbury, Naomi V; Probert, William J M; Shea, Katriona; Runge, Michael C; Fonnesbeck, Christopher J; Keeling, Matt J; Ferrari, Matthew J; Tildesley, Michael J

2017-02-01

Foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in non-endemic countries can lead to large economic costs and livestock losses but the use of vaccination has been contentious, partly due to uncertainty about emergency FMD vaccination. Value of information methods can be applied to disease outbreak problems such as FMD in order to investigate the performance improvement from resolving uncertainties. Here we calculate the expected value of resolving uncertainty about vaccine efficacy, time delay to immunity after vaccination and daily vaccination capacity for a hypothetical FMD outbreak in the UK. If it were possible to resolve all uncertainty prior to the introduction of control, we could expect savings of £55 million in outbreak cost, 221,900 livestock culled and 4.3 days of outbreak duration. All vaccination strategies were found to be preferable to a culling only strategy. However, the optimal vaccination radius was found to be highly dependent upon vaccination capacity for all management objectives. We calculate that by resolving the uncertainty surrounding vaccination capacity we would expect to return over 85% of the above savings, regardless of management objective. It may be possible to resolve uncertainty about daily vaccination capacity before an outbreak, and this would enable decision makers to select the optimal control action via careful contingency planning.

Quantifying the Value of Perfect Information in Emergency Vaccination Campaigns

PubMed Central

Probert, William J. M.; Shea, Katriona; Fonnesbeck, Christopher J.; Ferrari, Matthew J.; Tildesley, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in non-endemic countries can lead to large economic costs and livestock losses but the use of vaccination has been contentious, partly due to uncertainty about emergency FMD vaccination. Value of information methods can be applied to disease outbreak problems such as FMD in order to investigate the performance improvement from resolving uncertainties. Here we calculate the expected value of resolving uncertainty about vaccine efficacy, time delay to immunity after vaccination and daily vaccination capacity for a hypothetical FMD outbreak in the UK. If it were possible to resolve all uncertainty prior to the introduction of control, we could expect savings of £55 million in outbreak cost, 221,900 livestock culled and 4.3 days of outbreak duration. All vaccination strategies were found to be preferable to a culling only strategy. However, the optimal vaccination radius was found to be highly dependent upon vaccination capacity for all management objectives. We calculate that by resolving the uncertainty surrounding vaccination capacity we would expect to return over 85% of the above savings, regardless of management objective. It may be possible to resolve uncertainty about daily vaccination capacity before an outbreak, and this would enable decision makers to select the optimal control action via careful contingency planning. PMID:28207777

Helminths in sympatric populations of mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) and gray rhebok (Pelea capreolus) in South Africa.

PubMed

Taylor, W A; Boomker, J; Krecek, R C; Skinner, J D; Watermeyer, R

2005-08-01

Helminths of mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula fulvorufula) and gray rhebok (Pelea capreolus) were investigated in South Africa between June 1999 and February 2002. Forty-one mountain reedbuck were culled at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve over 8 different periods, and 25 mountain reedbuck were culled at Tussen die Riviere Nature Reserve over 3 different periods. A total of 17 kinds of helminths were found at the 2 sites, including 15 nematodes, 1 trematode, and 1 cestode. At Sterkfontein, the most prevalent and abundant species were Cooperia yoshidai, Longistrongylus schrenki, and Haemonchus contortus, with the latter 2 being more abundant during November/December than at other times of the year, probably because infective larvae increased on pasture at that time. No statistical differences were found in parasite loads between male and female mountain reedbuck. No correlation was found between fecal egg counts and adult worm counts or between parasite counts and body condition. At Tussen die Riviere, helminths in mountain reedbuck were less prevalent and abundant than at Sterkfontein. The most important species were Nematodirus spathiger, Trichostrongylus falculatus, and Cooperia rotundispiculum. Four gray rhebok died of natural causes at Sterkfontein, from which 5 kinds of helminths were recovered, including C. yoshidai and Paracooperioides peleae.

Evaluation of habitat requirements of small rodents and effectiveness of an ecologically-based management in a hantavirus-endemic natural protected area in Argentina.

PubMed

Vadell, María Victoria; García Erize, Francisco; Gómez Villafañe, Isabel Elisa

2017-01-01

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe cardio pulmonary disease transmitted to humans by sylvan rodents found in natural and rural environments. Disease transmission is closely linked to the ecology of animal reservoirs and abiotic factors such as habitat characteristics, season or climatic conditions. The main goals of this research were: to determine the biotic and abiotic factors affecting richness and abundance of rodent species at different spatial scales, to evaluate different methodologies for studying population of small rodents, and to describe and analyze an ecologically-based rodent management experience in a highly touristic area. A 4-year study of small rodent ecology was conducted between April 2007 and August 2011 in the most relevant habitats of El Palmar National Park, Argentina. Management involved a wide range of control and prevention measures, including poisoning, culling and habitat modification. A total of 172 individuals of 5 species were captured with a trapping effort of 13 860 traps-nights (1.24 individuals/100 traps-nights). Five rodent species were captured, including 2 hantavirus-host species, Oligoryzomys nigripes and Akodon azarae. Oligoryzomys nigripes, host of a hantavirus that is pathogenic in humans, was the most abundant species and the only one found in all the studied habitats. Our results are inconsistent with the dilution effect hypothesis. The present study demonstrates that sylvan rodent species, including the hantavirus-host species, have distinct local habitat selection and temporal variation patterns in abundance, which may influence the risk of human exposure to hantavirus and may have practical implications for disease transmission as well as for reservoir management. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Automated Quality of Care Evaluation Support System (AQCESS): AQCESS Functional Description

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-04

to greater awareness of and increased expec- tations from the health care field. During the oast several years , incidents of improper or questionable...great deal of time and effort must be spent by OA personnel culling from a large volume of paper the salient information about what problems each...center around manual, labor- and paper -intensive reviews of medical records, hospital incident reports, committee actions and follow-ups, recurring

Purported addition of N-glycosylation sites on the globular head of the hemagglutinin induced escape of a 2015 Mexican H7 HPAI strain from vaccinal immunity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the past years, H7N3 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been reported in Mexico with a dramatic economic and ethical impact due to the high number of birds that have died or been culled. In the present study, one-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF) leghorn chickens were vaccinated with...

Science of Cyber-Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

that a program is bug free. Also, and this is an important issue in getting people 29 to use them, static checkers tend to have false positives...enormous variety of non-standard dialects took a huge amount of work to get what they describe as full version-specific bug compatibility.) Model...coincident detection by T-cells. In- cidentally, this is why it is enough to get rid of T-cells that bind self-peptides without similarly culling B-cells

Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Communications Program: Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation Literature Evaluation and Assessment, 1986-1987 Literature Review.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

and Carsteen E L (1985). Growth Rate and Mitotic Index Analysis of Vicia Faba L. Roots Exposed to 60-Hz Electric Fields. Bioelectromagnetics, Vol. 6...the observed effects. The mitotic index was also influenced. 5) In monkeys, central nervous system excitability was influenced by applying fields...Literature Search and Retrieval ...................... 16 2.2 Literature Culling and Indexing ...................... 18 2.3 Foreign Literature

Japanese-American confinement and scientific democracy: Colonialism, social engineering, and government administration.

PubMed

Rosemblatt, Karin Alejandra; Benmergui, Leandro Daniel

2018-03-01

During World War II, the U.S. Indian Service conducted social science experiments regarding governance among Japanese Americans imprisoned at the Poston, Arizona, camp. Researchers used an array of techniques culled from anthropological culture and personality studies, psychiatry, psychology, medicine, and public opinion research to probe how the personality traits of the confined Japanese-Americans and camp leaders affected the social interactions within each group and between them. The research drew on prior studies of Indian personality in the US Southwest, Mexico's Native policies, and indirect colonial rule. Researchers asked how democracy functioned in contexts marked by hierarchy and difference. Their goal was to guide future policies toward US "minorities" and foreign races in post-war occupied territories. We show how researchers deployed ideas about race, cultural, and difference across a variety of cases to create a universal, predictive social science, which they combined with a prewar romanticism and cultural relativism. These researchers made ethnic, racial, and cultural difference compatible with predictive laws of science based on notions of fundamental human similarities. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Host culling as an adaptive management tool for chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: a modelling study.

PubMed

Wasserberg, Gideon; Osnas, Erik E; Rolley, Robert E; Samuel, Michael D

2009-04-01

Emerging wildlife diseases pose a significant threat to natural and human systems. Because of real or perceived risks of delayed actions, disease management strategies such as culling are often implemented before thorough scientific knowledge of disease dynamics is available. Adaptive management is a valuable approach in addressing the uncertainty and complexity associated with wildlife disease problems and can be facilitated by using a formal model.We developed a multi-state computer simulation model using age, sex, infection-stage, and seasonality as a tool for scientific learning and managing chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus. Our matrix model used disease transmission parameters based on data collected through disease management activities. We used this model to evaluate management issues on density- (DD) and frequency-dependent (FD) transmission, time since disease introduction, and deer culling on the demographics, epizootiology, and management of CWD.Both DD and FD models fit the Wisconsin data for a harvested white-tailed deer population, but FD was slightly better. Time since disease introduction was estimated as 36 (95% CI, 24-50) and 188 (41->200) years for DD and FD transmission, respectively. Deer harvest using intermediate to high non-selective rates can be used to reduce uncertainty between DD and FD transmission and improve our prediction of long-term epidemic patterns and host population impacts. A higher harvest rate allows earlier detection of these differences, but substantially reduces deer abundance.Results showed that CWD has spread slowly within Wisconsin deer populations, and therefore, epidemics and disease management are expected to last for decades. Non-hunted deer populations can develop and sustain a high level of infection, generating a substantial risk of disease spread. In contrast, CWD prevalence remains lower in hunted deer populations, but at a higher prevalence the disease competes with recreational hunting to reduce deer abundance.Synthesis and applications. Uncertainty about density- or frequency-dependent transmission hinders predictions about the long-term impacts of chronic wasting disease on cervid populations and the development of appropriate management strategies. An adaptive management strategy using computer modelling coupled with experimental management and monitoring can be used to test model predictions, identify the likely mode of disease transmission, and evaluate the risks of alternative management responses.

A Survey of Dog Owners in Remote Northern Australian Indigenous Communities to Inform Rabies Incursion Planning

PubMed Central

Hudson, Emily G.; Dhand, Navneet; Dürr, Salome; Ward, Michael P.

2016-01-01

Australia is underprepared for a rabies incursion due to a lack of information about how a rabies outbreak would spread within the susceptible canine populations and which control strategies would be best to control it. The aim of this study was to collect information to parameterize a recently developed dog rabies spread model as well as use this information to gauge how the community would accept potential control strategies. Such information–together with model outputs–would be used to inform decision makers on the best control strategies and improve Australia’s preparedness against a canine rabies incursion. The parameters this study focussed on were detection time, vaccination rates and dog-culling and dog movement restriction compliance. A cross-sectional survey of 31 dog-owners, using a questionnaire, was undertaken in the five communities of the Northern Peninsular Area (NPA) in northern Australia regarding community dog movements, veterinary visits, reporting systems, perceptions of sick dogs and potential human behaviours during hypothetical rabies outbreaks. It highlighted the significant shortfalls in veterinary care that would need to be vastly improved during an outbreak, who educational programs should be targeted towards and which dog movements should be restricted. The results indicate that men were significantly more likely than women to allow their dogs to roam and to move their dogs. The current low vaccination rate of 12% highlighted the limited veterinary services that would need to be substantially increased to achieve effective rabies control. Participation in mass vaccination was accepted by 100% of the respondents. There was lower acceptance for other possible rabies control strategies with 10–20% of the respondents stating a resistance to both a mass culling program and a ban on dog movements. Consequently, movement bans and mass dog culling would have limited effectiveness as a control strategy in the NPA community. More than half of the respondents said that they would report their sick dogs within a week. This would lead to a much more optimistic rabies detection time than observed in other regions with recent dog rabies outbreaks. Findings from this study can be used to parameterize a recently developed dog rabies spread model as well as to develop informed policies for managing a future rabies incursion, thus improving Australia’s preparedness against a canine rabies incursion. PMID:27115351

Field trial of efficacy of the Leish-tec® vaccine against canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in an endemic area with high transmission rates.

PubMed

Grimaldi, Gabriel; Teva, Antonio; Dos-Santos, Claudiney B; Santos, Fernanda Nunes; Pinto, Israel de-Souza; Fux, Blima; Leite, Gustavo Rocha; Falqueto, Aloísio

2017-01-01

Because domestic dogs are reservoir hosts for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, one of the approaches used to reduce human disease incidence is to cull infected dogs. However, the results of controlled intervention trials based on serological screening of dogs and killing of seropositive animals are equivocal. A prophylactic vaccine to protect dogs from being infectious to the sand fly vector could be an effective strategy to provide sustained control. Here, we investigated whether a currently licensed commercial subunit rA2 protein-saponin vaccine (Leish-tec®) had an additional effect to dog culling on reducing the canine infectious populations. This prospective study was conducted in an L. infantum highly endemic area of southeast Brazil. At the onset of the intervention, all of the eligible dogs received through subcutaneous route a three-dose vaccine course at 21-day intervals and a booster on month 12. For the purpose of comparison, newly recruited healthy dogs were included as the exposed control group. To ascertain vaccine-induced protection, dogs were screened on clinical and serological criteria every 6 months for a 2-year follow-up period. Antibody-based tests and histopathological examination of post-mortem tissue specimens from euthanized animals were used as a marker of infection. The standardized vaccine regime, apart from being safe, was immunogenic as immunized animals responded with a pronounced production of anti-A2-specific IgG antibodies. It should be noted the mean seroconversion time for infection obtained among immunized exposed dogs (~ 18 months), which was twice as high as that for unvaccinated ones (~ 9 months). After two transmission cycles completed, the cumulative incidence of infection did differ significantly (P = 0.016) between the vaccinated (27%) and unvaccinated (42%) dogs. However, the expected efficacy for the vaccine in inducing clinical protection was not evident since 43% of vaccine recipients developed disease over time. Our estimates also indicated that immunoprophylaxis by Leish-tec® vaccine in addition to dog culling might not have an impact on bringing down the incidence of canine infection with L. infantum in areas of high transmission rates. Leish-tec® as a prophylactic vaccine showed promise but needs to be further optimized to be effective in dogs under field conditions, and thereby positively impacts human incidence.

The impact of graded levels of daylength on turkey productivity to eighteen weeks of age.

PubMed

Vermette, C; Schwean-Lardner, K; Gomis, S; Crowe, T G; Classen, H L

2016-05-01

The impact of graded levels of day-length on the productivity of hens and toms was studied in two trials. Daylength treatments (trts) were 14 (14L), 17 (17L), 20 (20L), and 23 (23L) h and were started at 10 d of age. Turkeys (720 hens and 480 toms) were randomly allocated to 8 rooms (2 rooms per lighting trt) with six pens (3 hen--30 per pen and 3 tom--20 per pen) per room in each trial. Body weight (BW) was assessed at 0, 10, 21, 42, 63, 84, and 126 d of age; feed consumption (FC) was measured for the time periods between body weight determinations and feed efficiency (G:F; g of gain/g of feed) was calculated from BW and FC values. Birds were checked daily for mortality and culls, and affected birds were sent for necropsy. Data were analyzed according to a completely randomized block design with trial as the block and rooms nested within lighting trts. Regression analysis was used to study the relationship between dependent variables and daylength. Significance was declared at P≤ 0.05 and trends at P≤ 0.10. At both 21 and 42 d, body weight increased linearly with increasing daylength. At 84 d weights of toms decreased in a quadratic fashion and hen weights were unaffected. At 126 d, both tom and hen weights decreased linearly as daylength increased, with the magnitude of response gender dependent. Feed consumption corresponded with body weight changes, increasing for d 10 to 21, and 21 to 42 and decreasing for d 63 to 84, 84 to 105, and 105 to 126 with increasing daylength. Feed efficiency (G:F) was not affected by daylength for 10 to 84, 10 to 105 and 10 to 126 d periods. The incidence of mortality and culling was not affected by daylength for the 10 to 84 d period, but increased in a quadratic manner with increasing daylength for the 10 to 105 and 10 to 126 d periods. To conclude, daylength affects the growth and feed intake of turkeys in an age and gender-specific manner, and mortality and culling increase with longer daylength. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Economic weights of somatic cell score in dairy sheep.

PubMed

Legarra, A; Ramón, M; Ugarte, E; Pérez-Guzmán, M D; Arranz, J

2007-03-01

The economic weights for somatic cell score (SCS) have been calculated using profit functions. Economic data were collected in the Latxa breed. Three aspects have been considered: bulk tank milk payment, veterinary treatments due to high SCS, and culling. All of them are non-linear profit functions. Milk payment is based on the sum of the log-normal distributions of somatic cell count, and veterinary treatments on the probability of subclinical mastitis, which is inferred when individual SCS surpass some threshold. Both functions lead to non-standard distributions. The derivatives of the profit function were computed numerically. Culling was computed by assuming that a conceptual trait culled by mastitis (CBM) is genetically correlated to SCS. The economic weight considers the increase in the breeding value of CBM correlated to an increase in the breeding value of SCS, assuming genetic correlations ranging from 0 to 0.9. The relevance of the economic weights for selection purposes was checked by the estimation of genetic gains for milk yield and SCS under several scenarios of genetic parameters and economic weights. The overall economic weights for SCS range from - 2.6 to - 9.5 € per point of SCS, with an average of - 4 € per point of SCS, depending on the expected average SCS of the flock. The economic weight is higher around the thresholds for payment policies. Economic weights did not change greatly with other assumptions. The estimated genetic gains with economic weights of 0.83 € per l of milk yield and - 4 € per point of SCS, assuming a genetic correlation of - 0.30, were 3.85 l and - 0.031 SCS per year, with an associated increase in profit of 3.32 €. This represents a very small increase in profit (about 1%) relative to selecting only for milk yield. Other situations (increased economic weights, different genetic correlations) produced similar genetic gains and changes in profit. A desired-gains index reduced the increase in profit by 3%, although it could be greater depending on the genetic parameters. It is concluded that the inclusion of SCS in dairy sheep breeding programs is of low economic relevance and recommended only if recording is inexpensive or for animal welfare concerns.

Trailer temperature and humidity during winter transport of cattle in Canada and evaluation of indicators used to assess the welfare of cull beef cows before and after transport.

PubMed

Goldhawk, C; Janzen, E; González, L A; Crowe, T; Kastelic, J; Kehler, C; Siemens, M; Ominski, K; Pajor, E; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K S

2015-07-01

The current study evaluated 17 loads of cull beef cows transported in Canadian winter conditions to assess in-transit temperature and humidity, evaluation of events during loading and unloading, and animal condition and bruising. Regardless of the use of boards to block ventilation holes in trailers, temperatures were higher within trailers than at ambient locations during both travel and stationary periods (P < 0.01). Boarding was associated with smaller differences in trailer temperature, compared with ambient conditions, while the trailer was traveling at highway speeds versus when trailers were stationary (P < 0.01). Moisture levels within trailers were not different from ambient conditions when loads using boarding were traveling (P < 0.01), whereas loads without boarding had a larger difference (P < 0.01). The moisture within trailers relative to ambient conditions increased when trailers were stationary compared with traveling when boarding was used (P < 0.01). The majority of cattle transported were in good body condition (97.4% within BCS of 2 to 3.5) and had calm temperaments (96.7%). Although all comparisons were made, only the doghouse compartment had an increased risk of severe bruising compared with all other compartments (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 3.0 [1.6–5.5], 3.7 [2.1–6.4], 2.2 [1.3–3.7] and 3.8 [1.5–9.6] in comparison with the back, belly, deck, and nose compartments, respectively; P < 0.05). Increasing the duration of waiting to unload 30 min relative to a 1 h duration increased the odds of severe bruising by 1.18 times (95% confidence interval: 1.09–1.29; P < 0.01). Scoring systems that have been developed for auditing unloading of cattle had limited variation across loads at both loading and unloading. Pretransport assessment of animal condition using the American Meat Institute’s compromised animal score was the only scoring system that was consistent with posttransport scores. We inferred from the temperature and humidity data in the current study that under commercial conditions, boarding may increase ventilation within trailers during travel and decrease ventilation during stationary periods. The current study provides the first indication that issues in Canadian cull cow transport may be related to pretransport animal condition and management of unloading.

Isolating the Energetic Component of Speech-on-Speech Masking With Ideal Time-Frequency Segregation

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

Auditory Scene Analysis MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Bronkhorst, A., and Plomp, R. 1992. “Effects of multiple speechlike maskers on binaural speech...C. J. 1994. “Perception and computational sepa- ration of simultaneous vowels: Cues arising from low frequency beating ,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 95...Litovsky, R., and Culling, J. 2004. “The benefit of binaural hearing in a cocktail party: Effects of location and type of interferer,” J. Acoust. Soc

Mild Illness in Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus–Infected Poultry Worker, Huzhou, China, April 2013

PubMed Central

Lv, Huakun; Han, Jiankang; Zhang, Peng; Lu, Ye; Wen, Dong; Cai, Jian; Liu, Shelan; Sun, Jimin; Yu, Zhao; Zhang, Heng; Gong, Zhenyu; Chen, Enfu

2013-01-01

During April 2013 in China, mild respiratory symptoms developed in 1/61 workers who had culled influenza A(H7N9) virus–infected poultry. Laboratory testing confirmed A(H7N9) infection in the worker and showed that the virus persisted longer in sputum than pharyngeal swab samples. Pharyngeal swab samples from the other workers were negative for A(H7N9) virus. PMID:24209963

Addition of meloxicam to the treatment of bovine clinical mastitis results in a net economic benefit to the dairy farmer.

PubMed

van Soest, Felix J S; Abbeloos, Elke; McDougall, Scott; Hogeveen, Henk

2018-04-01

Recently, it has been shown that the addition of meloxicam to standard antimicrobial therapy for clinical mastitis (CM) improves the conception rate of dairy cows contracting CM in the first 120 d in milk. The objective of our study was to assess whether this improved reproduction through additional treatment with meloxicam would result in a positive net economic benefit for the farmer. We developed a stochastic bio-economic simulation model, in which a dairy cow with CM in the first 120 d in milk was simulated. Two scenarios were simulated in which CM cases were treated with meloxicam in conjunction with antimicrobial therapy or with antimicrobial therapy alone. The scenarios differed for conception rates (31% with meloxicam or 21% without meloxicam) and for the cost of CM treatment. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken for the biological and economic components of the model to assess the effects of a wide range of inputs on inferences about the cost effectiveness of meloxicam treatment. Model results showed an average net economic benefit of €42 per CM case per year in favor of the meloxicam scenario. Cows in the no-meloxicam treatment scenario had higher returns on milk production, lower costs upon calving, and reduced costs of treatment. However, these did not outweigh the savings associated with lower feed intake, reduced number of inseminations, and the reduced culling rate. The net economic benefit favoring meloxicam therapy was a consequence of the better reproductive performance in the meloxicam scenario in which cows had a shorter calving to conception interval (132 vs. 143 d), a shorter intercalving interval (405 vs. 416 d), and fewer inseminations per conception (2.9 vs. 3.7) compared with cows in the no-meloxicam treatment scenario. This resulted in a shorter lactation, hence a lower lactational milk production (8,441 vs. 8,517 kg per lactation) with lower feeding costs in the meloxicam group. A lower culling rate (12 vs. 25%) resulted in lower replacement costs in the meloxicam treatment scenario. All of the scenarios evaluated in the sensitivity analyses favored meloxicam treatment over no meloxicam. This study demonstrated that improvements in conception rate achieved by the use of meloxicam, as additional therapy for mild to moderate CM in the first 120 d in milk, have positive economic benefits. This inference remained true over a wide range of technical and economic inputs, demonstrating that use of meloxicam is likely to be cost effective across many production systems. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Patterns of chemical residues detected in US beef carcasses between 1991 and 1993.

PubMed

Gibbons, S N; Kaneene, J B; Lloyd, J W

1996-08-01

A study of data from 12 states in the Food Safety Inspection Service's Residue Violation Information System was conducted to describe patterns of violative chemical residues in US beef during 1991, 1992, and 1993. In 1991, 3,249 violative residues were found in 2,734 carcasses in the 12 states included in the study. In 1992, 3,132 violative residues were found in 2,813 carcasses, and in 1993, 2,317 violative residues were found in 2,051 carcasses. During each of the 3 years, the Calf Antibiotic and Sulfonamide Test and Swab Test On Premises projects detected most of the violative residues, and producers/independent growers and dairy farms were recorded as the responsible sources for most of the violations. Also, most of the animals found to have violative residues were bob calves and culled cows. In bob calves, neomycin was the most frequently identified violative chemical, followed by tetracycline, gentamicin, oxytetracycline, and penicillin. In culled cows, penicillin was the most frequently identified violative chemical and was the chemical most frequently found in combination with other chemicals in cows with multiple violative residues. Distribution patterns of violative chemical residues by slaughter class and residue type varied among the 5 Food Safety Inspection Service regions. These specific regional characteristics support the need for customized intervention, education, assessment, and prevention programs.

Analysis of factors associated with hesitation to restart farming after depopulation of animals due to 2010 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in Japan.

PubMed

Kadowaki, Hazumu; Kayano, Taishi; Tobinaga, Takaharu; Tsutsumi, Atsuro; Watari, Michiko; Makita, Kohei

2016-09-01

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) occurred in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, in 2010. This epidemic was controlled with culling and vaccination, and resulted in the death of nearly 290,000 animals. This paper describes the factors associated with hesitation to restart farming after the epidemic. A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the mental health of farmers one year after the end of the FMD epidemic in affected areas, and univariate and multivariable analyses were performed. Of 773 farms which had answered the question about restart farming, 55.4% (428/773) had resumed or were planning to resume operation. The farms hesitated restarting were characterized by small scale (P=0.06) and having multiple sources of income (P<0.01). Personal attributes associated with hesitation to restart were advanced age of the owner (P<0.01), with someone with bad physical conditions (P=0.04) and small family size (P<0.01). Factors related to disease control during the epidemic that were associated with hesitation to restart were vaccination of animals (P<0.01), not assisting with culling on other farms (P<0.01), and higher satisfaction with information provided by the government (P=0.02). We found that farmers hesitated to resume farming because they had a limited labor force, had an alternative business or were mentally distressed during disease control.

Hormonal Evidence Supports the Theory of Selection in Utero

PubMed Central

Catalano, RA; Saxton, KB; Bruckner, TA; Pearl, M; Anderson, E; Goldman-Mellor, S; Margerison-Zilko, C; Subbaraman, M; Currier, RJ; Kharrazi, M

2012-01-01

Objectives Antagonists in the debate over whether the maternal stress response during pregnancy damages or culls fetuses have invoked the theory of selection in utero to support opposing positions. We describe how these opposing arguments arise from the same theory and offer a novel test to discriminate between them. Our test, rooted in reports from population endocrinology that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) signals fetal fitness, contributes not only to the debate over the fetal origins of illness, but also to the more basic literature concerned with whether and how natural selection in utero affects contemporary human populations. Methods We linked maternal serum hCG measurements from prenatal screening tests with data from the California Department of Public Health birth registry for the years 2001–2007. We used time series analysis to test the association between the number of live born male singletons and median hCG concentration among males in monthly gestational cohorts. Results Among the 1.56 million gestations in our analysis, we find that median hCG levels among male survivors of monthly conception cohorts rise as the number of male survivors falls. Conclusions Elevated median hCG among relatively small male birth cohorts supports the theory of selection in utero and suggests that the maternal stress response culls cohorts in gestation by raising the fitness criterion for survival to birth. PMID:22411168

Innovative Techniques for Estimating Illegal Activities in a Human-Wildlife-Management Conflict

PubMed Central

Cross, Paul; St. John, Freya A. V.; Khan, Saira; Petroczi, Andrea

2013-01-01

Effective management of biological resources is contingent upon stakeholder compliance with rules. With respect to disease management, partial compliance can undermine attempts to control diseases within human and wildlife populations. Estimating non-compliance is notoriously problematic as rule-breakers may be disinclined to admit to transgressions. However, reliable estimates of rule-breaking are critical to policy design. The European badger (Meles meles) is considered an important vector in the transmission and maintenance of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle herds. Land managers in high bTB prevalence areas of the UK can cull badgers under license. However, badgers are also known to be killed illegally. The extent of illegal badger killing is currently unknown. Herein we report on the application of three innovative techniques (Randomized Response Technique (RRT); projective questioning (PQ); brief implicit association test (BIAT)) for investigating illegal badger killing by livestock farmers across Wales. RRT estimated that 10.4% of farmers killed badgers in the 12 months preceding the study. Projective questioning responses and implicit associations relate to farmers' badger killing behavior reported via RRT. Studies evaluating the efficacy of mammal vector culling and vaccination programs should incorporate estimates of non-compliance. Mitigating the conflict concerning badgers as a vector of bTB requires cross-disciplinary scientific research, departure from deep-rooted positions, and the political will to implement evidence-based management. PMID:23341973

Forecasting the effects of fertility control on overabundant ungulates: White-tailed deer in the National Capital Region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raiho, Ann M.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Bates, Scott; Hobbs, N. Thompson

2015-01-01

Overabundant populations of ungulates have caused environmental degradation and loss of biological diversity in ecosystems throughout the world. Culling or regulated harvest is often used to control overabundant species. These methods are difficult to implement in national parks, other types of conservation reserves, or in residential areas where public hunting may be forbidden by policy. As a result, fertility control has been recommended as a non-lethal alternative for regulating ungulate populations. We evaluate this alternative using white-tailed deer in national parks in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., USA as a model system. Managers seek to reduce densities of white-tailed deer from the current average (50 deer per km2) to decrease harm to native plant communities caused by deer. We present a Bayesian hierarchical model using 13 years of population estimates from 8 national parks in the National Capital Region Network. We offer a novel way to evaluate management actions relative to goals using short term forecasts. Our approach confirms past analyses that fertility control is incapable of rapidly reducing deer abundance. Fertility control can be combined with culling to maintain a population below carrying capacity with a high probability of success. This gives managers confronted with problematic overabundance a framework for implementing management actions with a realistic assessment of uncertainty.

Forecasting the Effects of Fertility Control on Overabundant Ungulates: White-Tailed Deer in the National Capital Region.

PubMed

Raiho, Ann M; Hooten, Mevin B; Bates, Scott; Hobbs, N Thompson

2015-01-01

Overabundant populations of ungulates have caused environmental degradation and loss of biological diversity in ecosystems throughout the world. Culling or regulated harvest is often used to control overabundant species. These methods are difficult to implement in national parks, other types of conservation reserves, or in residential areas where public hunting may be forbidden by policy. As a result, fertility control has been recommended as a non-lethal alternative for regulating ungulate populations. We evaluate this alternative using white-tailed deer in national parks in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., USA as a model system. Managers seek to reduce densities of white-tailed deer from the current average (50 deer per km2) to decrease harm to native plant communities caused by deer. We present a Bayesian hierarchical model using 13 years of population estimates from 8 national parks in the National Capital Region Network. We offer a novel way to evaluate management actions relative to goals using short term forecasts. Our approach confirms past analyses that fertility control is incapable of rapidly reducing deer abundance. Fertility control can be combined with culling to maintain a population below carrying capacity with a high probability of success. This gives managers confronted with problematic overabundance a framework for implementing management actions with a realistic assessment of uncertainty.

Innovative techniques for estimating illegal activities in a human-wildlife-management conflict.

PubMed

Cross, Paul; St John, Freya A V; Khan, Saira; Petroczi, Andrea

2013-01-01

Effective management of biological resources is contingent upon stakeholder compliance with rules. With respect to disease management, partial compliance can undermine attempts to control diseases within human and wildlife populations. Estimating non-compliance is notoriously problematic as rule-breakers may be disinclined to admit to transgressions. However, reliable estimates of rule-breaking are critical to policy design. The European badger (Meles meles) is considered an important vector in the transmission and maintenance of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle herds. Land managers in high bTB prevalence areas of the UK can cull badgers under license. However, badgers are also known to be killed illegally. The extent of illegal badger killing is currently unknown. Herein we report on the application of three innovative techniques (Randomized Response Technique (RRT); projective questioning (PQ); brief implicit association test (BIAT)) for investigating illegal badger killing by livestock farmers across Wales. RRT estimated that 10.4% of farmers killed badgers in the 12 months preceding the study. Projective questioning responses and implicit associations relate to farmers' badger killing behavior reported via RRT. Studies evaluating the efficacy of mammal vector culling and vaccination programs should incorporate estimates of non-compliance. Mitigating the conflict concerning badgers as a vector of bTB requires cross-disciplinary scientific research, departure from deep-rooted positions, and the political will to implement evidence-based management.

Punica granatum L. Leaf Extract Attenuates Lung Inflammation in Mice with Acute Lung Injury

PubMed Central

Pinheiro, Aruanã Joaquim Matheus Costa Rodrigues; Gonçalves, Jaciara Sá; Dourado, Ádylla Wilenna Alves; de Sousa, Eduardo Martins; Brito, Natilene Mesquita; Silva, Lanna Karinny; Batista, Marisa Cristina Aranha; de Sá, Joicy Cortez; Monteiro, Cinara Regina Aragão Vieira; Fernandes, Elizabeth Soares; Campbell, Lee Ann; Zago, Patrícia Maria Wiziack

2018-01-01

The hydroalcoholic extract of Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaves was previously demonstrated to be anti-inflammatory in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced acute peritonitis. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of the ethyl acetate fraction obtained from the pomegranate leaf hydroalcoholic extract (EAFPg) on the LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model. Male Swiss mice received either EAFPg at different doses or dexamethasone (per os) prior to LPS intranasal instillation. Vehicle-treated mice were used as controls. Animals were culled at 4 h after LPS challenge, and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung samples were collected for analysis. EAFPg and kaempferol effects on NO and cytokine production by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages were also investigated. Pretreatment with EAFPg (100–300 mg/kg) markedly reduced cell accumulation (specially neutrophils) and collagen deposition in the lungs of ALI mice. The same animals presented with reduced lung and BALF TNF-α and IL-1β expression in comparison with vehicle controls (p < 0.05). Additionally, incubation with either EAFPg or kaempferol (100 μg/ml) reduced NO production and cytokine gene expression in cultured LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Overall, these results demonstrate that the prophylactic treatment with EAFPg attenuates acute lung inflammation. We suggest this fraction may be useful in treating ALI. PMID:29675437

Economic Cost of Ovine Johne’s Disease in Clinically Affected New Zealand Flocks and Benefit-Cost of Vaccination

PubMed Central

Gautam, Milan; Anderson, Peter; Ridler, Anne; Wilson, Peter; Heuer, Cord

2018-01-01

The aims of this study were to estimate the on-fam economic cost of ovine Johne’s disease (OJD) based on collected incidence and mortality data, and the benefit-cost of OJD vaccination in typical OJD affected flocks in New Zealand after having vaccinated for a number of years. Owners of 20 sheep breeding and finishing farms known to be clinically affected by ovine Johne’s disease in New Zealand participated in the study and were monitored for up to two years. Farms were categorized as fine-wool (Merino, Half-Bred, Corriedale, n = 15), and other breeds (Romney, composite breeds, n = 5). Ovine JD was confirmed by gross- and histo-pathology in 358 ewes culled due to chronic progressive wasting. An additional 228 ewes with low body condition score (BCS), but not targeted for culling, were tested with ELISA to estimate the proportion of OJD in ewes in the lower 5% BCS of the flock. Calculations were done separately for fine-wool and other breeds. Based on the data, mortality due to OJD, its associated cost and the benefit-cost of vaccination were evaluated for a hypothetical farm with 2000 ewes by stochastic simulation. Total ewe mortality was similar in fine-wool and other breeds, but the estimated mortality due to OJD was 2.7 times as high in fine-wool (median 1.8%, interquartile range IQR 1.2–2.7%) than other breeds (median 0.69%, IQR 0.3–1.2%), but with large variation between farms. ELISA results demonstrated fine-wool sheep had a higher seroprevalence than other breeds (39%, 95% CI 18–61% vs. 9%, 95% CI 0–22%). Stochastic modelling indicated that the average annual cost of mortality due to OJD in a flock of 2000 ewes was NZD 13,100 (IQR 8900–18,600) in fine-wool and NZD 4300 (IQR 2200–7600) in other breeds. Vaccinating replacement lambs against OJD may be cost-effective in most flocks when the pre-vaccination annual ewe mortality due to OJD is >1%. To make the best-informed decision about vaccination it is therefore essential for farmers to accurately diagnose OJD to establish incidence. PMID:29382184

Distribution of chewing lice upon the polygynous peacock Pavo cristatus.

PubMed

Stewart, I R; Clark, F; Petrie, M

1996-04-01

An opportunistic survey of louse distribution upon the peacock Pavo cristatus was undertaken following a cull of 23 birds from an English zoo. After complete skin and feather dissolution, 2 species of lice were retrieved, Goniodes pavonis and Amyrsidea minuta. The distribution of both louse species could be described by a negative binomial model. The significance of this is discussed in relation to transmission dynamics of lice in the atypical avian mating system found in the peacock, which involves no male parental care.

Homologous and heterologous antigenic matched vaccines containing different H5 hemagglutinins provides variable protection of chickens from the 2014 U.S. H5N8 and H5N2 clade 2.3.4.4 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

From December 2014 to June 2015, a novel H5 Eurasian A/goose/Guangdong (Gs/GD) lineage clade 2.3.4.4 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus caused the largest animal health emergency in US history resulting in mortality or culling of greater than 48 million poultry. The outbreak renewed int...

Cryptozoology Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richman, Barbara T.

Reports of Loch Ness monsters, Bigfoot, and the Yeti spring u p from time to time, sparking scientific controversy about the veracity of these observations. Now an organization has been established to help cull, analyze, and disseminate information on the alleged creatures. The International Society of Cryptozoology, formed at a January meeting at the U.S. National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution, will serve as the focal point for the investigation, analysis, publication, and discussion of animals of unexpected form or size or of unexpected occurrences in time or space.

Naval War College Review, Volume 59, Number 4, Autumn 2006

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

strong defen- sive structure. Fort Fisher lies on a peninsula jutting south from Wilmington in what looks like an elon - gated and inverted pyramid...had been blocked since May in the Bermuda Hundred, a bight of land enclosed by a loop of the James River about twenty miles south of the city. C:\\WIP... Muske - teer, November 27, 1956 [hereafter Air Task Force Report], TNA, PRO, p. 2; Lt. Cdr. Roy Everleigh, RN, quoted in Brian Cull, David Nicolle, and

Air and Ground Gunnery: Test Areas A-73, A-77, A-78, A-79, B-7, and B-75, Range Environmental Assessment, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

or to safety that are attributable to products or substances that the child is likely to come in contact with or ingest (such as the air we breathe...onnwnL.B,.111 ~ -.ru, _it;:J ~•N i!J K<>s,...-., . <’ . . ,.. §SJ • ,..- ) . .. / . ~, /, -:; ..: • Air 11lld. C£Otind CUll:nO)’ Itt EgJln Air Porn

Reflecting on ethical and legal issues in wildlife disease.

PubMed

McCallum, Hamish; Hocking, Barbara Ann

2005-08-01

Disease in wildlife raises a number of issues that have not been widely considered in the bioethical literature. However, wildlife disease has major implications for human welfare. The majority of emerging human infectious diseases are zoonotic: this is, they occur in humans by cross-species transmissions from animal hosts. Managing these diseases often involves balancing concerns with human health against animal welfare and conservation concerns. Many infectious diseases of domestic animals are shared with wild animals, although it is often unclear whether the infection spills over from wild animals to domestic animals or vice versa. Culling is the standard means of managing such diseases, bringing economic considerations, animal welfare and conservation into conflict. Infectious diseases are also major threatening processes in conservation biology and their appropriate management by culling, vaccination or treatment raises substantial animal ethics issues. One particular issue of great significance in Australia is an ongoing research program to develop genetically modified pathogens to control vertebrate pests including rabbits, foxes and house mice. Release of any self-replicating GMO vertebrate pathogen gives rise to a whole series of ethical questions. We briefly review current Australian legal responses to these problems. Finally, we present two unresolved problems of general importance that are exemplified by wildlife disease. First, to what extent can or should 'bioethics' be broadened beyond direct concerns with human welfare to animal welfare and environmental welfare? Second, how should the irreducible uncertainty of ecological systems be accounted for in ethical decision making?

Analysis of factors associated with hesitation to restart farming after depopulation of animals due to 2010 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in Japan

PubMed Central

KADOWAKI, Hazumu; KAYANO, Taishi; TOBINAGA, Takaharu; TSUTSUMI, Atsuro; WATARI, Michiko; MAKITA, Kohei

2016-01-01

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) occurred in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, in 2010. This epidemic was controlled with culling and vaccination, and resulted in the death of nearly 290,000 animals. This paper describes the factors associated with hesitation to restart farming after the epidemic. A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the mental health of farmers one year after the end of the FMD epidemic in affected areas, and univariate and multivariable analyses were performed. Of 773 farms which had answered the question about restart farming, 55.4% (428/773) had resumed or were planning to resume operation. The farms hesitated restarting were characterized by small scale (P=0.06) and having multiple sources of income (P<0.01). Personal attributes associated with hesitation to restart were advanced age of the owner (P<0.01), with someone with bad physical conditions (P=0.04) and small family size (P<0.01). Factors related to disease control during the epidemic that were associated with hesitation to restart were vaccination of animals (P<0.01), not assisting with culling on other farms (P<0.01), and higher satisfaction with information provided by the government (P=0.02). We found that farmers hesitated to resume farming because they had a limited labor force, had an alternative business or were mentally distressed during disease control. PMID:27149890

Impact of Mated Female Nonproductive Days in Breeding Herd after Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Outbreak.

PubMed

Lin, Jung-Da; Lin, Chuen-Fu; Chung, Wen-Bin; Chiou, Ming-Tang; Lin, Chao-Nan

2016-01-01

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an important pathogen that has a significant economic impact on the swine industry by imposing a high rate of mortality in suckling piglets. However, limited information on the productivity values of gilts and sows infected with PEDV is available. Here, we evaluate the productivity index in gilts and sows during the 1-year period before (19 January 2013 to 18 January 2014) and after (19 January 2014 to 18 January 2015) a PEDV outbreak from a 2000-sow breeding herd in Taiwan. The farrowing rate (FR), return rate (RR), total pigs born per litter (TB), pigs born alive per litter (BA), weaning pigs per litter (WPL), pre-weaning mortality, percentage of sows mated by 7 days after weaning, weaning to first service interval (WFSI), mated female nonproductive days (NPDs), replacement rate of sows and sow culling rate were compared using productive records. The FR (-9.6%), RR (+9.8%), TB (-1.6), BA (-1.1), WPL (-1.1), sows mated by 7 days after weaning (-6.9%), WFSI (+0.8 days), NPDs (+6.9 days) and sow culling rate (+7.2%) were significantly different between the 1-year pre-PEDV outbreak period and the post-PEDV outbreak period. Impacts of the PEDV infection on the reproductive performance were more severe in pregnant gilts than in sows. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the outbreak of PEDV caused an increase in the rate of NPDs in breeding herds.

Chronic wasting disease management in ranched elk using rectal biopsy testing.

PubMed

Haley, Nicholas J; Henderson, Davin M; Wycoff, Sarah; Tennant, Joanne; Hoover, Edward A; Love, Dan; Kline, Ed; Lehmkuhl, Aaron; Thomsen, Bruce

2018-03-04

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting members of the cervid species, and is one of the few TSEs with an expanding geographic range. Diagnostic limitations, efficient transmission, and the movement of infected animals are important contributing factors in the ongoing spread of disease. Managing CWD in affected populations has proven difficult, relying on population reduction in the case of wild deer and elk, or quarantine and depopulation in farmed cervids. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of managing endemic CWD in a closed elk herd using antemortem sampling combined with both conventional and experimental diagnostic testing, and selective, targeted culling of infected animals. We hypothesized that the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, a developing amplification assay, would offer greater detection capabilities over immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the identification of infected animals using recto-anal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT). We further sought to develop a better understanding of CWD epidemiology in elk with various PRNP alleles, and predicted that CWD prevalence would decrease with targeted culling. We found that RT-QuIC identified significantly more CWD-positive animals than IHC using RAMALT tissues (121 vs. 86, respectively, out of 553 unique animals), and that longstanding disease presence was associated with an increasing frequency of less susceptible PRNP alleles. Prevalence of CWD increased significantly over the first two years of the study, implying that refinements in our management strategy are necessary to reduce the prevalence of CWD in this herd.

Modeling vector-borne disease risk in migratory animals under climate change.

PubMed

Hall, Richard J; Brown, Leone M; Altizer, Sonia

2016-08-01

Recent theory suggests that animals that migrate to breed at higher latitudes may benefit from reduced pressure from natural enemies, including pathogens ("migratory escape"), and that migration itself weeds out infected individuals and lowers infection prevalence ("migratory culling"). The distribution and activity period of arthropod disease vectors in temperate regions is expected to respond rapidly to climate change, which could reduce the potential for migratory escape. However, climate change could have the opposite effect of reducing transmission if differential responses in the phenology and distribution of migrants and disease vectors reduce their overlap in space and time. Here we outline a simple modeling framework for exploring the influence of climate change on vector-borne disease dynamics in a migratory host. We investigate two scenarios under which pathogen transmission dynamics might be mediated by climate change: (1) vectors respond more rapidly than migrants to advancing phenology at temperate breeding sites, causing peak susceptible host density and vector emergence to diverge ("migratory mismatch") and (2) reduced migratory propensity allows increased nonbreeding survival of infected hosts and larger breeding-site epidemics (loss of migratory culling, here referred to as "sedentary amplification"). Our results highlight the need for continued surveillance of climate-induced changes to migratory behavior and vector activity to predict pathogen prevalence and its impacts on migratory animals. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Maternal Geophagy of Calabash Chalk on Foetal Cerebral Cortex Histomorphology.

PubMed

Ekanem, Theresa Bassey; Ekong, Moses Bassey; Eluwa, Mokutima Amarachi; Igiri, Anozeng Oyono; Osim, Eme Efiom

2015-01-01

Calabash chalk, a kaolin-base substance is a common geophagic material mostly consumed by pregnant women. This study investigated its effect on the histomorphology of the foetal cerebral cortex. Twelve gestating Wistar rats were divided equally into groups 1 and 2. On pregnancy day seven (PD7), group 2 animals were administered 200 mg/kg body weight of calabash chalk suspension, while group 1 animals served as the control and received 1 ml of distilled water, by oral gavages and for 14 days (PD7-PD20). On PD21, the dams were sacrificed, and the foetuses removed, examined for gross malformations, weighed and culled to two foetuses per mother. Their whole brains were excised, weighed and preserved using 10% buffered formalin, and routinely processed by haematoxylin and eosin, and Luxol fast blue methods. The foetuses showed no morphological change, but their mean body weights was higher (p=0.0001). Histomorphological sections of the cerebral cortex showed hypertrophy and hyperplasia of cells in all the cortical layers, with less demonstrated Nissl and higher (p=0.001) cellular population compared with the control group. Calabash chalk cause body weight increase and histomorphological changes in the cerebral cortex of foetuses.

Analysis of Q fever in Dutch dairy goat herds and assessment of control measures by means of a transmission model.

PubMed

Bontje, D M; Backer, J A; Hogerwerf, L; Roest, H I J; van Roermund, H J W

2016-01-01

Between 2006 and 2009 the largest human Q fever epidemic ever described occurred in the Netherlands. The source of infection was traced back to dairy goat herds with abortion problems due to Q fever. The first aim of control measures taken in these herds was the reduction of human exposure. To analyze Q fever dynamics in goat herds and to study the effect of control measures, a within-herd model of Coxiella burnetii transmission in dairy goat herds was developed. With this individual-based stochastic model we evaluated six control strategies and three herd management styles and studied which strategy leads to a lower Q fever prevalence and/or to disease extinction in a goat herd. Parameter values were based on literature and on experimental work. The model could not be validated with independent data. The results of the epidemiological model were: (1) Vaccination is effective in quickly reducing the prevalence in a dairy goat herd. (2) When taking into account the average time to extinction of the infection and the infection pressure in a goat herd, the most effective control strategy is preventive yearly vaccination, followed by the reactive strategies to vaccinate after an abortion storm or after testing BTM (bulk tank milk) positive. (3) As C. burnetii in dried dust may affect public health, an alternative ranking method is based on the cumulative amount of C. burnetii emitted into the environment (from disease introduction until extinction). Using this criterion, the same control strategies are effective as when based on time to extinction and infection pressure (see 2). (4) As the bulk of pathogen excretion occurs during partus and abortion, culling of pregnant animals during an abortion storm leads to a fast reduction of the amount of C. burnetii emitted into the environment. However, emission is not entirely prevented and Q fever will not be eradicated in the herd by this measure. (5) A search & destroy (i.e. test and cull) method by PCR of individual milk samples with a detection probability of 50% of detecting and culling infected goats - that excrete C. burnetii intermittently - will not result in eradication of Q fever in the herd. This control strategy was the least effective of the six evaluated strategies. Subject to model limitations, our results indicate that only vaccination is capable of preventing and controlling Q fever outbreaks in dairy goat farms. Thus, preventive vaccination should be considered as an ongoing control measure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and Level of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Culled Dairy Cows at Harvest.

PubMed

Stromberg, Zachary R; Lewis, Gentry L; Aly, Sharif S; Lehenbauer, Terry W; Bosilevac, Joseph M; Cernicchiaro, Natalia; Moxley, Rodney A

2016-03-01

The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and level of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 (collectively EHEC-6) plus EHEC O157 in fecal, hide, and preintervention carcass surface samples from culled dairy cows. Matched samples (n = 300) were collected from 100 cows at harvest and tested by a culture-based method and two molecular methods: NeoSEEK STEC (NS) and Atlas STEC EG2 Combo. Both the culture and NS methods can be used to discriminate among the seven EHEC types (EHEC-7), from which the cumulative prevalence was inferred, whereas the Atlas method can discriminate only between EHEC O157 and non-O157 EHEC, without discrimination of the serogroup. The EHEC-7 prevalence in feces, hides, and carcass surfaces was 6.5, 15.6, and 1.0%, respectively, with the culture method and 25.9, 64.9, and 7.0%, respectively, with the NS method. With the Atlas method, the prevalence of non-O157 EHEC was 29.1, 38.3, and 28.0% and that of EHEC O157 was 29.1, 57.0, and 3.0% for feces, hides, and carcasses, respectively. Only two samples (a hide sample and a fecal sample) originating from different cows contained quantifiable EHEC. In both samples, the isolates were identified as EHEC O157, with 4.7 CFU/1,000 cm(2) in the hide sample and 3.9 log CFU/g in the fecal sample. Moderate agreement was found between culture and NS results for detection of EHEC O26 (κ = 0.58, P < 0.001), EHEC O121 (κ = 0.50, P < 0.001), and EHEC O157 (κ = 0.40, P < 0.001). No significant agreement was observed between NS and Atlas results or between culture and Atlas results. Detection of an EHEC serogroup in fecal samples was significantly associated with detection of the same EHEC serogroup in hide samples for EHEC O26 (P = 0.001), EHEC O111 (P = 0.002), EHEC O121 (P < 0.001), and EHEC-6 (P = 0.029) based on NS detection and for EHEC O121 (P < 0.001) based on detection by culture. This study provides evidence that non-O157 EHEC are ubiquitous on hides of culled dairy cattle and that feces are an important source of non-O157 EHEC hide contamination.

Impact of subclinical mastitis on greenhouse gas emissions intensity and profitability of dairy cows in Norway.

PubMed

Özkan Gülzari, Şeyda; Vosough Ahmadi, Bouda; Stott, Alistair W

2018-02-01

Impaired animal health causes both productivity and profitability losses on dairy farms, resulting in inefficient use of inputs and increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced per unit of product (i.e. emissions intensity). Here, we used subclinical mastitis as an exemplar to benchmark alternative scenarios against an economic optimum and adjusted herd structure to estimate the GHG emissions intensity associated with varying levels of disease. Five levels of somatic cell count (SCC) classes were considered namely 50,000 (i.e. SCC50), 200,000, 400,000, 600,000 and 800,000cells/mL (milliliter) of milk. The effects of varying levels of SCC on milk yield reduction and consequential milk price penalties were used in a dynamic programming (DP) model that maximizes the profit per cow, represented as expected net present value, by choosing optimal animal replacement rates. The GHG emissions intensities associated with different levels of SCC were then computed using a farm-scale model (HolosNor). The total culling rates of both primiparous (PP) and multiparous (MP) cows for the five levels of SCC scenarios estimated by the model varied from a minimum of 30.9% to a maximum of 43.7%. The expected profit was the highest for cows with SCC200 due to declining margin over feed, which influenced the DP model to cull and replace more animals and generate higher profit under this scenario compared to SCC50. The GHG emission intensities for the PP and MP cows with SCC50 were 1.01kg (kilogram) and 0.95kg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 e) per kg fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM), respectively, with the lowest emissions being achieved in SCC50. Our results show that there is a potential to reduce the farm GHG emissions intensity by 3.7% if the milk production was improved through reducing the level of SCC to 50,000cells/mL in relation to SCC level 800,000cells/mL. It was concluded that preventing and/or controlling subclinical mastitis consequently reduces the GHG emissions per unit of product on farm that results in improved profits for the farmers through reductions in milk losses, optimum culling rate and reduced feed and other variable costs. We suggest that further studies exploring the impact of a combination of diseases on emissions intensity are warranted. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lifetime effects of infection with bovine leukemia virus on longevity and milk production of dairy cows.

PubMed

Nekouei, Omid; VanLeeuwen, John; Stryhn, Henrik; Kelton, David; Keefe, Greg

2016-10-01

Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is an economically important disease of dairy cattle caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV). The economic impacts of the infection have been debated in the literature. The present study was conducted to determine the lifetime effects of BLV infection on longevity and milk production of dairy cows in Canada. The data were aggregated from a combination of two data sets: 1) BLV serum-ELISA test results from Canada-wide surveys of production limiting diseases, which took place between 1998 and 2003 in 8 provinces, and 2) longitudinal production data for all cows in the former study, extracted from the Canadian dairy herd improvement database. All participant cows had been culled or died by the onset of this study. A historical cohort study was designed, including cows which tested positive to BLV-antibodies in their first lactation (positive cohort, n=1858) and cows which tested negative in their second or later lactations (negative cohort, n=2194). To assess the impacts of infection with BLV on longevity (the number of lifetime lactations), a discrete-time survival analysis was carried out. The effect of BLV on the lifetime milk production (the sum of all life 305-day milk production) was evaluated using a multilevel linear regression model. Overall, 4052 cows from 348 herds met the eligibility criteria and were enrolled in the study. In the longevity model, the interaction term between time (lactation number) and BLV-status was highly significant. Cows which were positive to BLV had consistently greater probabilities of being culled (or dying) than the test-negative cows. In the milk production model, the interaction term between BLV-status and longevity of the cows was highly significant; indicating that lifetime BLV effects on the total milk production was dependent on the lactation in which the study cows were culled/died. Infected cows with 2 and 3 lactations showed significantly lower life milk productions [-2554kg (-3609 to -1500) and -1171kg (-2051 to -292), respectively] compared with their negative counterparts with 2 and 3 lactations. As the cows lived longer (>3 lactations), the differences in life milk production between the two cohorts were no longer significant. Overall, it was predicted that the test-positive cows produced substantially lower milk compared to the test-negative cows throughout their study lifespans. With the high prevalence of BLV in Canadian dairy cows and its detrimental economic impacts, pursuing broad-based control programs in Canada should be evaluated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Field trial of efficacy of the Leish-tec® vaccine against canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in an endemic area with high transmission rates

PubMed Central

Teva, Antonio; dos-Santos, Claudiney B.; Santos, Fernanda Nunes; Pinto, Israel de-Souza; Fux, Blima; Leite, Gustavo Rocha; Falqueto, Aloísio

2017-01-01

Background Because domestic dogs are reservoir hosts for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, one of the approaches used to reduce human disease incidence is to cull infected dogs. However, the results of controlled intervention trials based on serological screening of dogs and killing of seropositive animals are equivocal. A prophylactic vaccine to protect dogs from being infectious to the sand fly vector could be an effective strategy to provide sustained control. Here, we investigated whether a currently licensed commercial subunit rA2 protein–saponin vaccine (Leish-tec®) had an additional effect to dog culling on reducing the canine infectious populations. Methodology/Principal findings This prospective study was conducted in an L. infantum highly endemic area of southeast Brazil. At the onset of the intervention, all of the eligible dogs received through subcutaneous route a three-dose vaccine course at 21-day intervals and a booster on month 12. For the purpose of comparison, newly recruited healthy dogs were included as the exposed control group. To ascertain vaccine-induced protection, dogs were screened on clinical and serological criteria every 6 months for a 2-year follow-up period. Antibody-based tests and histopathological examination of post-mortem tissue specimens from euthanized animals were used as a marker of infection. The standardized vaccine regime, apart from being safe, was immunogenic as immunized animals responded with a pronounced production of anti-A2-specific IgG antibodies. It should be noted the mean seroconversion time for infection obtained among immunized exposed dogs (~ 18 months), which was twice as high as that for unvaccinated ones (~ 9 months). After two transmission cycles completed, the cumulative incidence of infection did differ significantly (P = 0.016) between the vaccinated (27%) and unvaccinated (42%) dogs. However, the expected efficacy for the vaccine in inducing clinical protection was not evident since 43% of vaccine recipients developed disease over time. Our estimates also indicated that immunoprophylaxis by Leish-tec® vaccine in addition to dog culling might not have an impact on bringing down the incidence of canine infection with L. infantum in areas of high transmission rates. Conclusions/Significance Leish-tec® as a prophylactic vaccine showed promise but needs to be further optimized to be effective in dogs under field conditions, and thereby positively impacts human incidence. PMID:28953944

Intention of dog owners to participate in rabies control measures in Flores Island, Indonesia.

PubMed

Wera, Ewaldus; Mourits, Monique C M; Hogeveen, Henk

2016-04-01

The success of a rabies control strategy depends on the commitment and collaboration of dog owners. In this study the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was used to identify the factors, which are associated with the intention of dog owners to participate in rabies control measures in the Manggarai and Sikka regencies of Flores Island, Indonesia. Questionnaires were administered to 450 dog owners from 44 randomly selected villages in the two regencies. Ninety-six percent of the dog owners intended to participate in a free-of-charge vaccination campaign. The intention decreased to 24% when dog owners were asked to pay a vaccination fee equal to the market price of the vaccine (Rp 18.000 per dose=US$2). Approximately 81% of the dog owners intended to keep their dogs inside their house or to leash them day and night during a period of at least three months in case of an incidence of rabies in the dog population within their village. Only 40% intended to cull their dogs in case of a rabies incident within their village. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, the attitude item 'vaccinating dogs reduces rabies cases in humans', and the perceived behavioural control items 'availability of time' and 'ability to confine dogs' were shown to be significantly associated with the intention to participate in a free-of-charge vaccination campaign. The attitude item 'culling dogs reduces rabies cases in humans' was significantly associated with the intention to participate in a culling measure. The attitude item 'leashing of dogs reduces human rabies cases' and perceived behavioural controls 'availability of time' and 'money to buy a leash' were associated with the intention to leash dogs during a rabies outbreak. As the attitude variables were often significantly associated with intention to participate in a rabies control measure, an educational rabies campaign focusing on the benefit of rabies control measures is expected to increase the intention of dog owners to participate in future rabies control measures. The significant association between perceived behavioural controls and intention to participate points to other relevant policy interventions. Providing dog owners with a skill to confine dogs and creating a subsidy program for the vaccine and leash costs, by involving non-governmental organisations or charitable organisations, may be useful policy interventions. Moreover appropriate time management, such as implementing vaccination campaigns during the weekend, could increase the intention to participate in vaccination campaigns, by relaxing the constraints on the availability of dog owners' time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Life cycle biological efficiency of mice divergently selected for heat loss.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, A S; Nielsen, M K

2014-08-01

Divergent selection in mice for heat loss was conducted in 3 independent replicates creating a high maintenance, high heat loss (MH) and low maintenance, low heat loss (ML) line and unselected control (MC). Improvement in feed efficiency was observed in ML mice due to a reduced maintenance energy requirement but there was also a slight decline in reproductive performance, survivability, and lean content, particularly when compared to MC animals. The objective of this study was to model a life cycle scenario similar to a livestock production system and calculate total inputs and outputs to estimate overall biological efficiency of these lines and determine if reduced feed intake resulted in improved life cycle efficiency. Feed intake, reproductive performance, growth, and body composition were recorded on 21 mating pairs from each line × replicate combination, cohabitated at 7 wk of age and maintained for up to 1 yr unless culled. Proportion of animals at each parity was calculated from survival rates estimated from previous research when enforcing a maximum of 4, 8, or 12 allowed parities. This parity distribution was then combined with values from previous studies to calculate inputs and outputs of mating pairs and offspring produced in a single cycle at equilibrium. Offspring output was defined as kilograms of lean output of offspring at 49 d. Offspring input was defined as megacalories of energy intake for growing offspring from 21 to 49 d. Parent output was defined as kilograms of lean output of culled parents. Parent input was defined as megacalories of energy intake for mating pairs from weaning of one parity to weaning of the next. Offspring output was greatest in MC mice due to superior BW and numbers weaned, while output was lowest in ML mice due to smaller litter sizes and lean content. Parent output did not differ substantially between lines but was greatest in MH mice due to poorer survival rates resulting in more culled animals. Input was greatest in MH and lowest for ML mice for both offspring and parent pairs, consistent with previous results in these lines. Life cycle efficiency was similar in MC and ML mice, while MH mice were least efficient. Ultimately, superior output in MC mice slightly outweighed the lower inputs in ML animals resulting from decreased maintenance energy requirements. Therefore, selection to reduce maintenance energy requirements may be more useful in terminal crosses or in a selection index to reduce possible negative effects on output, especially reproductive performance.

Scalable and portable visualization of large atomistic datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Ashish; Kalia, Rajiv K.; Nakano, Aiichiro; Vashishta, Priya

2004-10-01

A scalable and portable code named Atomsviewer has been developed to interactively visualize a large atomistic dataset consisting of up to a billion atoms. The code uses a hierarchical view frustum-culling algorithm based on the octree data structure to efficiently remove atoms outside of the user's field-of-view. Probabilistic and depth-based occlusion-culling algorithms then select atoms, which have a high probability of being visible. Finally a multiresolution algorithm is used to render the selected subset of visible atoms at varying levels of detail. Atomsviewer is written in C++ and OpenGL, and it has been tested on a number of architectures including Windows, Macintosh, and SGI. Atomsviewer has been used to visualize tens of millions of atoms on a standard desktop computer and, in its parallel version, up to a billion atoms. Program summaryTitle of program: Atomsviewer Catalogue identifier: ADUM Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADUM Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Computer for which the program is designed and others on which it has been tested: 2.4 GHz Pentium 4/Xeon processor, professional graphics card; Apple G4 (867 MHz)/G5, professional graphics card Operating systems under which the program has been tested: Windows 2000/XP, Mac OS 10.2/10.3, SGI IRIX 6.5 Programming languages used: C++, C and OpenGL Memory required to execute with typical data: 1 gigabyte of RAM High speed storage required: 60 gigabytes No. of lines in the distributed program including test data, etc.: 550 241 No. of bytes in the distributed program including test data, etc.: 6 258 245 Number of bits in a word: Arbitrary Number of processors used: 1 Has the code been vectorized or parallelized: No Distribution format: tar gzip file Nature of physical problem: Scientific visualization of atomic systems Method of solution: Rendering of atoms using computer graphic techniques, culling algorithms for data minimization, and levels-of-detail for minimal rendering Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: None Typical running time: The program is interactive in its execution Unusual features of the program: None References: The conceptual foundation and subsequent implementation of the algorithms are found in [A. Sharma, A. Nakano, R.K. Kalia, P. Vashishta, S. Kodiyalam, P. Miller, W. Zhao, X.L. Liu, T.J. Campbell, A. Haas, Presence—Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 12 (1) (2003)].

[Spanish consensus on infantile haemangioma].

PubMed

Baselga Torres, Eulalia; Bernabéu Wittel, José; van Esso Arbolave, Diego L; Febrer Bosch, María Isabel; Carrasco Sanz, Ángel; de Lucas Laguna, Raúl; Del Pozo Losada, Jesús; Hernández Martín, Ángela; Jiménez Montañés, Lorenzo; López Gutiérrez, Juan Carlos; Martín-Santiago, Ana; Redondo Bellón, Pedro; Ruíz-Canela Cáceres, Juan; Torrelo Fernández, Antonio; Vera Casaño, Ángel; Vicente Villa, María Asunción

2016-11-01

Infantile haemangiomas are benign tumours produced by the proliferation of endothelial cells of blood vessels, with a high incidence in children under the age of one year (4-10%). It is estimated that 12% of them require treatment. This treatment must be administered according to clinical practice guidelines, expert experience, patient characteristics and parent preferences. The consensus process was performed by using scientific evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of infantile haemangiomas, culled from a systematic review of the literature, together with specialist expert opinions. The recommendations issued were validated by the specialists, who also provided their level of agreement. This document contains recommendations on the classification, associations, complications, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients with infantile haemangioma. It also includes action algorithms, and addresses multidisciplinary management and referral criteria between the different specialities involved in the clinical management of this type of patient. The recommendations and the diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms of infantile haemangiomas contained in this document are a useful tool for the proper management of these patients. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Best Practices in Academic Mentoring: A Model for Excellence

PubMed Central

Nick, Jan M.; Delahoyde, Theresa M.; Del Prato, Darlene; Mitchell, Claudia; Ortiz, Jennifer; Ottley, Clarise; Young, Patricia; Cannon, Sharon B.; Lasater, Kathie; Reising, Deanna; Siktberg, Linda

2012-01-01

Mentoring is important for the recruitment and retention of qualified nurse faculty, their ongoing career development, and leadership development. However, what are current best practices of mentoring? The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of a model for excellence in establishing a formal mentoring program for academic nurse educators. Six themes for establishing a formal mentoring program are presented, highlighting best practices in mentoring as culled from experience and the literature. Themes reflect aims to achieve appropriately matched dyads, establish clear mentorship purpose and goals, solidify the dyad relationship, advocate for and guide the protégé, integrate the protégé into the academic culture, and mobilize institutional resources for mentoring support. Attending to the six themes will help mentors achieve important protégé outcomes, such as orientation to the educator role, integration into the academic community, development of teaching, scholarship, and service skills, as well as leadership development. The model is intended to be generalizable for faculty teaching in a variety of academic nursing institution types and sizes. Mentoring that integrates the six themes assists faculty members to better navigate the academic environment and more easily transition to new roles and responsibilities. PMID:22685645

The link between bond forfeiture and pretrial release mechanism: The case of Dallas County, Texas

PubMed Central

Morris, Robert G.; Russell-Kaplan, Amanda

2017-01-01

Purpose The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of four pretrial jail release mechanisms (i.e., bond types) commonly used during the pretrial phase of the criminal justice process in terms of their ability to discriminate between defendants failing to appear in court (i.e., bond forfeiture). These include attorney bonds, cash bonds, commercial bail bonds, and release via a pretrial services agency. Methods A multi-treatment propensity score matching protocol was employed to assess between-release-mechanism differences in the conditional probability of failure to appear/bond forfeiture. Data were culled from archival state justice records comprising all defendants booked into the Dallas County, Texas jail during 2008 (n = 29,416). Results The results suggest that defendants released via commercial bail bonds were less likely to experience failure to appear leading to the bond forfeiture process compared to equivalent defendants released via cash, attorney, and pretrial services bonds. This finding held across different offense categories. The study frames these differences within a discussion encompassing procedural variation within and between each release mechanism, thereby setting the stage for further research and dialog regarding potential justice reform. PMID:28817579

Breast cancer risk factors in African-American women: the Howard University Tumor Registry experience.

PubMed

Laing, A E; Demenais, F M; Williams, R; Kissling, G; Chen, V W; Bonney, G E

1993-12-01

This retrospective case-control study examines risk factors for breast cancer in African-American women, who recently have shown an increase in the incidence of this malignancy, especially in younger women. Our study involves 503 cases from the Howard University Hospital and 539 controls from the same hospital, seen from 1978 to 1987. Using information culled from medical charts, an analysis of various factors for their effect on breast cancer risk was made. The source of data necessarily meant that some known risk factors were missing. Increases in risk were found for known risk factors such as decreased age at menarche and a family history of breast cancer. No change in risk was observed with single marital status, nulliparity, premenopausal status, or lactation. An increased odds ratio was found for induced abortions, which was significant in women diagnosed after 50 years of age. Spontaneous abortions had a small but significant protective effect in the same subgroup of women. Birth control pill usage conferred a significantly increased risk. It is of note that abortions and oral contraceptive usage, not yet studied in African Americans, have been suggested as possibly contributing to the recent increase in breast cancer in young African-American women.

Occurrence of oxidative stress in dairy cows seropositives for Brucella abortus.

PubMed

Perin, Géssica; Fávero, Juscivete F; Severo, Diego R T; Silva, Anielen D; Machado, Gustavo; Araújo, Hugo L; Lilenbaum, Walter; Morsch, Vera M; Schetinger, Maria Rosa C; Jordão, Ricardo S; Stefani, Lenita M; Bottari, Nathieli B; Da Silva, Aleksandro S

2017-09-01

Bovine brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus that leads to economic losses due to animal discard and commercial restrictions. Since positive animals for brucellosis are culled, little is known about the pathogenesis of this disease. Therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate possible changes in the activity of deaminase adenosine (ADA) and the oxidative stress in cows seropositives for brucellosis (Experiment I), and to evaluate the seroprevalence of B. abortus in dairy cows from the Western state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil (Experiment II). The Experiment I evaluated 20 pregnant cows: ten seropositives for B. abortus and ten seronegatives that were used as controls. The ADA activity and markers of oxidative stress (TBARS, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were evaluated in these animals. A reduction in the activity of ADA and catalase enzymes in seropositive animals was observed (p < 0.001). Conversely, there was an increase in TBARS levels and superoxide dismutase activity in cows infected by B. abortus (p < 0.001). The presence of oxidative stress and a reduction of ADA might be related to the modulation of the inflammatory response. The experiment II was performed due to a high number of herds with restrictions imposed by cases of brucellosis in the state of Santa Catarina in the last two years, and thus, the seroprevalence for B. abortus was evaluated in 1242 serum samples of cows of 69 herds. The serodiagnosis was performed using two tests: buffered acidified antigen and 2-mercaptoethanol. However, none of the serum samples were positive for B. abortus. Although we did not find seropositive animals for brucellosis in our study, the disease still requires continued surveillance, due to its economic impact, and to the oxidative stress caused by it, which may have contributed to cases of abortion in three seropositive cows (Experiment I) in the final third of the gestation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CSA-90 Promotes Bone Formation and Mitigates Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection in a Rat Open Fracture Model.

PubMed

Mills, Rebecca; Cheng, Tegan L; Mikulec, Kathy; Peacock, Lauren; Isaacs, David; Genberg, Carl; Savage, Paul B; Little, David G; Schindeler, Aaron

2018-06-01

Infection of open fractures remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality to patients worldwide. Early administration of prophylactic antibiotics is known to improve outcomes; however, increasing concern regarding antimicrobial resistance makes finding new compounds for use in such cases a pressing area for further research. CSA-90, a synthetic peptidomimetic compound, has previously demonstrated promising antimicrobial action against Staphylococcus aureus in rat open fractures. However, its efficacy against antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, its potential as a therapeutic agent in addition to its prophylactic effects, and its proosteogenic properties all require further investigation. (1) Does prophylactic treatment with CSA-90 reduce infection rates in a rat open fracture model inoculated with S aureus, methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) as measured by survival, radiographic union, and deep tissue swab cultures? (2) Does CSA-90 reduce infection rates when administered later in the management of an open fracture as measured by survival, radiographic union, and deep tissue swab cultures? (3) Does CSA-90 demonstrate a synergistic proosteogenic effect with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) in a noninfected rat ectopic bone formation assay as assessed by micro-CT bone volume measurement? (4) Can CSA-90 elute and retain its antimicrobial efficacy in vitro when delivered using clinically relevant agents measured using a Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay? All in vivo studies were approved by the local animal ethics committee. In the open fracture studies, 12-week-old male Wistar rats underwent open midshaft femoral fractures stabilized with a 1.1-mm Kirschner wire and 10 µg BMP-2 ± 500 µg CSA-90 was applied to the fracture site using a collagen sponge along with 1 x 10 colony-forming units of bacteria (S aureus/MRSA/MRSE; n = 10 per group). In the delayed treatment study, débridement and treatment with 500 µg CSA-90 were performed at Day 1 and Day 5 after injury and bacterial insult (S aureus). All animals were reviewed daily for signs of local infection and/or sepsis. An independent, blinded veterinarian reviewed twice-weekly radiographs, and rats showing osteolysis and/or declining overall health were culled at his instruction. The primary outcome of both fracture studies was fracture infection, incorporating survival, radiographic union, and deep tissue swab cultures. For the ectopic bone formation assay, 0 to 10 µg BMP-2 and 0 to 500 µg CSA-90 were delivered on a collagen sponge into bilateral quadriceps muscle pouches of 8-week-old rats (n = 10 per group). Micro-CT quantification of bone volume and descriptive histologic analysis were performed for all in vivo studies. Modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assays were used to quantify antimicrobial activity in vitro using four different delivery methods, including bone cement. Infection was observed in none of the MRSA inoculated open fractures treated with CSA-90 with 10 of 10 deep tissue swab cultures negative at the time of cull. Median survival was 43 days (range, 11-43 days) in the treated group versus 11 days (range, 8-11 days) in the untreated MRSA inoculated group (p < 0.001). However, delayed débridement and treatment of open fractures with CSA-90 at either Day 1 or Day 5 did not prevent infection, resulting in early culls by Day 21 with positive swab cultures (10 of 10 for each time point). Maximal ectopic bone formation was achieved with 500 μg CSA-90 and 10 μg BMP-2 (mean volume, 9.58 mm; SD, 7.83), creating larger bone nodules than formed with 250 μg CSA-90 and 10 μg BMP-2 (mean volume, 1.7 mm; SD, 1.07; p < 0.001). Disc diffusion assays showed that CSA-90 could successfully elute from four potential delivery agents including calcium sulphate (mean zone of inhibition, 11.35 mm; SD, 0.957) and bone cement (mean, 4.67 mm; SD, 0.516). CSA-90 shows antimicrobial action against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcal strains in vitro and in an in vivo model of open fracture infection. The antimicrobial properties of CSA-90 combined with further evidence of its proosteogenic potential make it a promising compound to develop further for orthopaedic applications.

An open framework for automated chemical hazard assessment based on GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals: A proof of concept.

PubMed

Wehage, Kristopher; Chenhansa, Panan; Schoenung, Julie M

2017-01-01

GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals is a framework for comparative chemical hazard assessment. It is the first transparent, open and publicly accessible framework of its kind, allowing manufacturers and governmental agencies to make informed decisions about the chemicals and substances used in consumer products and buildings. In the GreenScreen® benchmarking process, chemical hazards are assessed and classified based on 18 hazard endpoints from up to 30 different sources. The result is a simple numerical benchmark score and accompanying assessment report that allows users to flag chemicals of concern and identify safer alternatives. Although the screening process is straightforward, aggregating and sorting hazard data is tedious, time-consuming, and prone to human error. In light of these challenges, the present work demonstrates the usage of automation to cull chemical hazard data from publicly available internet resources, assign metadata, and perform a GreenScreen® hazard assessment using the GreenScreen® "List Translator." The automated technique, written as a module in the Python programming language, generates GreenScreen® List Translation data for over 3000 chemicals in approximately 30 s. Discussion of the potential benefits and limitations of automated techniques is provided. By embedding the library into a web-based graphical user interface, the extensibility of the library is demonstrated. The accompanying source code is made available to the hazard assessment community. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:167-176. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Double-crested cormorant studies at Little Galloo Island, Lake Ontario in 2008: Diet composition, fish consumption and the efficacy of management activities in reducing fish predation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, James H.; McCullough, Russell D.; Farquhar, James F.

2008-01-01

The year 2008 marked the seventeenth consecutive year of study of the food habits and fish consumption of LGI cormorants, and represented the tenth consecutive year evaluating the efficacy of management activities to control the reproductive success of cormorants nesting at LGI. The program consists mainly of spraying cormorant eggs with oil as well as the culling of adult and immature birds.This paper reports the findings of work carried outin 2008 at LGI.

Intermediate Cutting in Mixed Upland Oak Stands on the Western Highland Rim, Tennessee, After a Quarter of a Century

Treesearch

Adrienne N. Hall; John C. Rennie; Glendon W. Smalley

2004-01-01

In 1973 and 1974, a study was established at Stewart State Forest (SSF) and Lewis State Forest (LSF) to evaluate Roach and Gingrich’s “Even-Aged Silviculture for Upland Central Oaks” on the Western Highland Rim. Harvesting to the “B-level” of the stocking guide primarily removed cull and low-quality stems. Basal area was reduced from 110 to 80 square feet per acre at...

The across frequency independence of equalization of interaural time delay in the equalization-cancellation model of binaural unmasking.

PubMed

Akeroyd, Michael A

2004-08-01

The equalization stage in the equalization-cancellation model of binaural unmasking compensates for the interaural time delay (ITD) of a masking noise by introducing an opposite, internal delay [N. I. Durlach, in Foundations of Modern Auditory Theory, Vol. II., edited by J. V. Tobias (Academic, New York, 1972)]. Culling and Summerfield [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 98, 785-797 (1995)] developed a multi-channel version of this model in which equalization was "free" to use the optimal delay in each channel. Two experiments were conducted to test if equalization was indeed free or if it was "restricted" to the same delay in all channels. One experiment measured binaural detection thresholds, using an adaptive procedure, for 1-, 5-, or 17-component tones against a broadband masking noise, in three binaural configurations (N0S180, N180S0, and N90S270). The thresholds for the 1-component stimuli were used to normalize the levels of each of the 5- and 17-component stimuli so that they were equally detectable. If equalization was restricted, then, for the 5- and 17-component stimuli, the N90S270 and N180S0 configurations would yield a greater threshold than the N0S180 configurations. No such difference was found. A subsequent experiment measured binaural detection thresholds, via psychometric functions, for a 2-component complex tone in the same three binaural configurations. Again, no differential effect of configuration was observed. An analytic model of the detection of a complex tone showed that the results were more consistent with free equalization than restricted equalization, although the size of the differences was found to depend on the shape of the psychometric function for detection.

The role of movement restrictions and pre-emptive destruction in the emergency control strategy against CSF outbreaks in domestic pigs.

PubMed

Thulke, Hans-Hermann; Eisinger, Dirk; Beer, Martin

2011-04-01

Classical swine fever (CSF) outbreaks in domestic pig herds lead to the implementation of standard control measures according to legislative regulations. Ideal outbreak control entails the swift and efficient culling of all pigs on premises detected positive for CSF virus. Often all pig holdings around the detected cases are pre-emptively destroyed to exclude transmission into the neighbourhood. In addition to these measures, zones are defined in which surveillance and protection measures are intensified to prevent further distant disease spread. In particular, all movements are prohibited within standstill areas. Standstill also excludes the transport of fattened pigs to slaughter. Historical outbreaks provide evidence of the success of this control strategy. However, the extent to which the individual strategy elements contribute to this success is unknown. Therefore, we applied a spatially and temporally explicit epidemic model to the problem. Its rule-based formulation is tailored to a one-by-one model implementation of existing control concepts. Using a comparative model analysis the individual contributions of single measures to overall control success were revealed. From the results of the model we concluded that movement restrictions had the dominant impact on strategy performance suggesting a reversal of the current conceptual thinking. Additional measures such as pre-emptive culling only became relevant under imperfect compliance with movement restrictions. The importance of movement restrictions for the overall control success illustrates the need for explicit consideration of this measure when contingency strategies are being amended (e.g. emergency vaccination) and associated risks assessed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Indications for and factors relating to outcome after rumenotomy or rumenostomy in cattle: 95 cases (1999-2011).

PubMed

Hartnack, Amanda K; Niehaus, Andrew J; Rousseau, Marjolaine; Pentecost, Rebecca L; Miesner, Matt D; Anderson, David E

2015-09-15

To evaluate indications for and factors relating to outcome after rumenotomy or rumenostomy in cattle. Retrospective case series. 95 cattle that underwent rumenotomy or rumenostomy. Medical records for 95 cattle that underwent either rumenostomy or rumenotomy at 2 veterinary teaching hospitals in 1999 through 2011 were analyzed. Reasons for the procedures were noted. Long-term outcome was determined during telephone interviews with owners. 42 (44%) bovids underwent rumenostomy and 53 (56%) bovids underwent rumenotomy. Among the 42 animals undergoing rumenostomy, 18 (43%) had rumen cannulas placed during elective procedures. Other indications for rumenostomy included ruminal tympany (bloat [n = 20]), esophageal obstruction (choke [1]), grain overload (1), and provision of access for administration of enteral nutrition (2). Indications for rumenotomy included traumatic reticuloperitonitis (n = 31), bloat (9), foreign body (6), choke (5), and other (2). Long-term follow-up data were available for 31 of 42 (74%) bovids that underwent rumenostomy. Of those 31 animals, 17 (55%) were still in the herd, 4 (13%) had been culled, and 10 (32%) had died or were euthanized. Long-term follow-up data were available for 38 of 53 (72%) bovids that underwent rumenotomy. Of those 38 animals, 13 (34%) were still in the herd, 14 (37%) had been culled, and 11 (29%) had died or been euthanized. Results indicated that rumenotomy and rumenostomy can be effective in treating or relieving complications secondary to forestomach disorders in cattle. Bovids undergoing rumen surgery had a favorable prognosis for survival and a fair prognosis for potential return to production.

Reproduction, mastitis, and body condition of seasonally calved Holstein and Jersey cows in confinement or pasture systems.

PubMed

Washburn, S P; White, S L; Green, J T; Benson, G A

2002-01-01

Dairy cows in confinement and pasture-based feeding systems were compared across four spring-calving and three fall-calving replicates for differences in reproduction, mastitis, body weights, and body condition scores. Feeding systems and replicates included both Jersey and Holstein cows. Cows in confinement were fed a total mixed ration, and cows on pasture were supplemented with concentrates and provided baled hay or haylage when pasture supply was limiting. Breeding periods were for 75 d in spring or fall. Reproductive performance did not differ significantly due to feeding system or season. Jerseys had higher conception rates (59.6 vs. 49.5 +/- 3.3%) and higher percentages of cows pregnant in 75 d (78.1 vs. 57.9 +/- 3.9%) than Holsteins. Cows in confinement had 1.8 times more clinical mastitis and eight times the rate of culling for mastitis than did cows on pasture. Jerseys had half as many clinical cases of mastitis per cow as Holsteins. Only 41 +/- 5% of confinement Holsteins remained for a subsequent lactation, starting within the defined calving season compared with 51 +/- 5% of pastured Holsteins and 71 and 72 +/- 5% of Jerseys, respectively. Body weights and condition scores were generally higher for confinement cows than pastured cows, and Jerseys had higher condition scores and lower body weights than Holsteins. In summary, pastured cows had fewer clinical cases of mastitis, lower body condition scores, and lower body weights than confinement cows. Holsteins were less likely to rebreed, had more mastitis, higher culling rates, and lower body condition scores than Jerseys.

Long-Term Assessment of Wild Boar Harvesting and Cattle Removal for Bovine Tuberculosis Control in Free Ranging Populations

PubMed Central

Mentaberre, Gregorio; Romero, Beatriz; de Juan, Lucía; Navarro-González, Nora; Velarde, Roser; Mateos, Ana; Marco, Ignasi; Olivé-Boix, Xavier; Domínguez, Lucas; Lavín, Santiago; Serrano, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

Wild boar is a recognized reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in the Mediterranean ecosystems, but information is scarce outside of hotspots in southern Spain. We describe the first high-prevalence focus of TB in a non-managed wild boar population in northern Spain and the result of eight years of TB management. Measures implemented for disease control included the control of the local wild boar population through culling and stamping out of a sympatric infected cattle herd. Post-mortem inspection for detection of tuberculosis-like lesions as well as cultures from selected head and cervical lymph nodes was done in 745 wild boar, 355 Iberian ibexes and five cattle between 2004 and 2012. The seasonal prevalence of TB reached 70% amongst adult wild boar and ten different spoligotypes and 13 MIRU-VNTR profiles were detected, although more than half of the isolates were included in the same clonal complex. Only 11% of infected boars had generalized lesions. None of the ibexes were affected, supporting their irrelevance in the epidemiology of TB. An infected cattle herd grazed the zone where 168 of the 197 infected boars were harvested. Cattle removal and wild boar culling together contributed to a decrease in TB prevalence. The need for holistic, sustained over time, intensive and adapted TB control strategies taking into account the multi-host nature of the disease is highlighted. The potential risk for tuberculosis emergence in wildlife scenarios where the risk is assumed to be low should be addressed. PMID:24558435

Cost-effectiveness analysis of treatment alternatives for beef bulls with preputial prolapse.

PubMed

Kasari, T R; McGrann, J M; Hooper, R N

1997-10-01

To develop an economic model for comparing cost-effectiveness of medical and surgical treatment versus replacement of beef bulls with preputial prolapse. Economic analysis. Estimates determined from medical records of bulls treated for preputial prolapse at our hospital and from information about treatment of bulls published elsewhere. Annual depreciation cost for treatment (ADC(T)) and replacement (ADC(R)) were calculated. Total investment for an injured bull equaled the sum of salvage value, maintenance cost, and expected cost of the treatment option under consideration. Total investment for a replacement bull was purchase price. Net present value of cost was calculated for each year of bull use. Sensitivity analyses were constructed to determine the value that would warrant treatment of an injured bull. The decision to treat was indicated when ADC(T) was less than ADC(R). In our example, it was more cost-effective for owners to cull an injured bull. The ADC(R) was $97 less than ADC(T) for medical treatment ($365 vs $462) and $280 less than ADC(T) for surgical treatment ($365 vs $645). Likewise, net present value of cost values indicated that it was more cost-effective for owners to cull an injured bull. Sensitivity analysis indicated treatment decisions were justified on the basis of replacement value or planned number of breeding seasons remaining for the bull. The model described here can be used by practitioners to provide an objective basis to guide decision making of owners who seek advice on whether to treat or replace bulls with preputial prolapse.

Sensory Characterization and Consumer Preference Mapping of Fresh Sausages Manufactured with Goat and Sheep Meat.

PubMed

Paulos, Kátia; Rodrigues, Sandra; Oliveira, António Filipe; Leite, Ana; Pereira, Etelvina; Teixeira, Alfredo

2015-07-01

The main objective of this study was the sensory characterization, by a taste and a consumers' panel, of fresh sausages from 140 culled goats and 140 culled ewes. Species and type of preparation effects were studied. All data were previously analyzed by analysis of variance. Taste panel data were analyzed by a Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA). Consumers' panel data were analyzed by Preference Mapping. The 1st 2 factors explained 88.22% of total variation in GPA. Different sausages samples were perfectly differentiated by assessors. Goat sausages have been considered harder, more fibrous, and less juicy than sheep sausages. The panelists observed that sheep sausages without paprika had greater intensity of flavor, tasted spicy, and had an off-odor, while goat sausages with paprika were considered sweeter. Consumers' panel did not show any preference for the different types of sausages. This means that all types of sausages can have market opportunity. The present study was a result of a project in co-promotion between 2 breeder associations, an industry unit and a research center. Results indicated that the meat from animals out of quality commercial brands could be useful as processed meat in a product with consumer acceptability. Also these new meat products brought diversity to meat industry to reach new markets and originating 2 new meat brands recorded at INPI (Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial—Natl. Industrial Property Inst.) with the numbers of 489664 and 489662 of National Brands of sheep and goat meat, respectively. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Genetic analysis for mastitis resistance and milk somatic cell score in French Lacaune dairy sheep

PubMed Central

Barillet, Francis; Rupp, Rachel; Mignon-Grasteau, Sandrine; Astruc, Jean-Michel; Jacquin, Michèle

2001-01-01

Genetic analysis for mastitis resistance was studied from two data sets. Firstly, risk factors for different mastitis traits, i.e. culling due to clinical or chronic mastitis and subclinical mastitis predicted from somatic cell count (SCC), were explored using data from 957 first lactation Lacaune ewes of an experimental INRA flock composed of two divergent lines for milk yield. Secondly, genetic parameters for SCC were estimated from 5 272 first lactation Lacaune ewes recorded among 38 flocks, using an animal model. In the experimental flock, the frequency of culling due to clinical mastitis (5%) was lower than that of subclinical mastitis (10%) predicted from SCC. Predicted subclinical mastitis was unfavourably associated with the milk yield level. Such an antagonism was not detected for clinical mastitis, which could result, to some extent, from its low frequency or from the limited amount of data. In practice, however, selection for mastitis resistance could be limited in a first approach to selection against subclinical mastitis using SCC. The heritability estimate of SCC was 0.15 for the lactation mean trait and varied from 0.04 to 0.12 from the first to the fifth test-day. The genetic correlation between lactation SCC and milk yield was slightly positive (0.15) but showed a strong evolution during lactation, i.e. from favourable (-0.48) to antagonistic (0.27). On a lactation basis, our results suggest that selection for mastitis resistance based on SCC is feasible. Patterns for genetic parameters within first lactation, however, require further confirmation and investigation. PMID:11559483

Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review.

PubMed

Hansen, Margaret M; Jones, Reo; Tocchini, Kirsten

2017-07-28

Current literature supports the comprehensive health benefits of exposure to nature and green environments on human systems. The aim of this state-of-the-art review is to elucidate empirical research conducted on the physiological and psychological effects of Shinrin-Yoku (or Forest Bathing) in transcontinental Japan and China. Furthermore, we aim to encourage healthcare professionals to conduct longitudinal research in Western cultures regarding the clinically therapeutic effects of Shinrin-Yoku and, for healthcare providers/students to consider practicing Shinrin-Yoku to decrease undue stress and potential burnout. A thorough review was conducted to identify research published with an initial open date range and then narrowing the collection to include papers published from 2007 to 2017. Electronic databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus) and snowball references were used to cull papers that evaluated the use of Shinrin-Yoku for various populations in diverse settings. From the 127 papers initially culled using the Boolean phrases: "Shinrin-yoku" AND/OR "forest bathing" AND/OR "nature therapy", 64 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this summary review and then divided into "physiological," "psychological," "sensory metrics" and "frameworks" sub-groups. Human health benefits associated with the immersion in nature continue to be currently researched. Longitudinal research, conducted worldwide, is needed to produce new evidence of the relationships associated with Shinrin-Yoku and clinical therapeutic effects. Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day "stress-state" and "technostress.".

Counterintuitive increase in observed Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis prevalence in sympatric rabbits following the introduction of paratuberculosis control measures in cattle.

PubMed

Fox, Naomi J; Caldow, George L; Liebeschuetz, Hilary; Stevenson, Karen; Hutchings, Michael R

2018-06-02

Paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis ( Map ). Achieving herd-level control of mycobacterial infection is notoriously difficult, despite widespread adoption of test-and-cull-based control strategies. The presence of infection in wildlife populations could be contributing to this difficulty. Rabbits are naturally infected with the same Map strain as cattle, and can excrete high levels in their faeces. The aim of this study is to determine if implementation of paratuberculosis control in cattle leads to a decline in Map infection levels in rabbits. An island-wide, test-and-cull-based paratuberculosis control programme was initiated on a Scottish island in 2008. In this study annual tests were obtained from 15 cattle farms, from 2008 to 2011, totalling 2609 tests. Rabbits (1564) were sampled from the 15 participating farms, from 2008 to 2011, and Map was detected by faecal culture. Map seroprevalence in cattle decreased from 16 to 7.2 per cent, while Map prevalence in rabbits increased from 10.3 to 20.3 per cent. Results indicate that efforts to control paratuberculosis in cattle do not reduce Map levels in sympatric rabbits. This adds to mounting evidence that if Map becomes established in wild rabbit populations, rabbits represent a persistent and widespread source of infection, potentially impeding livestock control strategies. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Assessment of practices, capacities and incentives of poultry chain actors in implementation of highly pathogenic avian influenza mitigation measures in Ghana.

PubMed

Turkson, Paa Kobina; Okike, Iheanacho

2016-02-01

The animal health services-seeking behaviour of animal owners related to prevention and control of animal diseases may influence their decisions as to whether or not to use services provided by the public or private sectors. The specific objective of this paper was to assess the practices, capacities and incentives of actors involved in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) control to provide information for prevention and control in Ghana. Questionnaires were designed based on specific practices, incentives and capacities associated with each mitigation measure that was being assessed. Two peacetime preventive mitigation measures (biosecurity and reporting) and two outbreak containment measures (culling with compensation and movement control) were selected for evaluation. Supply chain actors were characterised based on baseline information. Tables were generated showing proportions of respondents in the various response categories in Likert-scale type itemised questionnaire. Mean scores (and their standard deviations) for the various actors with regard to mitigation measures were calculated. Pair-wise comparisons were done using t -ratio statistic and significance of differences were determined at a Bonferroni adjusted P -value of 0.0024. The study found statistically significant differences between certain actors for practices (biosecurity, reporting, culling and compensation and movement controls), incentives (reporting and movement control) and capacities (reporting and movement control). The findings provide lessons to help improve education and messages on HPAI and to help provide technical assistance targeted at specific actors to prevent and control future HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in Ghana.

Impact of Physical Activity on Participation and Quality of Life in Individuals who use Prostheses and other Assistive Technology/Lower Extremity Prostheses versus Wheelchair for Functional Performance and Participation of Military and Veteran Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

skiing injuries in physically disabled skiers . Am J Sports Med. 1992; 20:553-557 13. Cooper RA, Thorman T, Cooper R, Dvorznak MJ, Fitzgerald SG...Laskowski ER, Murtaugh PA. Snow skiing injuries in physically disabled skiers . Am J Sports Med. 1992; 20: 553-557 8. International Paralympic Committee...competitive skier with a disability. Am J Sports Med. 1992; 20: 55-60 10. Kirkby RJ, Cull J, Foreman P. Association of prelesion sports participation and

A poem and a dream.

PubMed

Mahon, Eugene

2007-01-01

Recently, a journalist in analysis had a dream that stimulated the writing of a poem, the two psychic products occurring no more than a few hours apart. Since the analysand had copious free associations to both products, believing both to be culled from the same unconscious raw material, an interesting study of an act of aesthetic creation almost in statu nascendi became possible. A concept called poem work is entertained in this paper and is compared and contrasted with the classical psychoanalytic concept of dream work, allowing some unanswerable questions to be posed and discussed in regard to the formal constitutive elements of poetry.

[Surveillance on severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus in animals at a live animal market of Guangzhou in 2004].

PubMed

Wang, Ming; Jing, Huai-qi; Xu, Hui-fang; Jiang, Xiu-gao; Kan, Biao; Liu, Qi-yong; Wan, Kang-lin; Cui, Bu-yun; Zheng, Han; Cui, Zhi-gang; Yan, Mei-ying; Liang, Wei-li; Wang, Hong-xia; Qi, Xiao-bao; Li, Zhen-jun; Li, Ma-chao; Chen, Kai; Zhang, En-min; Zhang, Shou-yin; Hai, Rong; Yu, Dong-zheng; Xu, Jian-guo

2005-02-01

To study the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) like virus in animals at a live animal market of Guanzhou in 2004 before and after culling of wild animal action taken by the local authority, in order to predict the re-emerging of SARS from animal originals in this region. Animals at live animal market were sampled for rectal and throat swabs in triplicate. A single step realtime reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) diagnostic kit was performed for screening SARS-CoV like virus, the manual nested RT- PCR and DNA sequencing were performed for confirmation. Only specimens which tested positive for both of the N and P genes by nested RT-PCR were scored as positive. In 31 animals sampled in January 5 2004 before culling of wild animals at Guangdong Province, including 20 cats (Felis catus), 5 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and 6 Lesser rice field rats (Rattus losea), 8 (25.8%) animals were tested positive for SARS-CoV like virus by RT-PCR methods, of which 4 cats, 3 red fox and one Lesser rice field rats were included. However, two weeks after culling of animals and disinfection of the market were implemented, in 119 animals sampled in January 20 2004, including 6 rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), 13 cats, 46 red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), 13 spotbill duck (Anas platyrhynchos), 10 greylag goose (Anser anser), 31 Chinese francolin (Franclinus pintadeanus), only rectal swab from one greylag goose was tested positive for SARS-CoV like virus. Furthermore, in 102 animals that including 14 greylag gooses, 3 cats, 5 rabbits, 9 spotbill duck (Anaspoecilorhyncha), 2 Chinese francolin (Franclinus pintadeanus), 8 common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), 6 pigeons, 9 Chinese muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), 19 wild boar (Sus scrofa), 16 Lesser rice field rats, 5 dogs, 1 mink (Mustela vison), 3 goats, 2 green peafowl (Pavo muticus) sampled in April, May, June, July, August and November, only rectal swab from one pig was tested positive. However, of 12 and 10 palm civets sampled in November and December including five of which had been at the live animals market for 2 days, none of them was tested positive. This findings revealed that animals being sampled in April, May, June, July, August and November of 2004, only one rectal swab from a pig was tested positive as SARS-CoV like virus, much lower than the results from the previous year, suggesting that the possibility of re-emerging of human infection from animal origins is low for the winter of 2004-2005.

Prototypicality ratings of DSM-III criteria for personality disorders.

PubMed

Livesley, W J; Reiffer, L I; Sheldon, A E; West, M

1987-07-01

Although DSM-III personality disorder criteria have demonstrated acceptable reliability, the question of validity has not been adequately addressed. A first step in establishing the validity of diagnoses is to establish the validity of the criteria used to assess each diagnosis. The content validity of diagnostic criteria was investigated in relation to the larger set of potential criteria culled from the psychiatric literature. For each DSM-III axis II diagnosis, a panel of clinicians rated how prototypical each potential criterion was of the diagnosis in question. The results reveal problems with the organization and content of the criteria for most diagnoses. Many DSM-III criteria are composed of several statements linked by conjunctions or disjunctions. These component statements often received markedly different ratings, suggesting that criteria should be single statements. For most diagnoses, traits not included in DSM-III received higher ratings than did some DSM-III criteria. Suggestions are made to improve the distinctiveness and content validity of paranoid, schizoid, antisocial, borderline, avoidant, dependent, and compulsive personality disorders. The results for schizotypal personality disorder suggest that many clinicians are uncertain about this diagnosis. These findings provide a systematic way to modify definitions that contrasts with the more arbitrary ways in which diagnoses have previously been defined and redefined.

Immunization of lambs with the S48 strain of Toxoplasma gondii reduces tissue cyst burden following oral challenge with a complete strain of the parasite.

PubMed

Katzer, Frank; Canton, German; Burrells, Alison; Palarea-Albaladejo, Javier; Horton, Ben; Bartley, Paul M; Pang, Yvonne; Chianini, Francesca; Innes, Elisabeth A; Benavides, Julio

2014-09-15

This study evaluates the influence of immunizing lambs with the incomplete S48 strain of Toxoplasma gondii, on parasite dissemination following a live oral challenge with a complete strain of T. gondii (M4). Lambs were culled at 14, 28 and 42 days post challenge. Parasite DNA was detected at significantly (p<0.0001) lower levels in samples from the vaccinated/challenged group (0% in heart and 5.9% in skeletal muscles), when compared to the non-vaccinated/challenged animals (75% heart, 87.9% skeletal muscle). S48 T. gondii DNA was found in muscle or lymph nodes until 42 days post infection, suggesting that parasite DNA or tachyzoites could persist longer after immunization than previously thought. Non-vaccinated/challenged animals showed more frequent lesions in muscles and central nervous system than the vaccinated animals. These results demonstrate that vaccination of lambs with the incomplete S48 T. gondii strain, can protect against establishment of tissue cysts following challenge with a complete strain of T. gondii. Consumption of undercooked meat containing T. gondii cysts is a major route of transmission to people, therefore vaccination of food animals may improve the safety of meat for human consumption. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SOURCE EXPLORER: Towards Web Browser Based Tools for Astronomical Source Visualization and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M. D.; Hayashi, S.; Gopu, A.

2014-05-01

As a new generation of large format, high-resolution imagers come online (ODI, DECAM, LSST, etc.) we are faced with the daunting prospect of astronomical images containing upwards of hundreds of thousands of identifiable sources. Visualizing and interacting with such large datasets using traditional astronomical tools appears to be unfeasible, and a new approach is required. We present here a method for the display and analysis of arbitrarily large source datasets using dynamically scaling levels of detail, enabling scientists to rapidly move from large-scale spatial overviews down to the level of individual sources and everything in-between. Based on the recognized standards of HTML5+JavaScript, we enable observers and archival users to interact with their images and sources from any modern computer without having to install specialized software. We demonstrate the ability to produce large-scale source lists from the images themselves, as well as overlaying data from publicly available source ( 2MASS, GALEX, SDSS, etc.) or user provided source lists. A high-availability cluster of computational nodes allows us to produce these source maps on demand and customized based on user input. User-generated source lists and maps are persistent across sessions and are available for further plotting, analysis, refinement, and culling.

Infection of non-host model plant species with the narrow-host-range Cacao swollen shoot virus.

PubMed

Friscina, Arianna; Chiappetta, Laura; Jacquemond, Mireille; Tepfer, Mark

2017-02-01

Cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV) is a major pathogen of cacao (Theobroma cacao) in Africa, and long-standing efforts to limit its spread by the culling of infected trees have had very limited success. CSSV is a particularly difficult virus to study, as it has a very narrow host range, limited to several tropical tree species. Furthermore, the virus is not mechanically transmissible, and its insect vector can only be used with difficulty. Thus, the only efficient means to infect cacao plants that have been experimentally described so far are by particle bombardment or the agroinoculation of cacao plants with an infectious clone. We have genetically transformed three non-host species with an infectious form of the CSSV genome: two experimental hosts widely used in plant virology (Nicotiana tabacum and N. benthamiana) and the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. In transformed plants of all three species, the CSSV genome was able to replicate, and, in tobacco, CSSV particles could be observed by immunosorbent electron microscopy, demonstrating that the complete virus cycle could be completed in a non-host plant. These results will greatly facilitate the preliminary testing of CSSV control strategies using plants that are easy to raise and to transform genetically. © 2016 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

Rethinking the social history in the era of biolegitimacy: global health and medical education in the care of Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Beirut, Lebanon.

PubMed

Premkumar, Ashish; Raad, Kareem; Haidar, Mona H

2016-01-01

The critiques leveled towards medical humanitarianism by the social sciences have yet to be felt in medical education. The elevation of biological suffering, at the detriment of sociopolitical contextualization, has been shown to clearly impact both acute and long-term care of individuals and communities. With many medical students spending a portion of their educational time in global learning experiences, exposure to humanitarianism and its consequences becomes a unique component of biomedical education. How does the medical field reconcile global health education with the critiques of humanitarianism? This paper argues that the medical response to humanitarian reason should begin at the level of a social history. Using experiential data culled from fieldwork with Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the authors argue that an expanded social history, combined with knowledge derived from the social sciences, can have significant clinical implications. The ability to contextualize an individual's disease and life within a complex sociopolitical framework means that students must draw on disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, and political history to further their knowledge base. Moreover, situating these educational goals within the framework of physician advocacy can build a strong base in medical education from both a biomedical and activist perspective.

A thiazepino[4,5-a]benzimidazole derivative hampers the RNA replication of Eurasian serotypes of foot-and-mouth disease virus.

PubMed

Lefebvre, David J; De Vleeschauwer, Annebel R; Goris, Nesya; Van Borm, Steven; Chimirri, Alba; Monforte, Anna Maria; Valdazo-Gonzalez, Begona; King, Donald P; Neyts, Johan; De Clercq, Kris

2014-12-12

The stamping-out policy for the control of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in countries that are free from FMD without vaccination has a dramatic socio-economic impact, huge animal welfare issues and may result in the loss of farm animal genetic resources. As an alternative to pre-emptive culling or emergency vaccination we further explore the possibility to use antiviral drugs in the event of an FMD outbreak. In the present study, we tested the in vitro cytotoxicity and anti-FMDV activity of 1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-[1,4]thiazepino[4,5-a]benzimidazole. The molecule was shown to inhibit the replication of reference strains of the Eurasian FMDV serotypes O, A, C and Asia but not the FMDV serotypes from the South African Territories (SAT) neither a related picornavirus, i.e. swine vesicular disease virus. The molecule can be added until 2h post inoculation in a 'single replication cycle experiment' without losing its antiviral activity. The genetic characterization of progressively selected resistant FMD viruses shows that the molecule presumably interacts with the non-structural 2C protein of FMDV. Further studies are required on the use of this molecule in vivo. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-resolution H -band Spectroscopy of Be Stars with SDSS-III/APOGEE. II. Line Profile and Radial Velocity Variability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chojnowski, S. Drew; Holtzman, Jon A.; Wisniewski, John P.

2017-04-01

We report on the H -band spectral variability of classical Be stars observed over the course of the Apache Point Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), one of four subsurveys comprising SDSS-III. As described in the first paper of this series, the APOGEE B-type emission-line (ABE) star sample was culled from the large number of blue stars observed as telluric standards during APOGEE observations. In this paper, we explore the multi-epoch ABE sample, consisting of 1100 spectra for 213 stars. These “snapshots” of the circumstellar disk activity have revealed a wealth of temporal variability including, but not limited to, gradual disappearance ofmore » the line emission and vice versa over both short and long timescales. Other forms of variability include variation in emission strength, emission peak intensity ratios, and emission peak separations. We also analyze radial velocities (RVs) of the emission lines for a subsample of 162 stars with sufficiently strong features, and we discuss on a case-by-case basis whether the RV variability exhibited by some stars is caused by binary motion versus dynamical processes in the circumstellar disks. Ten systems are identified as convincing candidates for binary Be stars with as of yet undetected companions.« less

Recovery of Navy distillate fuel from reclaimed product. Volume II. Literature review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brinkman, D.W.; Whisman, M.L.

In an effort to assist the Navy to better utilize its waste hydrocarbons, NIPER, with support from the US Department of Energy, is conducting research designed to ultimately develop a practical technique for converting Reclaimed Product (RP) into specification Naval Distillate Fuel (F-76). This first phase of the project was focused on reviewing the literature and available information from equipment manufacturers. The literature survey has been carefully culled for methodology applicable to the conversion of RP into diesel fuel suitable for Navy use. Based upon the results of this study, a second phase has been developed and outlined in whichmore » experiments will be performed to determine the most practical recycling technologies. It is realized that the final selection of one particular technology may be site-specific due to vast differences in RP volume and available facilities. A final phase, if funded, would involve full-scale testing of one of the recommended techniques at a refueling depot. The Phase I investigations are published in two volumes. Volume 1, Technical Discussion, includes the narrative and Appendices I and II. Appendix III, a detailed Literature Review, includes both a narrative portion and an annotated bibliography containing about 800 references and abstracts. This appendix, because of its volume, has been published separately as Volume 2.« less

Developing a tool for systematic inclusion of non-academic factors in dental school admissions: towards building diversity in the dental workforce.

PubMed

Lopez, Naty; Self, Karl; Karnitz, Jeff

2009-12-01

This retrospective study aimed to determine the ability of a self-designed evaluation instrument to identify applicants who should be invited for an interview and to assess applications including non-academic factors in a consistent and systematic manner. The instrument was constructed using information culled from the American Dental Education Association Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (ADEA AADSAS) applications including academic (DAT, GPA) and non-academic qualifications (work experience, volunteer and extracurricular activities, rural and ethnic background, essays). Weights were assigned to each item assessed. Using applications received during the 2006 and 2007 admissions cycles, the instrument identified who should have been invited for interview. Descriptive statistics and specificity and sensitivity tests were conducted. The instrument allowed for a systematic quantitative assessment of non-academic factors that was part of the overall evaluation of applicants. Results show differences in non-academic scores of minority compared to non-minority applicants, males compared to females, and those who were offered interviews compared to those not interviewed. It is possible that some applicants who were not offered interviews could have gained a chance to be looked at more closely on a second round of review if non-academic factors were considered.

Breast cancer risk factors in African-American women: the Howard University Tumor Registry experience.

PubMed Central

Laing, A. E.; Demenais, F. M.; Williams, R.; Kissling, G.; Chen, V. W.; Bonney, G. E.

1993-01-01

This retrospective case-control study examines risk factors for breast cancer in African-American women, who recently have shown an increase in the incidence of this malignancy, especially in younger women. Our study involves 503 cases from the Howard University Hospital and 539 controls from the same hospital, seen from 1978 to 1987. Using information culled from medical charts, an analysis of various factors for their effect on breast cancer risk was made. The source of data necessarily meant that some known risk factors were missing. Increases in risk were found for known risk factors such as decreased age at menarche and a family history of breast cancer. No change in risk was observed with single marital status, nulliparity, premenopausal status, or lactation. An increased odds ratio was found for induced abortions, which was significant in women diagnosed after 50 years of age. Spontaneous abortions had a small but significant protective effect in the same subgroup of women. Birth control pill usage conferred a significantly increased risk. It is of note that abortions and oral contraceptive usage, not yet studied in African Americans, have been suggested as possibly contributing to the recent increase in breast cancer in young African-American women. PMID:8126744

Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Program, 2008 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoffnagle, Timothy L.; Hair, Donald; Gee, Sally

2009-03-31

The Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Salmon Captive Broodstock Program is designed to rapidly increase numbers of Chinook salmon in stocks that are in imminent danger of extirpation in Catherine Creek (CC), Lostine River (LR) and upper Grande Ronde River (GR). Natural parr are captured and reared to adulthood in captivity, spawned (within stocks) and their progeny reared to smoltification before being released into the natal stream of their parents. This program is co-managed by ODFW, National Marine Fisheries Service, Nez Perce Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Presmolt rearing was initially conducted at Lookingglass Fish Hatcherymore » (LFH) but parr collected in 2003 and later were reared at Wallowa Fish Hatchery (WFH). Post-smolt rearing is conducted at Bonneville Fish Hatchery (BOH - freshwater) and at Manchester Research Station (MRS - saltwater). The CC and LR programs are being terminated, as these populations have achieved the goal of a consistent return of 150 naturally spawning adults, so the 2005 brood year was the last brood year collected for theses populations. The Grande Ronde River program continued with 300 fish collected each year. Currently, we are attempting to collect 150 natural parr and incorporate 150 parr collected as eggs from females with low ELISA levels from the upper Grande Ronde River Conventional Hatchery Program. This is part of a comparison of two methods of obtaining fish for a captive broodstock program: natural fish vs. those spawned in captivity. In August 2007, we collected 152 parr (BY 2006) from the upper Grande Ronde River and also have 155 Grande Ronde River parr (BY 2006) that were hatched from eyed eggs at LFH. During 2008, we were unable to collect natural parr from the upper Grande Ronde River. Therefore, we obtained 300 fish from low ELISA females from the upper Grande Ronde River Conventional Program. In October 2008 we obtained 170 eyed eggs from the upper Grande Ronde river Conventional Hatchery Program. We will attempt to collect natural parr in August 2009. This year 752 fish were removed from the captive population: 629 fish survived to gamete production and 123 fish died from various causes prior to spawning. Growth of the Captive Broodstock fish was similar to previous years. The saltwater fish have grown more slowly than those reared in freshwater. A total of 720 fish were sorted as maturing and 629 (87.4%) of them survived to spawn. We collected gametes from 273 females and 350 males from the 2002-2006 brood years in 2008, using 111 spawning matrices and collected 474,187 green eggs (1,737 eggs/female). All ripe males were spawned and no semen was collected for cryo-preservation. Of the 474,187 eggs collected for the BY 2008 F1 generation, 448,373 (94.6%) survived to the eyed stage. 68,612 (15.3%) were culled from females with high ELISA OD values for BKD prevention. For BY 2007, we collected a total of 477,048 eggs from all three populations and 407,369 (85.4%) reached the eyed stage, while 95,024 eyed eggs (23.3%) were culled for BKD prevention. Eyed eggs were hatched at Lookingglass Fish Hatchery, producing 267,131 fry. As parr, 153,371 fish were coded-wire tagged (CWT). For the 2006 F1 brood year, we collected 177,890 eggs and 149,073 (83.8%) reached the eyed stage. 83,826 eyed eggs (56.2%) were culled at the eyed stage for BKD prevention. 61,044 fry were produced (93.6%), 53,688 (88 %) survived to smolt. There were 54 bacterial kidney disease (BKD) mortalities at BOH and MRS, combined in this reporting period. Overall, there were fewer BKD mortalities in 2008 due to a reduced number of fish coming into the Captive Broodstock Program and a shift away from collecting wild parr to using eyed eggs from low ELISA females from the Conventional Hatchery Program. Unknown causes of death accounted for 32 deaths at MRS and BOH, combined in 2008. We continually examine and modify the operations of the Captive Broodstock Program to make improvements wherever possible. We continue to have difficulty with prevention and treatment of BKD outbreaks and continue to use erythromycin and azithromycin to treat this disease. We are also continuing to investigate other possible treatments and prophylactic measures. To reduce the incidence of BKD in offspring of the Captive Broodstock Program, we continue to allow culling of eyed eggs from females with high BKD ELISA values (generally >0.800 OD units but the cull level varies annually, depending on the distribution of ELISA values, number of eggs collected, and management considerations). We are also using ultrasound to determine maturity and sex of fish early in the maturation process and are now able to determine maturity and sex of most maturing fish in early April. This allows us to transfer maturing fish from saltwater to freshwater at a more natural time, which should improve fecundity and egg quality of saltwater-reared fish.« less

A single ultrasound determination of ≥25 follicles ≥3 mm in diameter in dairy heifers is predictive of a reduced productive herd life.

PubMed

Jimenez-Krassel, F; Scheetz, D M; Neuder, L M; Pursley, J R; Ireland, J J

2017-06-01

Fertility and productive herd life (time in herd after birth of first calf) are inferior in dairy cows with relatively low compared with intermediate but not high numbers of follicles growing during ovarian follicular waves. The present study, therefore, tested the hypothesis that fertility and productive herd life are lower in dairy heifers with high follicle numbers compared with age-matched herdmates with fewer follicles. To test this hypothesis, 11 to 15 mo old Holstein heifers were subjected to a single ultrasound measurement of the number of follicles ≥3 mm in diameter. Heifers were classified into a high- (≥25 follicles), mid- (16-24), or low-range (≤15) follicle number group (FNG). All heifers not removed from the herd before first calving (n = 408) had the opportunity to start their fifth or sixth lactation after birth of their first calf. During this time, performance and health parameters for each individual were recorded daily by herd managers. Results showed that heifers in the high-range FNG had a 180-d shorter productive herd life, reduced survival rate, and greater probability of being culled after birth of the first calf, as well as fewer lactations compared with heifers in the low-range FNG. Cows in the high-compared with the mid- or low-range FNG also had greater involuntary culling rates, days open, and services per conception, and lower pregnancy rates during the first, second, or third lactations. We concluded that dairy heifers with ≥25 follicles ≥3 mm in diameter have suboptimal fertility and a shorter productive herd life compared with herdmates with fewer follicles. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An economic assessment of foot and mouth disease in Japan.

PubMed

Hayama, Y; Osada, Y; Oushiki, D; Tsutsui, T

2017-04-01

A large-scale foot and mouth disease (FMD) epidemic in Japan in 2010 caused severe economic losses for livestock and related industries. In this paper, the authors develop a clear and usable framework to estimate the economic impact of this FMD outbreak. An economic analysis is then conducted by combining this framework with an epidemiological model. The framework estimates the direct and indirect costs to livestock and related industries by applying an input-output model, as well as by addressing expenditure on disease control. The direct cost to the livestock industry was estimated at 51.2 billion Japanese yen (JPY), engendering an indirect cost to related industries of JPY 25.5 billion. The expenditure for disease control activities was estimated at JPY 8.2 billion. The total impact of the 2010 FMD epidemic was estimated at almost JPY 85 billion. Within the economic analysis, the authors evaluate several control measure scenarios: a baseline scenario, which assumes that the rapid disease spread observed in the early phase of the 2010 FMD epidemic would continue; prompt culling within 24 hours; early detection of the first case; and emergency vaccination within a radius of 10 km around the affected farms in either seven or 28 days. Prompt culling and early detection were superior from an economic point of view, reducing the total economic impact to 30% and 2% of that in the baseline scenario, respectively. Compared with these scenarios, vaccination was less cost effective. However, vaccination suppressed the speed of disease spread and shortened the duration of the epidemic, suggesting its potential effectiveness in curbing rapid disease spread in a densely populated area.

Market Impact of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control Strategies: A UK Case Study

PubMed Central

Feng, Siyi; Patton, Myles; Davis, John

2017-01-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) poses a serious threat to the agricultural sector due to its highly contagious nature. Outbreaks of FMD can lead to substantial disruptions to livestock markets due to loss of production and access to international markets. In a previously FMD-free country, the use of vaccination to augment control of an FMD outbreak is increasingly being recognized as an alternative control strategy to direct slaughtering [stamping-out (SO)]. The choice of control strategy has implications on production, trade, and hence prices of the sector. Specific choice of eradication strategies depends on their costs and benefits. Economic impact assessments are often based on benefit–cost framework, which provide detailed information on the changes in profit for a farm or budget implications for a government (1). However, this framework cannot capture price effects caused by changes in production due to culling of animals; access to international markets; and consumers’ reaction. These three impacts combine to affect equilibrium within commodity markets (2). This paper provides assessment of sectoral level impacts of the eradication choices of FMD outbreaks, which are typically not available from benefit–cost framework, in the context of the UK. The FAPRI-UK model, a partial equilibrium model of the agricultural sector, is utilized to investigate market outcomes of different control strategies (namely SO and vaccinate-to-die) in the case of FMD outbreaks. The outputs from the simulations of the EXODIS epidemiological model (number of animals culled/vaccinated and duration of outbreak) are used as inputs within the economic model to capture the overall price impact of the animal destruction, export ban, and consumers’ response. PMID:28920059

Reduced Genetic Diversity and Increased Structure in American Mink on the Swedish Coast following Invasive Species Control.

PubMed

Zalewski, Andrzej; Zalewska, Hanna; Lunneryd, Sven-Gunnar; André, Carl; Mikusiński, Grzegorz

2016-01-01

Eradication and population reductions are often used to mitigate the negative impacts of non-native invasive species on native biodiversity. However, monitoring the effectiveness of non-native species control programmes is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of these measures. Genetic monitoring could provide valuable insights into temporal changes in demographic, ecological, and evolutionary processes in invasive populations being subject to control programmes. Such programmes should cause a decrease in effective population size and/or in genetic diversity of the targeted non-native species and an increase in population genetic structuring over time. We used microsatellite DNA data from American mink (Neovison vison) to determine whether the removal of this predator on the Koster Islands archipelago and the nearby Swedish mainland affected genetic variation over six consecutive years of mink culling by trappers as part of a population control programme. We found that on Koster Islands allelic richness decreased (from on average 4.53 to 3.55), genetic structuring increased, and effective population size did not change. In contrast, the mink population from the Swedish coast showed no changes in genetic diversity or structure, suggesting the stability of this population over 6 years of culling. Effective population size did not change over time but was higher on the coast than on the islands across all years. Migration rates from the islands to the coast were almost two times higher than from the coast to the islands. Most migrants leaving the coast were localised on the southern edge of the archipelago, as expected from the direction of the sea current between the two sites. Genetic monitoring provided valuable information on temporal changes in the population of American mink suggesting that this approach can be used to evaluate and improve control programmes of invasive vertebrates.

Pregnancy rates in central Yellowstone bison

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gogan, Peter J.; Russell, Robin E.; Olexa, Edward M.; Podruzny, Kevin M.

2013-01-01

Plains bison (Bison b. bison) centered on Yellowstone National Park are chronically infected with brucellosis (Brucella abortus) and culled along the park boundaries to reduce the probability of disease transmission to domestic livestock. We evaluated the relationship between pregnancy rates and age, dressed carcass weight, and serological status for brucellosis among bison culled from the central Yellowstone subpopulation during the winters of 1996–1997, 2001–2002, and 2002–2003. A model with only dressed carcass weight was the best predictor of pregnancy status for all ages with the odds of pregnancy increasing by 1.03 (95% CI = 1.02–1.04) for every 1-kg increase in weight. We found no effect of age or the serological status for brucellosis on pregnancy rates across age classes; however, we did find a positive association between age and pregnancy rates for bison ≥2 years old. Bison ≥2 years old had an overall pregnancy rate of 65% with markedly different rates in alternate ages for animals between 3 and 7 years old. Pregnancy rates were 0.50 (95% CI = 0.31–0.69) for brucellosis positive and 0.57 (95% CI = 0.34–0.78) for brucellosis negative 2- and 3-year-olds and 0.74 (95% CI = 0.60–0.85) in brucellosis positive and 0.69 (95% CI = 0.49–0.85) in brucellosis negative bison ≥4 years old. Only 1 of 21 bison <2 years old was pregnant. Our findings are important to accurately predict the effects of brucellosis on Yellowstone bison population dynamics. We review our results relative to other studies of Yellowstone bison that concluded serological status for brucellosis influences pregnancy rates.

Financial effect of bovine Johne's disease in beef cattle herds in Australia.

PubMed

Webb Ware, J K; Larsen, J W A; Kluver, P

2012-04-01

To assess the financial effect of programs for controlling bovine Johne's disease (BJD) in beef herds. A spreadsheet simulation model of a self-replacing beef herd in south-eastern Australia selling 400-kg steers at 15 months old. The model calculated the monthly cash flow, and net present value (NPV) of cumulative cash flow, over 10 years. Four main control options were compared: (1) a base herd (no action to control the disease), (2) test and cull, and (3) partial and (4) total destocking. It was assumed that BJD was eradicated after 3 and 5 years with total and partial destocking, respectively, and not eradicated with a test and cull program. Scenarios were compared for both commercial and stud enterprises. If there was no discount on the sale price of cattle in commercial herds, deaths from BJD had to exceed 5% before the NPV of partial or total destocking was similar to taking no action to control the disease over a 10-year period. When cattle sales incurred a 10% discount, deaths had to exceed 1% before the destocking strategies would break even after 10 years. Control options for BJD should be carefully planned on an individual herd basis, as significant production and financial risks accompany destocking programs. Eradication will only be more profitable in the longer term, compared with living with the disease, when discounts on the sale of stock from infected herds are high. This can occur with the selling of store cattle or breeders. In stud herds, BJD will usually cause the total failure of the business. © 2012 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2012 Australian Veterinary Association.

Ancient and Contemporary DNA Reveal a Pre-Human Decline but No Population Bottleneck Associated with Recent Human Persecution in the Kea (Nestor notabilis)

PubMed Central

Dussex, Nicolas; Rawlence, Nicolas J.; Robertson, Bruce C.

2015-01-01

The impact of population bottlenecks is an important factor to consider when assessing species survival. Population declines can considerably limit the evolutionary potential of species and make them more susceptible to stochastic events. New Zealand has a well documented history of decline of endemic avifauna related to human colonization. Here, we investigate the genetic effects of a recent population decline in the endangered kea (Nestor notabilis). Kea have undergone a long-lasting persecution between the late 1800s to 1970s where an estimated 150,000 kea were culled under a governmental bounty scheme. Kea now number 1,000–5,000 individuals in the wild and it is likely that the recent population decline may have reduced the genetic diversity of the species. Comparison of contemporary (n = 410), historical (n = 15) and fossil samples (n = 4) showed a loss of mitochondrial diversity since the end of the last glaciation (Otiran Glacial) but no loss of overall genetic diversity associated with the cull. Microsatellite data indicated a recent bottleneck for only one population and a range-wide decline in Ne dating back some 300 – 6,000 years ago, a period predating European arrival in NZ. These results suggest that despite a recent human persecution, kea might have experienced a large population decline before stabilizing in numbers prior to human settlement of New Zealand in response to Holocene changes in habitat distribution. Our study therefore highlights the need to understand the respective effects of climate change and human activities on endangered species dynamics when proposing conservation guidelines. PMID:25719752

Effect of cull potatoes in the diet for finishing Belgian Blue double-muscled cows.

PubMed

Fiems, L O; De Boever, J L; Vanacker, J M; De Brabander, D L

2013-01-01

The use of culled potatoes was investigated in Belgian Blue double-muscled finishing cows, confined in tie stalls. The control diet (Treatment 1) consisted of concentrate and maize silage (50/50 on a dry matter (DM) basis). Potatoes either replaced 60% maize silage (Treatment 2) or 60% concentrate (Treatment 3). Diets were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous. They were fed ad libitum. Approximately 18 kg potatoes were fed daily in Treatments 2 and 3. Daily gain was not significantly altered; it decreased from 1.09 kg (Treatment 1) to 1.04 kg (Treatment 2) or increased to 1.20 kg (Treatment 3), although potatoes stimulated DM intake by 5% to 8% (P < 0.05). Feed conversion was unaffected in comparison with the control diet, when expressed in terms of DM, but energy efficiency (MJ/kg live weight gain) was substantially lower for Treatment 2 compared with Treatment 1 (89.9 v. 79.0; P = 0.046). Carcass weight, grading and composition were not affected by treatments, but potatoes increased dressing percentage (P = 0.009). Treatment had no significant effect on meat quality parameters. However, potatoes (Treatments 2 and 3) tended to decrease moisture content (P = 0.090) and tended to increase drip loss (P = 0.059) compared with Treatment 1. Because of a better animal performance and a lower feed cost, it is most appropriate to use potatoes as a replacement for concentrate. Feeding large amounts of potatoes besides concentrate may have an adverse effect on the fibrousness of the diet, resulting in a tendency (-5%) for a reduced daily gain and a lower energy efficiency (P < 0.05).

Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review

PubMed Central

Hansen, Margaret M.; Jones, Reo; Tocchini, Kirsten

2017-01-01

Background: Current literature supports the comprehensive health benefits of exposure to nature and green environments on human systems. The aim of this state-of-the-art review is to elucidate empirical research conducted on the physiological and psychological effects of Shinrin-Yoku (or Forest Bathing) in transcontinental Japan and China. Furthermore, we aim to encourage healthcare professionals to conduct longitudinal research in Western cultures regarding the clinically therapeutic effects of Shinrin-Yoku and, for healthcare providers/students to consider practicing Shinrin-Yoku to decrease undue stress and potential burnout. Methods: A thorough review was conducted to identify research published with an initial open date range and then narrowing the collection to include papers published from 2007 to 2017. Electronic databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus) and snowball references were used to cull papers that evaluated the use of Shinrin-Yoku for various populations in diverse settings. Results: From the 127 papers initially culled using the Boolean phrases: “Shinrin-yoku” AND/OR “forest bathing” AND/OR “nature therapy”, 64 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this summary review and then divided into “physiological,” “psychological,” “sensory metrics” and “frameworks” sub-groups. Conclusions: Human health benefits associated with the immersion in nature continue to be currently researched. Longitudinal research, conducted worldwide, is needed to produce new evidence of the relationships associated with Shinrin-Yoku and clinical therapeutic effects. Nature therapy as a health-promotion method and potential universal health model is implicated for the reduction of reported modern-day “stress-state” and “technostress.”. PMID:28788101

Reduced egg production in hens associated with avian influenza vaccines and formalin levels.

PubMed

Meng, Di; Hui, Zhang; Yang, Jianming; Yuan, Jilei; Ling, Yong; He, Cheng

2009-03-01

A rapid drop in egg production and a high culling rate in hens are associated with using four avian influenza (AI) inactivated vaccines. Average formalin levels in 22 batches of commercial AI vaccines are 0.34%, 0.59%, 0.79%, and 0.33%, respectively, in H5N1 Re-1, Re-4, Re-1+Re-4, and Re-1+H9N2 vaccines. Laying production rate dropped from the expected 96.1% to 68.3%, 62.6%, and 54.1%, respectively, in hens that received H5N1 Re-1 strain, Re-4 strain, or Re-1+Re-4 strain vaccines, and the culling rate was 8.8%, 15.0%, and 18.0%, respectively. AI vaccines containing 0.66%-0.81% formalin could significantly induce lower estradiol levels and decreased antibody titers of H5 subtype in a field study. In an experimental study, 200 16-wk-old laying hens were randomly divided into four groups and intramuscularly injected 0.5 ml per chicken formalin-oil preparation at the dose of 0.10%, 0.40%, and 0.81% formalin, respectively. The control hens were given 0.5 ml phosphate buffered saline. Egg performance and degenerative combs were examined daily. The results showed that 0.81% formalin preparation significantly induced an egg production drop and lower estradiol levels as compared to the lower formalin preparations. Significant degeneration of combs and ovarian follicles was also observed. These changes suggest that vaccines with more than the recommended formalin concentration lower hemaglutination inhibition antibody levels and induce an imbalance in estradiol secretion, resulting in degenerative change in ovarian follicles and uterus. Hence, new H5N1 vaccines with recommended formalin levels are urgently needed.

Simultaneous determination of nickel and copper by H-point standard addition method-first-order derivative spectrophotometry in plant samples after separation and preconcentration on modified natural clinoptilolite as a new sorbent.

PubMed

Roohparvar, Rasool; Taher, Mohammad Ali; Mohadesi, Alireza

2008-01-01

For the simultaneous determination of nickel(ll) and copper(ll) in plant samples, a rapid and accurate method was developed. In this method, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and first-order derivative spectrophotometry (FDS) are combined, and the result is coupled with the H-point standard addition method (HPSAM). Compared with normal spectrophotometry, derivative spectrophotometry offers the advantages of increased selectivity and sensitivity. As there is no need for carrying out any pretreatment of the sample, the spectrophotometry method is easy, but because of a high detection limit, it is not so practical. In order to decrease the detection limit, it is suggested to combine spectrophotometry with a preconcentration method such as SPE. In the present work, after separation and preconcentration of Ni(ll) and Cu(ll) on modified clinoptilolite zeolite that is loaded with 2-[1-(2-hydroxy-5-sulforphenyl)-3-phenyl-5-formaza-no]-benzoic acid monosodium salt (zincon) as a selective chromogenic reagent, FDS-HPSAM, which is a simple and selective spectrophotometric method, has been applied for simultaneous determination of these ions. With optimum conditions, the detection limit in original solutions is 0.7 and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively, for nickel and copper. The linear concentration ranges in the proposed method for nickel and copper ions in original solutions are 1.1 to 3.0 x 10(3) and 0.9 to 2.0 x 10(3) ng/mL, respectively. The recommended procedure is applied to successful determination of Cu(ll) and Ni(ll) in standard and real samples.

Farmers' beliefs about bovine tuberculosis control in Northern Ireland.

PubMed

O'Hagan, M J H; Matthews, D I; Laird, C; McDowell, S W J

2016-06-01

Beliefs can play an important role in farmer behaviour and willingness to adopt new policies. In Northern Ireland, bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is one of the most important endemic diseases facing the cattle industry. An observational study was conducted on 192 farms in a high bTB incidence area during 2010-2011 in order to obtain a better understanding of farmers' beliefs in relation to bTB control. The views of farmers who had experienced a recent confirmed or multiple reactor bTB breakdowns (cases) were compared to those of farmers who had no recent reactors or restricted herd tests (controls). Data were obtained from a face-to-face questionnaire assessing farmers' agreement to 22 statements. All participating farmers found bTB control important and most were keen to learn more about bTB biosecurity measures and were in favour of the cattle-related bTB control measures as presented in the questionnaire (isolation of skin test inconclusive animals, use of the gamma-interferon test and pre-movement testing). The majority of farmers would allow badger vaccination and culling on their own land with an overall preference for vaccination. Highest disagreement was shown for the statements querying a willingness to pay for bTB control measures. There was agreement on most issues between case and control farmers and between different age groups of farmers although case farmers showed more support for additional advice on bTB biosecurity measures (P = 0.042). Case farmers were also more in favour of allowing badger vaccination (P = 0.008) and culling (P = 0.043) on their land and showed less concern for public opposition (P = 0.048). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of fertility on the economics of pasture-based dairy systems.

PubMed

Shalloo, L; Cromie, A; McHugh, N

2014-05-01

There are significant costs associated with reproductive inefficiency in pasture-based dairy herds. This study has quantified the economic effect of a number of key variables associated with reproductive inefficiency in a dairy herd and related them to 6-week calving rate for both cows and heifers. These variables include: increased culling costs, the effects of sub optimum calving dates, increased labour costs and increased artificial insemination (AI) and intervention costs. The Moorepark Dairy Systems Model which is a stochastic budgetary simulation model was used to simulate the overall economic effect at farm level. The effect of change in each of the components was simulated in the model and the costs associated with each component was quantified. An analysis of national data across a 4-year period using the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation database was used to quantify the relationship between the 6-week calving rate of a herd with survivability (%), calving interval (days) and the level of AI usage. The costs associated with increased culling (%), calving date slippage (day), increased AI and intervention costs (0.1 additional inseminations), as well as, increased labour costs (10%) were quantified as €13.68, €3.86, €4.56 and €29.6/cow per year. There was a statistically significant association between the 6-week calving rate and survivability, calving interval and AI usage at farm level. A 1% change in 6-week calving rate was associated with €9.26/cow per annum for cows and €3.51/heifer per annum for heifers. This study does not include the indirect costs such as reduced potential for expansion, increased costs associated with failing to maintain a closed herd as well as the unrealised potential within the herd.

Different physiological stages and breeding systems related to the variability of meat quality of indigenous Pantaneiro sheep

PubMed Central

Burin, Poliana Campos; Leonardo, Ariadne Patricia; Fausto, Daiane Aparecido; da Silva, Adrielly Lais Alves; Ricardo, Hélio de Almeida; Corrêa da Silva, Marcelo; de Souza, Márcio Rodrigues; de Vargas Junior, Fernando Miranda

2018-01-01

This study configures a first report regarding the variability of meat quality of locally adapted Pantaneiro sheep depending on different physiological stages and breeding systems. Pantaneiro sheep are raised in Brazil under a tropical wetland ecosystem denominated Pantanal. Twenty-nine Pantaneiro sheep from different sex and physiological stages were sorted into three groups, simulating three of the most representative ovine meat products commercialized by South American industries: a) non castrated male lambs (n = 11); b) wethers (n = 9); c) cull ewes (n = 9). Animals from each physiological stage were submitted to different breeding systems, resembling farming strategies adopted in several developing countries of South America. The effect of physiological stages on the quality of meat was accessed using 16 variables measured in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LM) and the semimembranosus (SM) muscles. The variables were related to brightness, color, physical aspects, soluble and total collagen as well as chemical traits. The physiological stage was defined as a classification variable in order to proceed ANOVA tests and comparison of means (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis was used to identify patterns of similarity and differentiation between samples of different physiological stages (a, b, c). The results revealed that meat quality varies according to different physiological stages, especially between lambs (a) and cull ewes (c). As a consequence, the physiological stage at slaughter should be taken into consideration to cote the quality of meat from indigenous sheep raised in tropical regions. The results contribute towards sensorial evaluation and the characterization of potential food products derived from indigenous sheep bred under tropical climate in developing countries. PMID:29432430

Comparison of strategies for substantiating freedom from scrapie in a sheep flock.

PubMed

Durand, Benoit; Martinez, Marie-José; Calavas, Didier; Ducrot, Christian

2009-04-30

The public health threat represented by a potential circulation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent in sheep population has led European animal health authorities to launch large screening and genetic selection programmes. If demonstrated, such a circulation would have dramatic economic consequences for sheep breeding sector. In this context, it is important to evaluate the feasibility of qualification procedures that would allow sheep breeders demonstrating their flock is free from scrapie. Classical approaches, based on surveys designed to detect disease presence, do not account for scrapie specificities: the genetic variations of susceptibility and the absence of live diagnostic test routinely available. Adapting these approaches leads to a paradoxical situation in which a greater amount of testing is needed to substantiate disease freedom in genetically resistant flocks than in susceptible flocks, whereas probability of disease freedom is a priori higher in the former than in the latter. The goal of this study was to propose, evaluate and compare several qualification strategies for demonstrating a flock is free from scrapie. A probabilistic framework was defined that accounts for scrapie specificities and allows solving the preceding paradox. Six qualification strategies were defined that combine genotyping data, diagnostic tests results and flock pedigree. These were compared in two types of simulated flocks: resistant and susceptible flocks. Two strategies allowed demonstrating disease freedom in several years, for the majority of simulated flocks: a strategy in which all the flock animals are genotyped, and a strategy in which only founders animals are genotyped, the flock pedigree being known. In both cases, diagnostic tests are performed on culled animals. The less costly strategy varied according to the genetic context (resistant or susceptible) and to the relative costs of a genotyping exam and of a diagnostic test. This work demonstrates that combining data sources allows substantiating a flock is free from scrapie within a reasonable time frame. Qualification schemes could thus be a useful tool for voluntary or mandatory scrapie control programmes. However, there is no general strategy that would always minimize the costs and choice of the strategy should be adapted to local genetic conditions.

Green Space, Violence, and Crime: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bogar, Sandra; Beyer, Kirsten M

2016-04-01

To determine the state of evidence on relationships among urban green space, violence, and crime in the United States. Major bibliographic databases were searched for studies meeting inclusion criteria. Additional studies were culled from study references and authors' personal collections. Comparison among studies was limited by variations in study design and measurement and results were mixed. However, more evidence supports the positive impact of green space on violence and crime, indicating great potential for green space to shape health-promoting environments. Numerous factors influence the relationships among green space, crime, and violence. Additional research and standardization among research studies are needed to better understand these relationships. © The Author(s) 2015.

Violence, selection and infant mortality in Congo.

PubMed

Dagnelie, Olivier; Luca, Giacomo Davide De; Maystadt, Jean-François

2018-05-01

This paper documents the effects of the recent civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo on mortality both in utero and during the first year of life. It instruments for conflict intensity using a mineral price index, which exploits the exogenous variation in the potential value of mineral resources generated by changes in world mineral prices to predict the geographic distribution of the conflict. Using estimates of civil war exposure on mortality across male and female newborn to assess their relative health, it provides evidence of culling effect (in utero selection) as a consequence of in utero shocks. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Critical periods for marihuana-induced intrauterine growth retardation in the rat.

PubMed

Abel, E L; Bush, R; Dintcheff, B A; Ernst, C A

1981-01-01

Pregnant rats were intubated with marihuana extract (20, 200 mg/kg) throughout gestation. Control animals were intubated with vehicle (olive oil). Control animals and animals treated with the lower dose of drug were pair-fed and pair-watered to animals treated with the high dose. At parturition, pups were counted, weighed, culled, and assigned to nondrug-treated dams. Marihuana reduced food and water consumption and maternal weight gain. Pup weight at birth was reduced and neonatal mortality was increased in offspring exposed during the third week of gestation or throughout gestation. Litter size, postnatal mortality and weight at weaning were not significantly affected.

Oocyte quality and estradiol supplementation affect in vitro maturation success in the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

PubMed

Siriaroonrat, B; Comizzoli, P; Songsasen, N; Monfort, S L; Wildt, D E; Pukazhenthi, B S

2010-01-01

White-tailed deer oocyte biology is not well documented. The objective of this study was to determine (1) the influence of estradiol (E(2)) supplementation on meiotic resumption and the ability to "rescue" poorer quality (lower grade) oocytes and (2) the kinetics of oocyte nuclear maturation in vitro in the white-tailed deer. In Experiment 1, immature oocytes harvested during hunting-culling operations were cultured for 24h in the presence or absence of E(2). Incubation in 1mug/mL E(2) promoted nuclear maturation (to telophase I, TI; or to metaphase II, MII) in a higher proportion of Grade 1 oocytes ( approximately 77%; P<0.05) compared with that in Grade 2 or Grade 3 counterparts ( approximately 51%). For Grades 2 and 3 oocytes, there was no advantage (P>0.05) for E(2) supplementation in reaching TI/MII. In Experiment 2, Grade 1 oocytes were cultured in the presence of E(2) and nuclear status evaluated at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24h of in vitro incubation. At 0h,>70% of oocytes already had undergone germinal vesicle breakdown. After 12h, approximately 70% of oocytes had reached metaphase I of nuclear maturation, with approximately 75% achieving TI/MII by 24h in vitro. In summary, adding E(2) to an in vitro maturation (IVM) culture system for white-tailed deer was advantageous, but only for the highest quality oocytes, with approximately 75% achieving nuclear maturation. In contrast, E(2) supplement did not benefit lower-grade oocytes, half of which will reach MII, with the other half failing. Under the described culture conditions, good-quality white-tailed deer oocytes achieve nuclear maturation over a time duration comparable with that reported in other ungulates.

Constructing the effect of alternative intervention strategies on historic epidemics.

PubMed

Cook, A R; Gibson, G J; Gottwald, T R; Gilligan, C A

2008-10-06

Data from historical epidemics provide a vital and sometimes under-used resource from which to devise strategies for future control of disease. Previous methods for retrospective analysis of epidemics, in which alternative interventions are compared, do not make full use of the information; by using only partial information on the historical trajectory, augmentation of control may lead to predictions of a paradoxical increase in disease. Here we introduce a novel statistical approach that takes full account of the available information in constructing the effect of alternative intervention strategies in historic epidemics. The key to the method lies in identifying a suitable mapping between the historic and notional outbreaks, under alternative control strategies. We do this by using the Sellke construction as a latent process linking epidemics. We illustrate the application of the method with two examples. First, using temporal data for the common human cold, we show the improvement under the new method in the precision of predictions for different control strategies. Second, we show the generality of the method for retrospective analysis of epidemics by applying it to a spatially extended arboreal epidemic in which we demonstrate the relative effectiveness of host culling strategies that differ in frequency and spatial extent. Some of the inferential and philosophical issues that arise are discussed along with the scope of potential application of the new method.

Forest representation of vessels in cone-beam computed tomographic angiography.

PubMed

Chen, Zikuan; Ning, Ruola

2005-01-01

Cone-beam computed tomographic angiography (CBCTA) provides a fast three-dimensional (3D) vascular imaging modality, aiming at digitally representing the spatial vascular structure in an angiographic volume. Due to the finite coverage of cone-beam scan, as well as the volume cropping in volumetric image processing, an angiographic volume may fail to contain a whole vascular tree, but rather consist of a multitude of vessel segments or subtrees. As such, it is convenient to represent multitudinal components by a forest. The vessel tracking issue then becomes component characterization/identification in the forest. The forest representation brings several conveniences for vessel tracking: (1) to sort and count the vessels in an angiographic volume, for example, according to spatial occupancy and skeleton pathlength; (2) to single out a vessel and perform in situ 3D measurement and 3D visualization in the support space; (3) to delineate individual vessels from the original angiographic volume; and (4) to cull the forest by getting rid of non-vessels and small vessels. A 3D skeletonization is used to generate component skeletons. For tree construction from skeletons, we suggest a pathlength-based procedure, which lifts the restrictions of unit-width skeleton and root determination. We experimentally demonstrate the forest representation of a dog's carotid arteries in a CBCTA system. In principle, the forest representation is useful for managing vessels in both 2D angiographic images and 3D angiographic volumes.

Differences in Patterns of Reproductive Allocation between the Sexes in Nicrophorus orbicollis.

PubMed

Smith, Ashlee N; Creighton, J Curtis; Belk, Mark C

2015-01-01

Organisms are selected to maximize lifetime reproductive success by balancing the costs of current reproduction with costs to future survival and fecundity. Males and females typically face different reproductive costs, which makes comparisons of their reproductive strategies difficult. Burying beetles provide a unique system that allows us to compare the costs of reproduction between the sexes because males and females are capable of raising offspring together or alone and carcass preparation and offspring care represent the majority of reproductive costs for both sexes. Because both sexes perform the same functions of carcass preparation and offspring care, we predict that they would experience similar costs and have similar life history patterns. In this study we assess the cost of reproduction in male Nicrophorus orbicollis and compare to patterns observed in females. We compare the reproductive strategies of single males and females that provided pre- and post-hatching parental care. There is a cost to reproduction for both males and females, but the sexes respond to these costs differently. Females match brood size with carcass size, and thus maximize the lifetime number of offspring on a given size carcass. Males cull proportionately more offspring on all carcass sizes, and thus have a lower lifetime number of offspring compared to females. Females exhibit an adaptive reproductive strategy based on resource availability, but male reproductive strategies are not adaptive in relation to resource availability.

Recovery of Navy distillate fuel from reclaimed product. Volume I. Technical discussion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brinkman, D.W.; Whisman, M.L.

1984-11-01

In an effort to assist the Navy to better utilize its waste hydrocarbons, NIPER, with support from the US Department of Energy, is conducting research designed to ultimately develop a practical technique for converting Reclaimed Product (RP) into specification Naval Distillate Fuel (F-76). The first phase of the project was focused on reviewing the literature and available information from equipment manufacturers. The literature survey has been carefully culled for methodology applicable to the conversion of RP into diesel fuel suitable for Navy use. Based upon the results of this study, a second phase has been developed and outlined in whichmore » experiments will be performed to determine the most practical recycling technologies. It is realized that the final selection of one particular technology may be site-specific due to vast differences in RP volume and available facilities. A final phase, if funded, would involve full-scale testing of one of the recommended techniques at a refueling depot. The Phase I investigations are published in two volumes. Volume 1, Technical Discussion, includes the narrative and Appendices I and II. Appendix III, a detailed Literature Review, includes both a narrative portion and an annotated bibliography containing about 800 referenvces and abstracts. This appendix, because of its volume, has been published separately as Volume 2. 18 figures, 4 tables.« less

Use of intonation contours for speech recognition in noise by cochlear implant recipients.

PubMed

Meister, Hartmut; Landwehr, Markus; Pyschny, Verena; Grugel, Linda; Walger, Martin

2011-05-01

The corruption of intonation contours has detrimental effects on sentence-based speech recognition in normal-hearing listeners Binns and Culling [(2007). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122, 1765-1776]. This paper examines whether this finding also applies to cochlear implant (CI) recipients. The subjects' F0-discrimination and speech perception in the presence of noise were measured, using sentences with regular and inverted F0-contours. The results revealed that speech recognition for regular contours was significantly better than for inverted contours. This difference was related to the subjects' F0-discrimination providing further evidence that the perception of intonation patterns is important for the CI-mediated speech recognition in noise.

Should we expect population thresholds for wildlife disease?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lloyd-Smith, James O.; Cross, P.C.; Briggs, C.J.; Daugherty, M.; Getz, W.M.; Latto, J.; Sanchez, M.; Smith, A.; Swei, A.

2005-01-01

Host population thresholds for invasion or persistence of infectious disease are core concepts of disease ecology, and underlie on-going and controversial disease control policies based on culling and vaccination. Empirical evidence for these thresholds in wildlife populations has been sparse, however, though recent studies have narrowed this gap. Here we review the theoretical bases for population thresholds for disease, revealing why they are difficult to measure and sometimes are not even expected, and identifying important facets of wildlife ecology left out of current theories. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of selected empirical studies that have reported disease thresholds for wildlife, identify recurring obstacles, and discuss implications of our imperfect understanding of wildlife thresholds for disease control policy.

Best practices in nursing homes. Clinical supervision, management, and human resource practices.

PubMed

Dellefield, Mary Ellen

2008-07-01

Human resource practices including supervision and management are associated with organizational performance. Evidence supportive of such an association in nursing homes is found in the results of numerous research studies conducted during the past 17 years. In this article, best practices related to this topic have been culled from descriptive, explanatory, and intervention studies in a range of interdisciplinary research journals published between 1990 and 2007. Identified best practices include implementation of training programs on supervision and management for licensed nurses, certified nursing assistant job enrichment programs, implementation of consistent nursing assignments, and the use of electronic documentation. Organizational barriers and facilitators of these best practices are described. Copyright 2009, SLACK Incorporated.

Concentration of anti-Müllerian hormone in dairy heifers is positively associated with productive herd life.

PubMed

Jimenez-Krassel, F; Scheetz, D M; Neuder, L M; Ireland, J L H; Pursley, J R; Smith, G W; Tempelman, R J; Ferris, T; Roudebush, W E; Mossa, F; Lonergan, P; Evans, A C O; Ireland, J J

2015-05-01

Reliable biomarkers predictive of productive herd life (time in herd after birth of first calf) have heretofore not been discovered in dairy cattle. However, circulating concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) are positively associated with number of follicles or antral follicle count (AFC), ovarian function, and fertility, and approximately 25% of cows have a relatively low AFC and low AMH concentrations. The present study tested the hypothesis that heifers with the lowest AMH concentrations have suboptimal fertility and are removed from a herd for poor reproductive performance at a greater rate, and therefore have a shorter productive herd life compared with age-matched herdmates with higher AMH. To test this hypothesis, 11- to 15-mo-old Holstein heifers (n=281) were subjected to a single measurement of AMH. All heifers not removed from the herd had the opportunity to complete 2 lactations and start their third lactation after calving. During this time, performance and health parameters for each individual were recorded daily by herd managers. Results showed that the quartile of heifers with the lowest AMH concentration also had, on average, a shorter productive herd life (by 196 d), a reduced survival rate after birth of the first calf, the lowest level of milk production (first lactation), the lowest total percentage of cows pregnant (across all lactations), the highest culling rates (first and second lactations and overall), and the highest culling rate for poor reproduction (first lactation) compared with age-matched herdmates with higher AMH. We concluded that a single determination of AMH concentration in young adult dairy heifers may be a simple diagnostic method to predict herd longevity, and AMH may be a useful phenotypic marker to improve longevity of dairy cows. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect on time in quarantine of the choice of program for eradication of footrot from 196 sheep flocks in southern New South Wales.

PubMed

Mills, K; McClenaughan, P; Morton, A; Alley, D; Lievaart, J; Windsor, P A; Egerton, J R

2012-01-01

To identify and compare programs for eradicating virulent footrot (VFR) chosen by owners of quarantined sheep flocks in southern New South Wales. Data from 196 sheep flocks in the Wagga Wagga and Young Rural Lands Protection Boards were used to determine the program chosen, the influence of flock size on the program chosen and the effects of the program chosen and the use of contractors on the time in quarantine. The most popular programs in flocks using a single program were: total destocking (61/173; 35.3%) and inspection and culling of affected animals (71/173; 41.0%). Treatment of known infected animals was chosen in 41 flocks and of those, 10 (5.8%) used antibiotics for treatment and 31 (17.9%) used foot-bathing. Combined programs were used in 23 flocks and in 10 flocks a change of program occurred before eradication was achieved. The choice of program was, to some extent, affected by flock size, with owners of small flocks (<500 sheep) more likely to destock. The chosen program strongly influenced the time in quarantine, the shortest time being for destocking (mean 284 days), followed by culling of infected sheep (395 days), treatment with antibiotics (433 days) and finally foot-bathing (502 days). Time in quarantine was significantly shorter when contractors were used. All the options chosen led to the eradication of VFR. However, in this sample both the choice of program and the use of contractors influenced the time taken to achieve eradication and therefore the time in quarantine. Based on time in quarantine, foot-bathing was the least desirable option for the eradication of VFR because of the significantly greater time involved, perpetuation of risk to neighbours and increased cost of inspections. These findings were derived from flocks that were quarantined, but they are relevant to all flock owners considering eradication of VFR. © 2012 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2012 Australian Veterinary Association.