Diversity, not uniformity: slaughter and electrical waterbath stunning procedures in Belgian slaughterhouses.

Data on slaughter and stunning protocols in Belgian poultry abattoirs were collected, and subsequently the survival rate after electrical waterbath stunning in 1,400 animals across 7 selected slaughterhouses was determined. The majority of the abattoirs applied electrical waterbath stunning (72%), whereas the other methods were gas stunning (13%), head-only stunning (6%), and dry stunning (3%). In 6% of the slaughterhouses, the birds were killed without previous stunning, according to religious rites (i.e., ritual or religious slaughter). Although religious slaughter occurred in a substantial number of abattoirs, the customers of the majority of them allowed stunning, provided the animals were not killed by the stunning procedure. Substantial variation both in electrical waterbath devices and technical settings (electrical current type, wave type, voltage, frequency) combinations was observed. These settings did not only differ between slaughterhouses, but also between subsequent visits to the same slaughterhouse. Despite this variation, all systems comprised a constant voltage, multiple bird stunner. The minimum average electrical current that every chicken should receive at a certain frequency, as stated by the European Regulation No 1099/2009, was not achieved for each animal monitored due to the bird's characteristics and the different applied stunning settings, with the exception of all ISA laying hens and broiler breeders in one particular slaughterhouse. The survival rate ranged from 96.0 to 100%, 97.0 to 100%, 68.0%, 72.0 to 85.1%, and 5.6 to 52.4% in 5-wk-old broilers, 6-wk-old broilers, LSL laying hens, ISA laying hens, and broiler breeders, respectively. Monitoring of unconsciousness after passing through the waterbath was not always performed and when it was, there was no uniformity in the applied criteria. It was concluded that a large variation in slaughter and stunning practices exists among slaughterhouses in Belgium. Further research should explore the effect of the different settings on inducing a successful stun and on carcass quality, and assess if the observed variation also exists in other EU member states.

Virological and Social Outcomes of HIV-Infected Adolescents and Young Adults in The Netherlands Before and After Transition to Adult Care.

BACKGROUND: As a result of effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and advanced supportive healthcare, a growing number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children survive into adulthood. The period of transition to adult care is often associated with impaired adherence to treatment and discontinuity of care. We aimed to evaluate virological and social outcomes of HIV-infected adolescents and young adults (AYAs) before and after transition, and explore which factors are associated with virological failure. METHODS: We included 59 HIV-infected AYAs from the Netherlands who had entered into pediatric care and transitioned from pediatric to adult healthcare. We used HIV RNA load and cART data from the Dutch Stichting HIV Monitoring database (1996-2014), and collected social and treatment data from patients' medical records from all Dutch pediatric HIV treatment centers and 14 Dutch adult treatment centers involved. We evaluated risk factors for virological failure (VF) in a logistic regression model adjusted for repeated measurements. RESULTS: HIV VF occurred frequently during the study period (14%-36%). During the transition period (from 18 to 19 years of age) there was a significant increase in VF compared with the reference group of children aged 12-13 years (odds ratio, 4.26 [95% confidence interval, 1.12-16.28]; P = .03). Characteristics significantly associated with VF were low educational attainment and lack of autonomy regarding medication adherence at transition. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-infected AYAs are vulnerable to VF, especially during the transition period. Identification of HIV-infected adolescents at high risk for VF might help to improve treatment success in this group.

Level of energy restriction alters body condition score and morphometric profile in obese Shetland ponies.

Due to the high prevalence of obesity in some horses and ponies (especially in the leisure horse sector), effective and safe weight loss strategies are required. The present study evaluated the effect of two different energy restriction rates on physical, morphometric and welfare parameters in 18 obese (body condition score [BCS] 7-9/9) Shetland geldings. The trial was divided into three periods: (1) a 4 week adaptation period, during which the maintenance energy intakes to maintain a stable obese bodyweight were determined (100% MERob); (2) a 16.5-week weight loss period during which the ponies were randomly divided into three groups (n = 6/group) comprising a control group (CONTROL), moderate energy restricted (MOD), and severe energy restricted (SEV) groups that were respectively fed at 100%, 80% and 60% of their individual MERob; and (3) a 3 week follow up period in which the ponies were again fed at their outset individual 100% MERob. Between the start and end of the weight loss period, significant pairwise differences between the three treatment groups were seen for bodyweight, BCS, heart girth, belly girth, and relative ultrasound fat depth at the level of loin and ribs at several time points (P < 0.05). The higher energy restriction was associated with a faster decrease in BCS, tail head, and heart plus belly girth, but no gastric ulcers or stereotypic behaviours were seen.

Effect of summer conditions and shade on the production and metabolism of Holstein dairy cows on pasture in temperate climate.

For dairy cattle on pasture in temperate regions, it is largely unknown to what degree hot summer conditions impact energy metabolism, milk yield and milk composition and how effective shade is in reducing these negative effects. During the summer of 2012, a herd of Holstein cows was kept on pasture without access to shade (treatment NS). During the summers of 2011 and 2013, the herd was divided into a group with (treatment S) and a group without (treatment NS) access to shade. Shade was provided by young trees combined with shade cloths (80% reduction in solar radiation). A weather station registered the local climatic conditions on open pasture, from which we calculated daily average Heat Load Index (HLI) values. The effects of HLI and shade on rectal temperature (RT), blood plasma indicators of hyperventilation and metabolic changes due to heat stress, milk yield and milk composition were investigated. RT increased with increasing HLI, but was less for S cows than for NS cows (by 0.02°C and 0.03°C increase per unit increase of HLI, respectively). Hyperchloraemia (an increased blood plasma concentration of Cl-), a sign of hyperventilation, increased for NS cows but not for S cows. The plasma concentration of alkaline phosphatase, a regulator of energy metabolism in the liver, decreased with increasing HLI for NS cows only. Access to shade, thus, reduced the effect of HLI on RT, hyperchloraemia and the regulation of metabolism by the liver. As HLI increased, the plasma concentration of cholesterol decreased (indicating increased lipolysis) and the plasma concentration of creatinine increased (indicating increased protein catabolism). These effects did not differ between S and NS cows. For NS cows, after a lag-time of 2 days, the milk yield decreased with increasing HLI. For S cows, the milk yield was unaffected by HLI and its quadratic factor. The milk concentrations of lactose, protein and fat decreased as HLI increased, but only the effect on milk protein content was remediated by shade. In conclusion, access to shade tempered the negative effects of high HLI on RT, hyperchloraemia and a blood plasma indicator of changing energy metabolism (generally) as well as prevented the decrease in milk yield observed in cows without access to shade.

Effect of summer conditions and shade on behavioural indicators of thermal discomfort in Holstein dairy and Belgian Blue beef cattle on pasture.

Using behavioural indicators of thermal discomfort, that is, shade seeking, panting scores (PS) and respiration rate (RR), we evaluated the effect of hot summer conditions and shade, for a herd of adult Holstein dairy cows and a herd of Belgian Blue beef cows kept on pasture in a temperate area (Belgium). During the summer of 2012, both herds were kept on pasture without access to shade (NS). During the summers of 2011 and 2013 each herd was divided into one group with (S) and one without (NS) access to shade. Shade was provided by young trees with shade cloth (80% reduction in solar radiation) hung between them. For S cows, we investigated how shade use was related to hot conditions as quantified by six climatic indices. The heat load index (HLI), which incorporates air temperature and humidity, solar radiation and wind speed, was the best predictor of the six indices tested. In 2011, there was a relatively high threshold for use of shade. When HLI=90, shade use probability reached 17% for dairy cows and 27% for beef cows. In 2013, however, at HLI=90, shade use probability reached 48% for dairy cows and 41% for beef cows. For animals from the NS treatment we determined the effect of hot summer conditions on RR and PS (with 0=no panting and 4.5=extreme panting). In both types of cattle, an increase in black globe temperature was the best predictor for increasing RR and PS. Furthermore, we determined how the effect of hot summer conditions on RR and PS was affected by the use of shade. Under hot conditions (black globe temperature ⩾ 30°C), >50% of the animals under shade retained normal PS and RR (PS<1 and RR<90 breaths per minute), whereas normal RR and PS were significantly less prevalent for animals outside shade. Our findings suggest that, even in temperate summers, heat can induce thermal discomfort in cattle, as evidenced by increases in shade use, RR and PS, and that shade increases thermal comfort.

Discerning pig screams in production environments.

Pig vocalisations convey information about their current state of health and welfare. Continuously monitoring these vocalisations can provide useful information for the farmer. For instance, pig screams can indicate stressful situations. When monitoring screams, other sounds can interfere with scream detection. Therefore, identifying screams from other sounds is essential. The objective of this study was to understand which sound features define a scream. Therefore, a method to detect screams based on sound features with physical meaning and explicit rules was developed. To achieve this, 7 hours of labelled data from 24 pigs was used. The developed detection method attained 72% sensitivity, 91% specificity and 83% precision. As a result, the detection method showed that screams contain the following features discerning them from other sounds: a formant structure, adequate power, high frequency content, sufficient variability and duration.

Relationship between age at gonadectomy and health problems in kittens adopted from shelters.

Prepubertal gonadectomy (PPG) is promoted as a way of managing overpopulation in cats, but concerns about PPG and potential health issues still exist. The objective of the present study was to evaluate short-term and long-term health problems in cats subjected to PPG in comparison to gonadectomy at traditional age (TAG). In a prospective clinical trial, 800 shelter kittens aged between approximately 8 weeks and 12 weeks were recruited before adoption and randomly assigned to either the PPG group (gonadectomy performed immediately) or the TAG group (gonadectomy delayed until six months to eight months of age). Short-term health issues included mortality between when kittens arrived at the clinic and up to seven days after they returned to the shelter, as well as the occurrence of various other health issues arising in the first month following adoption. Kittens were followed-up until 24 months of age specifically for feline lower urinary tract disease, urethral obstruction (male cats), lameness, fractures and hypersensitivity disorders with dermatological presentation. In the short term, there were no significant differences between health problems in PPG and TAG kittens. Similarly, no significant differences were observed between treatment groups in terms of the type or number of health issues in the long term. In conclusion, there are no health-related contraindications to advocating PPG strategies in shelter cats. Ideally, PPG should be performed at the shelter facility itself as long as excellent infectious disease control and postoperative clinical observation before adoption are guaranteed.

Different stressors elicit different responses in the salivary biomarkers cortisol, haptoglobin, and chromogranin A in pigs.

Most commonly, salivary cortisol is used in pig stress assessment, alternative salivary biomarkers are scarcely studied. Here, salivary cortisol and two alternative salivary biomarkers, haptoglobin and chromogranin A were measured in a pig stress study. Treatment pigs (n = 24) were exposed to mixing and feed deprivation, in two trials, and compared to untreated controls (n = 24). Haptoglobin differed for feed deprivation vs control. Other differences were only found within treatment. Treatment pigs had higher salivary cortisol concentrations on the mixing day (P < 0.05). Chromogranin A concentrations were increased on the day of refeeding (P < 0.05). Haptoglobin showed a similar pattern to chromogranin A. Overall correlations between the salivary biomarkers were positive. Cortisol and chromogranin A were moderately correlated (r = 0.49, P < 0.0001), correlations between other markers were weaker. The present results indicate that different types of stressors elicited different physiological stress responses in the pigs, and therefore including various salivary biomarkers in stress evaluation seems useful.

Prepubertal gonadectomy in cats: different surgical techniques and comparison with gonadectomy at traditional age.

Feasibility, surgical time and complications of different surgical techniques for prepubertal gonadectomy (PPG; 8-12 weeks of age) in cats were studied and compared to gonadectomy at traditional age (TAG; 6-8 months of age). Kittens were randomly assigned to PPG or TAG. Ovarian pedicle haemostasis for PPG was achieved by ligatures (n=47), vascular clips (n=50), bipolar electrocoagulation (n=50), or pedicle tie (n=50); for TAG (n=34) ligatures were used. In male cats, PPG consisted of closed castration by spermatic cord knot (n=92) or ligature (n=91) while TAG (n=34) was an open castration by spermatic cord knot. A linear (surgical time) and a logistic regression (complications) model were designed. Significance was set at 0.05. For female PPG, clips and coagulation were the fastest procedures; placement of ligatures was most time-consuming. In male PPG, knot placement was significantly faster than ligation. In both sexes, very few intraoperative or wound complications were observed, irrespective of the surgical technique used. Surgical times in females (ligatures) as well as in males (knot) were significantly shorter for PPG than for TAG. PPG was as safe as TAG, yet took less time to perform and did not result in a greater rate of postoperative complications.

[Detection of anti-DNA antibodies for the diagnosis of disseminated lupus erythematosus. Comparative study of immunoenzyme methods and a Farr test]. / Détection des anticorps anti-ADN natif pour le diagnostic du lupus érythémateux disséminé. Etude comparative des méthodes immunoenzymatiques et d'un test de Farr.

Among the biological assays used for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, the detection of anti-double strand DNA (dsDNA) antibodies is highly specific, especially at a high level. Different methods are using for the detection of this specificity, particularly enzyme-based immunoassay (EIA) kits that become widespread in autoimmunity because of several advantages like standardization, simple use and automation. We selected 80 sera in order to evaluate six commercial anti-dsDNA EIA kits and a Farr assay. The results were compared with clinical data, to appreciate both the sensitivity and the specificity of each method. EIA assays are highly sensitive, but are less specific than the Farr assay. These EIA methods should remain organized in an integrative biological step, following an evocative clinical examination. Moreover, the EIA results require confirmations with a more specific assay.

Efficiency optimization of the selection period in therapeutic trials.

To determine eligibility for a (randomized) clinical trial, measuring the inclusion and exclusion criteria can be extended over a period of time. During this period, known as the selection period, a patient is repeatedly examined at certain time intervals. This study describes an approach for optimizing the efficiency of the selection period. Efficiency is defined as the costs of randomizing one patient. The objective is to construct prediction models based on data obtained early in the selection period to predict subsequent exclusions. A prediction model increases the efficiency if after its application the costs per randomization are lower. The approach is illustrated using data from the selection period of the Rotterdam Cardiovascular Risk Intervention (ROCARI) trial which was composed of five consecutive patient visits. At each visit, data to determine eligibility was obtained. We found that logistic regression models based on data of the first and second visit could predict exclusions during the third visit. Application of the prediction models suggested that in this particular trial the costs per randomization would decrease by $52. As the initial costs per randomization were $1444, there would be a 3.6% (52/1444) savings in recruitment costs under the prediction models, accounting for a savings of more than $450,000. We conclude that the use of data obtained early in a selection period can predict subsequent exclusions, and therefore could increase the efficiency of such a period. The approach could be applied to data obtained in a pilot study as well as data obtained in the beginning of a prolonged intake period.