scholarly journals Development of a Universal Scale for Validating the Process of Sanitization of Equipment, Materials and Surfaces in the Animal Facility

Author(s):  
A.S. Chernov ◽  
A.N. Minakov ◽  
E.V. Malyavina ◽  
A.S. Elfimov ◽  
G.B. Telegin

Background: Monitoring of sanitization of cage equipment is an essential function of any laboratory animal facilities, seeking to ensure the animal health and welfare. The purpose of the current study was to develop universal scale for monitoring sanitization through detection of residual ATP for the most effective process of sanitizing components of rodents micro- and macro-environment. Methods: Sterile pens and swabs for the HY-LiTE® Luminometer Instrument were used to measure ATP concentration (RLU) on the cleaned surface samples. We have examined the elements of the microenvironment (rodent and rabbit cage, cage wire meshes, feed separating pieces, water bottles with tips, houses, tunnels, IVC cage frames, cage tops and cage wire meshes). The assessed swab area on each of the surfaces was 10×10 cm. Result: We observed, that combined washing (cleaned manually and with automatic universal washers with detergent) gives the lowest RLU values. Monitoring of the quality of sanitization of equipment and surfacescan be carried out without the use of microbiological tests. Use of pre-washing allows increasing the service life of caging equipment. We have developed an assessment scale to monitor sanitizing, which can be recommended to scientific and breeding animal facilities for monitoring sanitization cage equipments.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Asunción Romero Molina

Nowadays, it is unquestionable the importance of the laboratory animal health in research. Improving the microbial quality animal allows to reduce (or eliminate) the negative effects of pathogen agents (not associated with the objective of the study) in the expected experimental results. Health monitoring programs are used as preventive tools in animal facilities, although, in some circumstances many facilities cannot or have problems for establishing appropriate strategies. The present text attempts to bring the reader's interest to the laboratory animal health. A better awareness about this topic will allow a better use of animals in research.


This article presents the results of studying the impact of housing and feeding conditions on broiler chickens of Hubbard RedBro cross, as well as the quality of products obtained when using floor and cage content, in a farm. It established that when receiving a mixed feed of own production using feed raw materials grown on a farm without the use of pesticides, a statistically significant decrease in potentially dangerous substances for animal health is recorded. Compared with factory feed, it has reduced the content of pesticides by 14 times, and mercury and arsenic by 24 times, cadmium by five times, and lead by ten times. The results of the study of economic indicators of growing Hubbard RedBro cross broiler chickens, as well as the chemical composition and quality of carcasses, indicated that there was no significant difference between the floor and cell conditions of keeping. Still, the use of a diet based on eco-feeds contributed to a statistically significant decrease in the concentration of toxic metals in the muscles of the poultry of the experimental groups. As a result, it found that the use of the studied compound feed in the diets of broiler chickens increased the indicators of Biosafety and ensured the production of environmentally safe ("organic") poultry meat products.


Author(s):  
Jacob Brink Jansson ◽  
Ruth Sørensen ◽  
Kirsten Riis

Cathodic protection is a very well-known method of preventing or stopping reinforcement corrosion and thereby extending the service life of reinforced concrete civil structures. However, a number of factors, which among others are design, materials and components, installation methods, quality of workmanship, and operation and maintenance of the cathodic protection system, have influence on the functionality and effectivity of the cathodic protection system. The optimum design that fulfils the Client''s requirements to cost, traffic disruption, service life, etc. shall be determined in accordance with the structure layout and the ability of the Client''s organisation to conduct operation and maintenance. It is critical to ensure that all components are installed properly to achieve the expected service life of the system. Regular and correct operation and maintenance is also crucial to ensure the functionality and effectivity system.


2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 531-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rojane de Oliveira Paiva ◽  
Lucimar Ferreira Kneipp ◽  
Carla Marins Goular ◽  
Mariana Almeida Albuquerque ◽  
Aurea Echevarria

Mycotoxigenic fungi can compromise the quality of food, exposing human and animal health at risk. The antifungal activity of eight thiosemicarbazones (1-8) and nine semicarbazones (9-17) was evaluated against Aspergillus flavus, A. nomius, A. ochraceus, A. parasiticus and Fusarium verticillioides. Thiosemicarbazones had MIC values of 125-500 µg/ml. The thiosemicarbazones 1 and 2 exerted fungistatic activity against Aspergillus spp., and thiosemicarbazone 2 exerted fungicidal activity against F. verticillioides. Compound 2 showed an iron chelating effect of 63%. The ergosterol content of A. parasiticus had a decrease of 28 and 71% for the 31.2 and 62.5 µg/ml concentrations of thiosemicarbazone 2 compared to the control. The obtained results of antifungal activity revealed that thiosemicarbazone class was more active when compared to semicarbazone class and, the thiosemicarbazone 2 was the most active compound, specially, against Aspergillus spp.


2022 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-40
Author(s):  
Mohammed M Dakheel ◽  
Afnan A Al-Mnaser ◽  
Jessica Quijada ◽  
Martin J Woodward ◽  
Caroline Rymer

The antimicrobial effects of diverse tannin-containing plants, particularly condensed tannins (CTs) produced from various plants, are the subject of this study. CT components can be determined using CT-specific procedures such the HCl-Butanol Acetone assay, Thiolysis reaction, and HPLC/MS analysis. These methods indicate CT contents, including mean degree of polymerization, the procyanidins and prodelphinidins ratio (PC/PD%), the isomers of trans- and cis-, and CT concentration. Tannin-containing plants possess antibacterial action, which can be attributed to their protein linkage technique, and tannin-type variations, particularly CTs extract and their PC/PD%. The effects of CT components on the development of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have been documented for their relative PC/PD%; this is regarded to be a key predictor of tannin characteristics in terms of antimicrobials. In conclusion, tannins, more specific CT compositions, have significant impacts on in vivo trials of animal productions and utilization of metabolites and fermentation in vitro experiments. These findings need further investigations to fully understand how CT-types act on animal feeding in terms of enhanced nutritional quality of animal diets, which may have implications for human and animal health.


Author(s):  
G.D. Milne ◽  
R. Shaw ◽  
R. Powell ◽  
B. Pirie ◽  
J. Pirie

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is now well proven on New Zealand dairy farms as a pasture species capable of producing high levels of milk production. Compared with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) it offers benefits of higher annual and summer growth, higher clover contents in pasture, higher green leaf to stem ratios in summer, reduced plant pulling, better animal health, grass grub (Costelytra zealandica) and Argentine stem weevil (Listronotus bonariensis) tolerance, tolerance of wet soils, and drought tolerance and growth. Tall fescue can be recommended for dairy farmers in areas where summer growth and quality of ryegrass is reduced by moisture stress or high temperatures, and for those willing to adjust their grazing and establishment practices to suit tall fescue. Keywords: dairy farms, Festuca arundinacea, tall fescue


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Ratih Larasati ◽  
Lia M. Boediman ◽  
Mita Aswanti

Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-Based approach (DIR/Floortime) is one of the available interventions focused on increasing the quality of caregiver-child interaction. This study is aimed at investigating the effectiveness of DIR/Floortime to increase the ability to sustain attention on a 4 year-old child with Early Onset Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is a qualitative research involving two participants, a boy diagnosed with ADHD, and the mother of the boy. This research utilized observation and interview in gathering the data, accompanying the use of observation log for duration of attention and frequency of distractedness specifically designed for this research, Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS), questionnaire and interview guideline: Observing Child’s Biological Challenge (OCBC), and Sensory Processing – Motor Planning Questionnaire (SPMPQ). The result of this study indicated that the application of DIR/Floortime principles is effective in increasing the ability to sustain attention on a 4 year-old child with Early Onset ADHD, along with the increase of the functional emotional development of both mother and child as shown with the increase of attention span, the decrease of frequency of distractibility, and score increase in the Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS).


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Oki ◽  
Wende Oberg ◽  
Beth Siebert ◽  
Dutch Plante ◽  
Marion L. Walker ◽  
...  

Object Neurological conditions including cerebral palsy, brain injury, and stroke often result in severe spasticity, which can lead to significant deformity and interfere with function. Treatments for spasticity include oral medications, intramuscular botulinum toxin type A injections, orthopedic surgeries, intrathecal baclofen pump implantation, and selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR). Selective dorsal rhizotomy, which has been well studied in children with spastic diplegia, results in significant reduction in spasticity and improved function in children. To the authors' knowledge, there are no published outcome data for SDR in patients with spastic hemiparesis. The object of this study was to examine the effects of SDR on spastic hemiparesis. Methods A 2-year study was undertaken including all children with spastic hemiparesis who underwent SDR at the authors' institution. The degree of spasticity, as measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale or quality of gait rated using the visual gait assessment scale, the gait parameters, and velocity were compared in patients before and after undergoing SDR. Results Thirteen children (mean age 6 years 7 months) with spastic hemiparesis underwent SDR performed by the same surgeon during a 2-year period. All of the patients had a decrease in tone in the affected lower extremity after the procedure. The mean reduction in tone in 4 muscle groups (hip adductors, knee flexors, knee extensors, and ankle plantar flexors) according to the modified Ashworth scale score was 2.6 ± 1.26 (p < 0.0001). The quality of gait was assessed in 7 patients by using the visual gait assessment scale. This score improved in 6 patients and remained the same in 1. Stride length and gait velocity were measured in 4 children. Velocity increased in 3 patients and decreased in a 3-year-old child. Parents and clinicians reported an improvement in quality of gait after the procedure. Stride length increased bilaterally in 3 patients and increased on one side and decreased on the other in the other patient. Conclusions Selective dorsal rhizotomy showed efficacy in the treatment of spastic hemiparesis in children. All of the patients had decreased tone after SDR as measured by the modified Ashworth scale. The majority of patients had qualitative and quantitative improvements in gait.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-260
Author(s):  
Melanie C. Dreher ◽  
Kevin Nugent ◽  
Rebekah Hudgins

Objective. To identify neurobehavioral effects of prenatal marijuana exposure on neonates in rural Jamaica. Design. Ethnographic field studies and standardized neurobehavior assessments during the neonatal period. Setting. Rural Jamaica in heavy-marijuana-using population. Participants. Twenty-four Jamaican neonates exposed to marijuana prenatally and 20 nonexposed neonates. Measurements and main results. Exposed and nonexposed neonates were compared at 3 days and 1 month old, using the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale, including supplementary items to capture possible subtle effects. There were no significant differences between exposed and nonexposed neonates on day 3. At 1 month, the exposed neonates showed better physiological stability and required less examiner facilitation to reach organized states. The neonates of heavy-marijuana-using mothers had better scores on autonomic stability, quality of alertness, irritability, and self-regulation and were judged to be more rewarding for caregivers. Conclusions. The absence of any differences between the exposed on nonexposed groups in the early neonatal period suggest that the better scores of exposed neonates at 1 month are traceable to the cultural positioning and social and economic characteristics of mothers using marijuana that select for the use of marijuana but also promote neonatal development.


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