Review: Early life predisposing factors for biting in pigs.

The pig industry faces many animal welfare issues. Among these, biting behaviour has a high incidence. It is indicative of an existing problem in biters and is a source of physical damage and psychological stress for the victims. We categorize this behaviour into aggressive and non-aggressive biting, the latter often being directed towards the tail. This review focusses specifically on predisposing factors in early life, comprising the prenatal and postnatal periods up to weaning, for the expression of aggressive and non-aggressive biting later in life. The influence of personality and coping style has been examined in a few studies. It varies according to these studies and, thus, further evaluation is needed. Regarding the effect of environmental factors, the number of scientific papers is low (less than five papers for most factors). No clear influence of prenatal factors has been identified to date. Aggressive biting is reduced by undernutrition, cross-fostering and socialization before weaning. Non-aggressive biting is increased by undernutrition, social stress due to competition and cross-fostering. These latter three factors are highly dependent on litter size at birth. The use of familiar odours may contribute to reducing biting when pigs are moved from one environment to another by alleviating the level of stress associated with novelty. Even though the current environment in which pigs are expressing biting behaviours is of major importance, the pre-weaning environment should be optimized to reduce the likelihood of this problem.

A survey of selected animal-based measures of dairy cattle welfare in the Eastern Alps: Toward context-based thresholds.

In the Alps, traditional dairy farms are small-scale operations where vertical transhumance from valley indoor housing systems to highland pasture-based systems is still practiced in summer. Vertical transhumance implies a substantial change of environment, available resources, and management practices from one season to another. In such systems, animal-based welfare measures need to be monitored throughout the year to capture the variation of welfare outcomes, based on which targeted welfare management plans can be implemented. Because the Welfare Quality assessment approach has been tailored to indoor housing and intensive farming systems, the European Food Safety Authority recently developed a welfare assessment protocol for small-scale dairy cattle farms adapted after the Welfare Quality framework. The aim of this study was to assess nonbehavioral animal-based measures as defined by this protocol at different time points for transhumant systems in the Alps. In total, 18 animal-based measures were assessed before, during, and after the mountain pasture period in a sample of 67 small-scale dairy cattle farms practicing vertical transhumance in neighboring provinces of Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. Significant differences between assessments were identified for dirtiness of legs and teats, hairless patches, lesions and swellings, claw condition, ocular discharge, and diarrhea whereas BCS, lameness/severe lameness, vulvar discharge, nasal discharge, and hampered respiration were unchanged between seasons. In addition, a benchmarking exercise was carried out to identify relative boundaries (worst quartile thresholds) for each animal-based measure and to contribute to the discussion about achievable welfare outcomes for the 2 husbandry conditions that characterize a transhumant system. Worst quartile thresholds indicated a high prevalence of dirtiness (>80%) when cows were kept indoors, high prevalence of hairless patches (65%) before pasture turnout, and high prevalence of very lean cows (>13%) throughout the assessments. On the other hand, the best quartile thresholds for most clinical conditions suggested that high welfare standards (zero prevalence) are widely achievable in mountain farms practicing vertical transhumance during all assessments. The thresholds identified through benchmarking should serve as the basis for an effective context-based welfare management strategy promoting continuous welfare improvement on-farm.

A clinical evaluation of the TK 210 ELISA in sera from breast cancer patients demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity in all stages of disease.

Thymidine kinase (TK1) is an enzyme involved in DNA synthesis that leaks into the blood as a result of high cell turnover, particularly in the case of cancer. Serum TK1 activity has been used for prognosis and monitoring of leukemia and lymphoma patients for many years. Here, we describe the first clinical results with the newly developed TK 210 ELISA from AroCell AB. Sera from 124 breast cancer patients with known TNM classification along with sera from 53 healthy females were analyzed by TK 210 ELISA for TK1 protein and TK1 activity levels by the 3[H]-deoxythymidine (dThd) phosphorylation assay. The limit of detection for the TK 210 ELISA was 0.17 ng/ml, and 60 % of the sera from female blood donors were below this value. The median TK1 levels found in sera from breast cancer patients with T1 to T4 stage disease were 0.31, 0.46, 0.47, and 0.55 ng/ml, and these levels significantly differed from healthy controls. The median values of the biomarker CA 15-3 were also increased in patient sera from T1 to T4 patients (16, 34, 36, 40 U/ml, respectively). TK 210 ELISA showed significantly higher sensitivity for the T1 and T2 breast cancer patients compared to the TK activity assay. The combination of the TK1 ELISA and CA 15-3 biomarkers demonstrated a significant increase in sensitivity up to 15 % compared to each marker alone. This evaluation of the TK 210 ELISA strongly suggests that it can provide independent and complementary information for patients with breast cancer.

Promoting positive states: the effect of early human handling on play and exploratory behaviour in pigs.

It is known that tactile stimulation (TS) during ontogeny modifies brain plasticity and enhances the motor and cognitive skills. Our hypothesis was that early handling including TS would increase play and exploratory behaviour in commercial pigs under standardized test conditions. Piglets from 13 litters were subjected to three handling treatments from 5 to 35 days of age: all the piglets were handled (H), none of the piglets were handled (NH) or half of the piglets in the litter were handled (50/50). At 42 days of age, the pigs' behaviour was observed in pairs in a novel pen with a 'toy' (tug rope). The main results were that more locomotor play was performed by pigs from litters where all or half of them had been handled, whereas social exploratory behaviour was more pronounced in pigs from litters where half of them had been handled. Although behaviour was affected by the interaction of treatment with sex or with weight category, we propose that the handling procedure does seem to have acted to increase locomotor skills and that handling half of the piglets in the litter may have triggered a series of socio-emotional interactions that were beneficial for the whole group.

The behavior of sheep and goats co-grazing on pasture with different types of vegetation in the karst region.

The Slovenian karst region and similar types of land are difficult to cultivate and often exposed to the process of being abandoned and overgrown with shrubs, trees, and brushwood. Co-grazing in a mixed group may be a way to optimize the management of sheep and goat flocks in such areas. To obtain more knowledge of the natural behavior of small ruminants, the experiment was designed on pasture in the mountain karst region. The experimental area was divided in 6 paddocks, of which 3 paddocks were covered with grass, herbs, and legumes (i.e., grassy paddock [GP]). In the other 3 paddocks the area was additionally overgrown with hazel, beech trees, and bushes (i.e., woody paddock [WP]). In a mixed flock of 40 Slovenian local sheep breed (Istrian Pramenka) and 10 crossbreed goats (Saanen × Alpine goat), 10 animals per species were focally observed during daylight (0500-2100 h). The natural behavior was scored on 12 d, 2 consecutive days in each of the paddocks. Animals were rotated between 6 paddocks according to the balanced schedule. They stayed at each paddock for 5 or 6 d. Observations started on the third day after moving the animals into a specific paddock, following 2 d of adaptation. The results indicated that botanically diverse paddock together with climate conditions affected the behavior. Goats were grazing more (P < 0.001) whereas sheep less in the WP (P = 0.05). In sheep, drinking and salt consumption were higher (both P < 0.001) in the WP, suggesting that salt triggered additional water consumption. The WP enabled conditions where more comfort behavior, that is, autogrooming (both species P < 0.001) and object grooming (both species P < 0.001), was performed. On the second day of observation, animals grazed more compared to the first day (both species P < 0.001), most likely due to lower forage availability. Goats drank (P < 0.001) and consumed more salt on the second day (P < 0.001). With higher temperature sheep and goats grazed less (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) and goats drank more (P < 0.05). Sheep showed more while goats less autogrooming when temperature was lower (both P < 0.001). More autogrooming was shown on the second day of observation but only in goats (P < 0.001). The performed behavior of co-grazing sheep and goats suggests different foraging strategies and adaptation between the species, which may be taken into account for management decisions under specific environmental conditions in the mountain karst region.

Solvation of halogens in fluorous phases. Experimental and simulation data for F2, Cl2, and Br2 in several fluorinated liquids.

The solubility of halogen gases--fluorine, chlorine and bromine--has been determined experimentally in several fluorinated solvents between 283 and 323 K at atmospheric pressure. The solubility of chlorine was studied in perfluorooctane, perfluorohexane, perfluorohexylethane, perfluoromethylcyclohexane, perfluoro-1,3-dimethylcyclohexane, perfluoro-2-butyltetrahydrofuran, and perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene and was found to be on the order of 10(-2) in mole fraction. The solubility of fluorine in the studied fluorinated solvents at 298 K is 1 order of magnitude lower than the solubility of chlorine. The solubility of bromine was studied as a function of temperature in perfluorooctane, and it was found to be higher than that of chlorine but of the same order of magnitude. The experimental studies were complemented by molecular simulation calculations. The molecular force fields used for the halogen gases and for the fluorinated solvents were taken, when possible, from the literature. An intermolecular potential model had to be developed for perfluoro-2-butyltetrahydrofuran, with a functional form of the Lennard-Jones plus point charges type. The solubility of the three gases was calculated by molecular simulation using Widom test-particle insertion. Dissimilar interaction parameters of 0.89 and 0.75 in the Lennard-Jones well depths between the solute and the solvent had to be introduced to reach agreement with the experimental results for chlorine and fluorine solubilities, respectively. The structure of the solutions was studied by analysis of solute-solvent radial distribution functions. It was found that the preferential solvation sites for the halogen gases are the terminal CF3 groups of the different fluorinated solvents.

Comparison of the prelaying behavior of nest layers and litter layers.

The Swiss Animal Welfare Act decrees that the housing conditions of farm animals must guarantee animal welfare. In the process of developing a method to test nest boxes for their suitability for laying hens, we conducted an investigation using preference testing. It was aimed at verifying the occurrence of different types of layers within the same laying strain and to investigate the choice of a nest site. At the onset of lay, 24 individually housed hens were given the choice of 2 nest sites: a nest box or a litter tray. The chosen nest site and the behavior of the hen, 1 h prior to oviposition, were recorded at 3 stages during the period in which the first 20 eggs were laid. The majority (17) of the hens laid consistently in the nest box, and 7 hens laid consistently in the litter tray. Litter layers spent more time exploring during the hour prior to oviposition than did nest layers, and their final nest visit (when an egg was laid) was shorter. There was no significant difference in the number of entries into the chosen nest site between layers of the 2 types. As expected, the level of restlessness of hens decreased with laying experience. In the hour prior to oviposition, the frequency of foraging and resting increased, whereas the frequency of exploring and nest seeking decreased, and the number of nest-site visits declined. We conclude that there may be at least 2 different types of laying hens that show different nest-site preferences, with concomitantly different prelaying behavior.

[Delays of treatment of acute myocardial infarction with ST elevation admitted to the CCU (coronary care unit) in Alsace]. / Délais de prise en charge de l'infarctus aigu du myocarde avec sus-décalage persistant du segment ST admis dans les USIC d'Alsace.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the time delay from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment of patients with persistant ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). DESIGN: prospective observational study. METHOD: patients with symptoms onset < 24 h admitted in all 10 cardiac intensive care units in one French administrative region (Alsace). Data were recorded by doctors on duty soon after hospital admission. Patients with STEMI during hospital stay or as a complication of cardiac interventional procedure were excluded. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess statistical differences between the groups (p value < 0.05). RESULT: from April to October 2004, 326 patients were admitted for STEMI. Median time between the symptoms onset and the patient's call for medical help was 60 minutes. General practitioners were the first medical contact in 41%. The time from symptoms onset to first medical intervention and from first medical intervention to coronary care unit admission were markedly shorter in patients who had directly called the Emergency Medical Services (group 15-110 patients i.e. 33% of the study population): 44 min vs 75 min otherwise (p=0,003). Median transport time was 60 min. Sixty two percent of the pts were transported by the Emergency Medical Services. The median time from symptoms onset to initiation of reperfusion therapy was 240 min. It was significantly lower in group 15 (170 min vs 286 min - p < 0,001) and for thrombolytic therapy (190 min versus 245 min for primary angioplasty, p=0,007). When thrombolysis (THL) was used, 89% of the pts could be treated during 6 hours of symptoms onset and 44% in 3 hours. For angioplasty only 4% of the pts were treated in the first 90 minutes, 9% in the 2 hours and 30% in the 3 hours of symptoms onset. If the time delay is evaluated from the 1 st medical intervention, call to reperfusion intervention was significatly shorter for THL: 91 versus 157 min, p< 0,003. Angioplasty represented 75% of reperfusion strategy in our area and THL alone only 2,7% and combine therapy 5,4%. CONCLUSION: our study documents the beneficial effect of a direct call to Emergency Medical Services. Our results also underscore the need for an effort to reduce the time to offer the best appropriate reperfusion techniques in STEMI pts: speed up the admission in the cath-lab, think about pre-hospital thrombolysis followed by coronary angioplasty if necessary.

Heavy metal accumulation in trees growing on contaminated sites in Central Europe.

Metal-accumulating woody species have been considered for phytoextraction of metal-contaminated sites. We investigated Zn and Cd accumulation in tissues of adult trees and associated herbaceous species collected from contaminated areas in Central Europe. We found considerable Cd and Zn accumulation in various willow, poplar and birch species with up to 116mgCdkg(-1) and 4680mgZnkg(-1) in leaves of Salix caprea. Annual variation of Cd and Zn concentrations in leaves of Salix caprea were small, indicating that data obtained in different years can be compared. Metal concentrations in leaves were not related to total (aqua regia) or labile (1M NH(4)NO(3) extract) concentrations in soil but the accumulation factors (leaf concentration: soil concentration) for Cd and Zn followed an inverse log type function. Metal partitioning between tissues showed a minimum in the wood, with increasing concentrations of Cd and Zn towards the leaves and fine roots.

Carbohydrate supplementation and endurance performance of moderate altitude residents at 4300 m.

Recent work from our laboratory demonstrated that carbohydrate supplementation (CHOS) during exercise improved prolonged time-trial (TT) performance of sea-level residents (SLR) living at 4300 m while they were in daily negative energy balance (- 1250 kcal x day (-1); [ ]). The purposes of the current study were to determine during initial exposure to 4300 m:1) whether CHOS also improves TT performance of moderate altitude residents (MAR) who are in energy balance and 2) if acclimatization to moderate elevations benefits TT performance. Fifteen Air Force Academy (AFA) active duty members (age: 30 +/- 1 yrs; mean +/- SE), who had been living at approximately 2000 m for 21 +/- 3 months performed a maximal-effort 720-kJ cycle TT at the AFA and at Pikes Peak (PP), CO, (4300 m) on days 1 (PP1) and 3 (PP3). Daily energy intake and expenditure were maintained similarly at the AFA and PP. At the start of the TTs at PP, and then every 15 min thereafter, 9 subjects drank a 10 % CHO solution (0.175 g x kg (-1) body weight) and 6 subjects drank a placebo (PLA) solution. All subjects were allowed to freely adjust the power output of the cycle ergometer and drank water AD LIBITUM. Performance time did not differ between groups on PP1 (CHOS vs. PLA; 101 +/- 8 vs. 116 +/- 10 min) or PP3 (95 +/- 8 vs. 107 +/- 12 min). For both groups, cycle times on PP1 and PP3 were longer compared to the AFA (p<0.01) and were improved from PP1 to PP3 (p<0.05). Exercise intensity (i.e., % peak oxygen uptake) was maintained similarly at approximately 62 % during the TTs at the AFA and PP. Blood glucose was 1.5 to 2.0 mmol x L (-1) higher for CHOS vs. PLA (p<0.01). It was concluded that CHOS provided no TT performance benefit for MAR at 4300 m when energy balance was maintained. However, the decrements in TT performance and exercise intensity were attenuated at 4300 m in MAR compared to those of SLR as a result of acclimatization attained while living for nearly 2 years at approximately 2000 m.

Circulating procoagulant microparticles and soluble GPV in myocardial infarction treated by primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. A possible role for GPIIb-IIIa antagonists.

Circulating procoagulant microparticles (MP) were measured as markers of vascular damage and prothrombotic risk in patients undergoing ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and additional GPIIb-IIIa antagonists. Cells possibly more responsive to GPIIb-IIIa (alpha(IIb)beta(3)) antagonists were evidenced through MP phenotypes by comparison with healthy volunteers (HV) and STEMI patients treated by PTCA without GPIIb-IIIa antagonist (CP). In 50 STEMI patients, blood samples were collected at day 1 and day 6. Circulating procoagulant MP were captured on annexin V and quantified by prothrombinase assay as nanomolar phosphatidylserine equivalents (nm PhtdSer). Platelet activation by thrombin was confirmed through independent measurement of soluble GPV (sGPV). With respect to HV, procoagulant MP levels were high in patients with STEMI or unstable angina, platelet-derived MP and elevated sGPV testifying to significant platelet activation. A substantial release of endothelial-derived MP was evidenced simultaneously. In abciximab-treated patients, procoagulant MP, mainly of platelet origin, decreased precociously at day 1 (4.2 +/- 0.6 vs. CP 15.5 +/- 2.1 nm PhtdSer; P = 0.001) together with sGPV (36 +/- 3 vs. CP 58 +/- 8 ng mL(-1); P = 0.02). Leukocyte-derived MP decreased at day 6 (0.12 +/- 0.04 vs. CP 0.56 +/- 0.12 nm PhtdSer; P = 0.01) suggesting a possible effect on underlying inflammatory status. In patients presenting cardiovascular events at 6-month follow-up, procoagulant MP levels at day 1 could be indicative of a worsened outcome. MP could constitute a relevant parameter for the follow-up of STEMI patients treated by GPIIb-IIIa antagonists.

Protective effects of vitamin C on endothelium damage and platelet activation during myocardial infarction in patients with sustained generation of circulating microparticles.

During myocardial infarction (MI), high levels of circulating procoagulant microparticles (MP) shed from endothelial cells and platelets diffuse prothrombotic and proinflammatory potentials crucial for the coronary prognosis. In addition to conventional treatments, we evaluated whether vitamin C treatment could modify circulating levels of procoagulant MP. Upon admission, 61 patients with MI were prospectively randomized for immediate additional vitamin C treatment. Circulating MP were quantified by functional prothrombinase assay before and after 5 days of vitamin C administration (1 g day-1). The cellular origin of MP was also assessed. In vitamin C-treated patients, the reduction in platelet-derived MP was 10% higher (P = 0.01). In patients with diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia or more than two cardiovascular risk factors, vitamin C decreased endothelial and platelet-derived MP levels by approximately 70% and 13%, respectively. This early effect on circulating platelet and endothelial-derived MP, testifies to the importance of oxidative stress during MI. Vitamin C could prove beneficial for the outcome of patients at higher thrombotic risk.

Voluntary pacing and energy cost of off-road cycling and running.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were (1) to compare self-chosen speed of off-road cyclists and runners on a hilly course, (2) to compare the energy expenditure of off-road cyclists and runners on the same terrain, and (3) to describe changes in energy expenditure over the course of the exercise period. METHODS: Runners and cyclists performed three laps on a 2.75 km gravel course in a single exercise bout. The course was divided into 13 segments differing in grade and length. Position on the course and heart rate were recorded every few seconds. Speed was computed for each course segment on each lap; energy expenditure was estimated using recorded heart rates and exercise-specific maximal oxygen uptake measurements made prior to participation in the study. RESULTS: There were significant relationships between grade and speed for both runners (r = 0.64) and cyclists (r = 0.44). The differences between cyclists and runners were greatest on downhill segments. Energy expenditure rates were not significantly different for runners (71.6% VO2 peak) and cyclists (68.5% VO2 peak). CONCLUSIONS: Off-road cycling and running are comparable in energy demands. Variation in skill levels may account for the increased variability in speed among cyclists on downhill terrain.

Chemometric characterization of soil and plant pollution: Part 1: Multivariate data analysis and geostatistical determination of relationship and spatial structure of inorganic contaminants in soil.

Geostatistical and multivariate methods of data analysis are used to describe patterns of soil pollution with inorganic contaminants in Celje County, Slovenia. Groups of contaminants and polluted sites were identified using cluster analysis and confirmed with multidimensional variance and discriminant analysis. Factor analysis yields an identification of not directly observable relationships between the contaminants. The spatial structure and distribution of contaminants were assessed by applying semivariogram analysis and kriging interpolation method. Zinc, Cd and Cu were identified as a pollutant emitted from the zinc smelter, Pb also from other sources, and Cr and Ni mostly from geological parent material.

[Value of the analysis of pulmonary venous flow in the evaluation of hemodynamics in dialysed patients]. / De l'intérêt de l'analyse du flux veineux pulmonaire dans l'estimation d'un état hémodynamique. Exemple de la dialyse.

The aim of this study was to assess the value of analysis of pulmonary venous flow in the evaluation of the haemodynamic status of patients with chronic renal failure with normal left ventricular function, treated by haemodialysis. Pulmonary venous flow was recorded immediately before and after haemodialysis in 27 patients with chronic renal failure and a mean age of 44 years. Three groups of patients were defined according to the change in mitral E/A ratio: Group I (E/A < 1 before and after dialysis), Group II (E/A > 1 before and < 1 after dialysis) and Group III (E/A > 1 before and after dialysis). There was a significant difference between these subgroups before dialysis with respect to age, S, D, VTI S, Total VTI, VTI S/Total (p < 0.05). However, because the values overlapped, only a VTI S/Total ratio greater than 59% differentiated patients in Group II from those in group III (p < 0.05). After dialysis, the change in S/D and VTI S/Total ratios increased in Groups I and II and decreased in Group III. The authors concluded that 63% of patients without LV dysfunction on haemodialysis have abnormalities of relaxation which are latent in 47% of cases due to increased filling pressures diagnosed by a VTI S/Total ratio > 59% or simply because the patients are over 50 year old.

[The characteristics of third-molar development in children from 2 geographic areas of Croatia]. / Caratteristiche dello sviluppo dei terzi molari in bambini di due zone geografiche della Croazia.

BACKGROUND: The development differences of wisdom teeth in children in two geographical regions of Croatia (Istria and Slavonia) have been studied. METHODS: One thousand orthopantomograms have been analyzed (Istria: 574-280 boys and 294 girls; Slavonia: 426-210 boys and 216 girls); they were carried out in children aged from 6 years and 6 months to 12 years and 6 months, divided into six groups. All of them presented the following criteria: absence of numerical anomalies of permanent teeth (wisdom teeth not included), absence of extraction of permanent teeth and of different syndromes. The development of wisdom teeth was assessed by Gat's method. RESULTS: The development of wisdom teeth begins earlier in Istrian subjects, but in both groups the wisdom tooth crypt appeared also after the 12 years and 6 months. The greatest increase is frequency of wisdom teeth germ in both groups was observed in children aged between 9 or 10 years. Most of Istrian children, compared with those in Slavonia, had wisdom teeth germs. As to jaw differences, it was observed that children in Istria (except the group of those 11 years old) have significantly more wisdom teeth germs in the mandible (p < 0.01). Significant jaw differences were found only in the group of 8-years-old Slavonian children. The differences in presence of wisdom teeth between males and females and sites of each jaw were not found to be significant.