Faster than Virus: The Physics of Pandemic Prediction

P.6.a.007 - Effects of excessive alcohol drinking on metabolic processes in rats’ brain

Understanding human and other animal behaviour: Ethology, welfare and food policy

Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic—Unique Opportunities for Unifying, Revamping and Reshaping Epidemic Preparedness of Europe’s Public Health Systems

The chapter, depending on the systematic review of extant literature and anecdotal evidence, argues for the utilization of proactive or predictive surveillance in health systems in developing societies of the world. It thus makes a case for the deepening and sustenance of health surveillance in health systems. Building on the extant knowledge on health surveillance, the paper recommends strategies towards predictive or proactive surveillance which does not only cover the needs for usable health information today but the needs of the future. In effect, while discussing the typical challenges to health surveillance in these societies, the paper puts forward proactive surveillance as a probable antidote to the menace of future pandemics and epidemics in such societies. Therefore, it argues for an innovative and predictive approach that would be more effective and result-oriented in dealing with the usual uncertainties and unpredictability of epidemics and pandemics in these societies, usually characterized by weak health systems.

Modern pastoral farming has radically transformed the niche where agricultural animals live. Recent trends in husbandry tend to give as much emphasis to economic profit and human convenience, as do a concern for the farmed species. Most of the traditional ways of handling sheep, cattle, goats, horses and pigs, like castration, ear tagging, tail-docking or horse breaking, have been accepted by the public with little concern. Inevitably, as renewed public interest focuses on intensive farming, some questions are directed towards extensive pastoral farming practices, particularly in newly-farmed species like deer. Criteria for the humane care of pastoral animals must he set by consensus. These should include the avoidance of injury, handling animals in the least stressful manner, and meeting the unique needs of each farmed species, This is particularly important at times of critical intervention like the birth of the young, shearing, dipping, milking, yarding and during transport. Several examples of current emotive issues of welfare in pastoral animals are discussed. In general, New Zealand owners of extensive pastoral holdings produce a welfare product which should command a premium in the more affluent overseas markets. Vigilance will he needed to keep it so and in this veterinarians have a key role to play.

The 'Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals' aims to identify whether a chemical is a genotoxic hazard, and these guidelines 'are periodically reviewed in the light of scientific progress, changing regulatory needs and animal welfare considerations'. OECD published a mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test guideline for testing chemicals (1) that proposes: 'Animals are treated with the test chemical once…Samples of peripheral blood are taken at least twice (from the same group of animals), starting not earlier than 36 h after treatment, with appropriate intervals following the first sample, but not extending beyond 72 h'. This guidelines are base on the report by the Collaborative Study Group for the Micronucleus Test (CSGMT), which was based on the sampling of mice peripheral blood every 24 h We investigated the kinetics of micronucleus induction by taking samples prior to administration and every 8 or 10 h after single treatment. The comparisons suggest that 24-h sampling could cause not only an underestimation of the responses to various agents but also a misestimation of the time of maximal induction. We proposed that samples of peripheral blood must be collected at two different times during an optimal 25-h sampling range (from 25 to 50 h). Besides, we hypothesize that the time of maximal EPC-MN induction depends on the time required for the mechanisms involved in micronucleus production; and we suggest that a kinetic analysis of MN-PCE induction by several agents with well-known mechanisms of micronuclei induction would allow derivation of a specific relationship between the kinetics of MN-PCE induction and some process of DNA breaks and/or micronuclei induction.

After satisfying their quantitative and qualitative needs as regards nutrition, consumers in developed countries are becoming more involved in the ethical aspects of food production, especially when it relates to animal products. Social demands for respecting animal welfare in housing systems are increasing rapidly, as is social awareness of human responsibility towards farm animals. Many studies have been conducted on animal welfare measurement in different production systems, but the available information for small ruminants remains insufficient. In this study, a 75 criteria-evaluation tool has been set up on the basis of the five freedoms concept. Animal welfare considerations have been analyzed in 25 documents, including labeling schemes, regulations, and recommendations from different European countries. The results show many differences between regular and organic small ruminant farming standards. Emergency measures are generally lacking. A weak representation of psychological aspects of animal welfare, especially by the current European legislation, is highlighted.

2 - Public Health Preparedness Capabilities

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have been and remain a highly valuable animal model with an essential role in translational research and pharmaceutical drug development. Based on current regulatory guidelines, the nonclinical safety of novel therapeutics should be evaluated in relevant nonclinical species, which commonly includes NHPs for biotherapeutics. Given the practical and ethical limitations on availability and/or use of NHPs and in line with the widely accepted guiding "3Rs" (replace, reduce, and refine) principles, many approaches have been considered to optimize toxicity study designs to meaningfully reduce the number of NHPs used. Standard general toxicity studies usually include four groups of equal size, including one group of vehicle control animals. Here, we describe an approach to achieve an overall significant reduction in control animal use, while also resolving many of the issues that may limit application of fully virtual control animals. We propose in Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)-compliant toxicity studies to maintain concurrent control group animals for the in-life phase of the studies, but to limit euthanasia to a subset of control animals. The nonterminated control animals can then be returned to the facility colony for reuse in subsequent studies. The proposed study design could lead to a 15% to 20% reduction in NHP usage. The scientific, logistical, and animal welfare considerations associated with such an approach and suggested solutions are discussed in detail.

Previous articleNext article FreeHistory, Philosophy, and Ethics of BiologyLaboratory Animal Welfare. American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine Series. Edited by Kathryn Bayne and Patricia V. Turner. Academic Press. Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Boston (Massachusetts): Elsevier. $199.95. xv + 318 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-0-12-385103-1. 2014.Kyha D. WilliamsKyha D. WilliamsLaboratory Animal Resources, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina Search for more articles by this author Laboratory Animal Resources, Duke University, Durham, North CarolinaPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreIn general, this book provides a very organized and detailed review of laboratory animal welfare and associated topics, regulations, and guidelines. The manner in which the chapters are designed and the layout of the print facilitate quick reference and review and enhance the reading experience. Of particular note are Chapters 3 (Regulations, Policies, and Guidelines Impacting Laboratory Animal Welfare), 4 (Animal Welfare Assessment Considerations), 8 (Experimental Design: Reduction and Refinement in Studies Using Animals), 9 (Animal Welfare Considerations in Biomedical Research and Testing), and 10 (Preservation of Animal Welfare During Unforeseen Events). Many concepts by the nature of the subject matter are interconnected, but the volume does include frequent chapters where the information, although presented in a slightly different manner, is redundant. This is particularly true for the overuse of the 3Rs concept across multiple chapters. Some chapters could potentially have been combined to streamline information.Despite that, this book would serve as a valuable resource for any laboratory animal veterinarian and for those preparing for specialty board examinations—i.e., American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) and American College of Animal Welfare (ACAW). The extensive and varied backgrounds of the authors of each chapter are also impressive and provide validity for the text. Further, the breakdown by species (including the five primary as outlined by the ACLAM Role Delineation Document, as well as others) provides many practical applications of the concepts, philosophies, and information presented in the preceding chapters. This further supports the use of this volume as a programmatic reference for facilities and institutions that use animals for biomedical and translational research, teaching, and testing. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 92, Number 1March 2017 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/690843 For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

A Brief History of Public Health Informatics-Lessons for Leaders and a Look Into the Future.

Redefinir nuestra relación con la naturaleza para evitar futuras pandemias

Disbudding, removal of the horn buds, is performed for economic and practical reasons: to prevent bullying and injury to other animals (with implications for productivity and carcass damage, respectively) and human safety during handling. Mitigation of pain associated with the disbudding of calves is necessary to limit the pain-stress response that induces altered behavioural and physiologic states. The most common recommendation in Animal Welfare Guidelines is to disbud calves before they attain 2 months of age. From birth to 2 months of age the horn bud is not attached to the skull, which makes the removal of the horn bud and adjacent cells easier. The objectives of this review are to describe (1) the different methods of disbudding, (2) the pain responses associated with each of those methods and (3) how age and pain mitigation strategies affect those responses.

Chapter 9 - Animal Welfare Considerations in Biomedical Research and Testing

The castration of male cattle is an integral part of routine farm management. The nature and duration of an animal’s response to castration are dependent on a number of factors, including the method employed, the age of animals, the post-castration management, and whether or not pain relief is provided with the procedure. Scientific assessments of the impact of castration on cattle welfare, including pain and injury, stress, inflammation, immune, and production, are the subject of this review. The objectives of this review are to describe (1) the different methods of castration, (2) the pain responses associated with each of those methods, and (3) how age and pain mitigation strategies affect those responses. Research studies are presented that have addressed the challenges imposed by castration procedures on the welfare of cattle based on two main biological events: (1) the changes in biological functions required to cope with the procedure, and (2) the biological consequences to the animals. Indices of animal well-being are described that have objectively demonstrated: (1) the degree of noxiousness that an animal experiences following castration and the success of the coping mechanisms, and (2) the benefit of using pain management in modulating these responses.