scholarly journals Short-Term Impact of Point-Source Enrichment on the Behavior of Gestating Sows Housed in Groups

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perle E. Zhitnitskiy ◽  
Claire M. H. A. Terreaux ◽  
Hannah N. Phillips ◽  
Beth A. Ventura

Environmental enrichment is an important strategy to improve the welfare of farm animals. However, relatively little is known about enrichment for gestating sows, especially those raised on farms with slatted floors and for which provision of straw may be difficult. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the short-term (4 d) impact of a point-source enrichment object on the behavior of gestating sows housed in group pens. Four pens of gestating sows on a university research farm were randomly allocated to receive either enrichment or no enrichment (control) in a 2 by 2 crossover design. Time budgets were established by video recording focal sows' behaviors (n = 10 focals per pen) every 15 min between 0800 and 1500 every day. Enrichment use was further characterized by continuous behavior sampling for a 1 h interval between 0830 and 0930 each day. The impact of parity, lameness and presence of stereotypical behavior such as sham chewing on enrichment use was evaluated. Over the course of the study, focal sows spent approximately 73% of observations inactive [either lying down (70%), standing (2%), or sitting (1%)]. Within the remaining observations, sows were most commonly observed sham-chewing (16%), followed by 3% exploring, 2% feeding, 2% walking and 1% interacting with the enrichment when it was available. Low-parity sows, moderately-lame sows, and sows observed sham chewing at baseline displayed more consistent enrichment use over the course of the study (p = 0.02, p < 0.01, p = 0.04, respectively). While no adverse behavioral effects (increased agonism or sham chewing) due to provision or removal of the enrichment object were observed and while 85% of sows were observed to interact with enrichment at least once, interest declined sharply after the first day. We conclude that further research is needed to identify effective and sustainable enrichment strategies for gestating sows.

Author(s):  
Kassidy O'Malley ◽  
Patrick McNamara ◽  
Walter McDonald

Abstract The global spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) concomitant with a decrease in antibiotic effectiveness is a major public health issue. While research has demonstrated the impact of various urban sources, such as WWTP effluent, stormwater runoff, and industrial discharge on ARG abundance in receiving waters, the impact of short-term gatherings such as state fairs is not comprehensively understood. The objective of this research was to explore the impact of a 2-week Wisconsin State Fair gathering – over 1.1 million visitors and 7,100 farm animals – on the abundance of the ARG blaTEM, the integrase of the class 1 integron (intI1, a marker for horizontal gene transfer), and the 16S rRNA gene, a marker for total biomass, in an urban stream receiving runoff from the state fair. Stream samples downstream of the state fair were taken before and after the event and quantified via a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction. The absolute abundance of all genes was significantly higher (p<0.05) following the event. This research showcases the prevalence and persistence of ARG contamination in an urban stream before and after a state fair gathering, suggesting that short-term events can be a significant source of ARGs into the environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 3445
Author(s):  
Łukasz Kuźma ◽  
Emil Julian Dąbrowski ◽  
Anna Kurasz ◽  
Hanna Bachórzewska-Gajewska ◽  
Sławomir Dobrzycki

The detrimental influence of air pollution on mortality has been established in a series of studies. The majority of them were conducted in large, highly polluted cities—there is a lack of studies from small, relatively clean regions. The aim was to analyze the short-term impact of particulate matters (PMs) on mortality in north-eastern Poland. Time-stratified case-crossover design was performed for mortality in years 2008–2017. Daily concentrations of PM2.5 (28.4 µg/m3, interquartile range (IQR) = 25.2) vs. (12.6 µg/m3, IQR = 9.0) and PM10 (29.0 µg/m3, IQR = 18.0) vs. (21.7 µg/m3, IQR = 14.5) were higher in Łomża than Suwałki (p < 0.001). Impact of PM2.5 on mortality was recorded in Łomża (odds ratio (OR) for IQR increase 1.061, 1.017–1.105, p = 0.06, lag 0) and Suwałki (OR for IQR increase 1.044, 1.001–1.089, p = 0.004, lag 0). PM10 had an impact on mortality in Łomża (OR for IQR increase 1.028, 1.000–1.058, p = 0.049, lag 1). Cardiovascular mortality was affected by increase of PM2.5 in Łomża (1.086, 1.020–1.156, p = 0.01) and Suwałki (1.085, 1.005–1.171, p = 0.04). PM2.5 had an influence on respiratory mortality in Łomża (1.163, 1.021–1.380, p = 0.03, lag 1). In the whole studied region, despite differences in the air quality, the influence of PMs on mortality was observed.


Author(s):  
Jim Tanoos

Traditional Study Abroad (SA) programs offered by universities have a profound impact on the cultural awareness and adaptability of students who participate in these experiences. However, recently increased opportunities to engage in short-term SA experiences have prompted shifts in the planning and structuring of these trips to achieve the most impact on student development. SA’s are particularly valuable for Americans due to the relative lack of global traveling by American students compared to students from other countries. Not coincidentally, the likelihood of an American failing in a future expatriate assignment is also comparatively high versus additional nationalities, although millennial Americans are more likely than any other group to receive such a position. This makes prior intercultural experiences through activities such as SAs all the more important to this generation of Americans as a steppingstone to their careers. This study will analyze the impact of two different styles and structures of trip tours and excursions on American SA students during a short-term experience.


Author(s):  
Florian Arendt

A test was done to see if reading a newspaper which consistently overrepresents foreigners as criminals strengthens the automatic association between foreign country and criminal in memory (i.e., implicit cultivation). Further, an investigation was done to find out if reading articles from the same newspaper produces a short-term effect on the same measure and if (1) emotionalization of the newspaper texts, (2) emotional reactions of the reader (indicated by arousal), and (3) attributed text credibility moderate the short-term treatment effect. Eighty-five participants were assigned to one of three experimental conditions. Participants in the control group received short factual crime texts, where the nationality of the offender was not mentioned. Participants in the factual treatment group received the same texts, but the foreign nationality was mentioned. Participants in the emotionalized treatment group received emotionalized articles (i.e., texts which are high in vividness and frequency) covering the same crimes, with the foreign nationality mentioned. Supporting empirical evidence for implicit cultivation and a short-term effect was found. However, only emotionalized articles produced a short-term effect on the strength of the automatic association, indicating that newspaper texts must have a minimum of stimulus intensity to overcome an effect threshold. There were no moderating effects of arousal or credibility pertaining to the impact on the implicit measure. However, credibility moderated the short-term effect on a first-order judgment (i.e., estimated frequency of foreigners of all criminals). This indicates that a newspaper’s effect on the strength of automatic associations is relatively independent from processes of propositional reasoning.


Author(s):  
Irina A. Prushkovskaya ◽  
Ira B. Tsoy

The study of diatoms in the sediments of the Amur Bay (Sea of Japan), formed over the last 2000 years, showed that the sharp short-term drops in the concentration of diatoms coincide with the minima of bromine content, which can be explained by the influence of typhoons or other catastrophic events leading to floods and used later in paleoreconstructions.


2020 ◽  
pp. 15-18
Author(s):  
Inna R. Kilmetova ◽  
◽  
Igor A. Rodin ◽  
Nazira I. Khayrullina ◽  
Nikolay G. Fenchenko ◽  
...  

Summary. The disbalanced feeding and the uneven distribution of micro- and macroelements in the environment leads to a trace element, in particular hypomelanosis. To accelerate the growth and preservation of young farm animals include in the diet of various biological additives and drugs, which include selenium. For stimulation of weight gain in the livestock industry, as well as for the prevention and treatment of pathological processes in addition to micro - and macrouse amino acids, primarily methionine. The aim of this work was to study the influence of composition of DAFS-25+Polizon on morpho-biochemical parameters of blood and functional state of the liver in fattening bulls of black-motley breed in the conditions of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Experiments using were conducted on bull-calves of black-motley breed of the properties in the properties age from 6 to 15 months. The first experimental group during the experiment was additionally given the composition of DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg, the animals of the control group received a standard diet. To assess the impact of the composition DAFS-25+Polizon on metabolism cattle studied morphological and biochemical indicators of blood and conducted histological examination of the liver. It is established that the use of the composition of DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg increases the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the experimental group and reduces the amount of white blood cells. The serum content of total protein, phosphorus and calcium increases in the group of experimental animals. Microscopic examination of the liver revealed no changes in the structure of the organ and hepatocytes in the experimental group, whereas in the control group hemodynamic disorders and dystrophic changes in liver cells were observed. Thus, the use of the composition DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg of live weight in fattening bulls black-and-white breed contributes to the increase of redox processes in the body, stimulation of metabolism, prevent the development of liver disorders of cellular mechanisms of metabolism, optimizes the structure of the liver, which generally provides higher productivity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masruchin Masruchin

Corporate Social Responsibilityis a concept that a company has various forms of responsibility to all stakeholders including consumers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of the company's operations that include economic, social, and environmental aspects. Therefore CSR is closely related to "sustainable development", in which a company, in carrying out its activities must base its decisions not only on the impact on economic aspects, such as the level of profits or dividends (profits), but also must consider the social and environmental impacts that arise from that decision, both for the short term and the longer term.Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor (PMDG), in managing its Productive Waqf by establishing business units which mostly involve workers from the local society around PMDG. They are employed according to their skills. This is a form of implementing CSR in order to help advance and improve the welfare of the local society. The existence of these various business units is one of the educational facilities and as a form of CSR application which is actually intended to educate in the fields of independence, entrepreneurship, sincerity and sacrifice.PMDG involvement in social activities that are useful for the local society such as infrastructure development and village facilities, regeneration of students who are from around PMDG to be able to get higher education with funding from the PMDG, doing guidance to the local society through various religious activities, educational and economic activities is a form of PMDG responsibility to the local society environment and also to all stakeholders such as students, Ustadz, employees, so as to provide social and environmental impacts for the short term and the longer term.Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibilityandproductive waqf.


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