Absence Of Animals Research Articles

Evaluation of Actual Ventilation Rates and Efficiency in Research-Scale Pig Houses Based on Ventilation Configurations.

Accurate ventilation control is crucial for maintaining a healthy and productive environment in research-specialized pig facilities. This study aimed to evaluate actual ventilation rates and ventilation efficiency by investigating different inlet and exhaust configurations. The research was conducted in two pig rooms, namely pig room A and pig room B, in the absence of animals and workers to focus solely on evaluating the ventilation system's performance. Actual ventilation rates were measured using hood-type anemometers, and the local air change per hour was analyzed at various measurement points via tracer gas decay experiments. The results demonstrated that specific inlet and exhaust combinations, such as side inlet/chimney outlet and ceiling inlet/side outlet, exhibited higher ventilation rates. However, the measured ventilation rates were much lower than the manufacturer's specifications. The side exhaust fan closer to the pig activity space demonstrated better ventilation effectiveness for the animals than the chimney exhaust fan. Additionally, the ceiling inlet exhibited superior air distribution and uniformity. Lower ventilation rates and higher infiltration ratios resulted in reduced ventilation efficiency, with the difference between pig and worker activity spaces being pronounced. This study emphasizes the importance of selecting optimal inlet and exhaust configurations to achieve efficient ventilation and create a healthy environment for both pigs and workers.

The Absence of Animals in Kafka's Fiction

Abstract:

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНАЯ БАКТЕРИЦИДНАЯ И ДЕЗИНФИЦИРУЮЩАЯ АКТИВНОСТЬ ПРЕПАРАТОВ «АНОЛИТ АНК СУПЕР» И «АНОЛИТ АНК СУПЕР + ЧАС»

A comparative analysis of the bactericidal and disinfecting activity of two drugs «Anolyte ANK Super + CHAS» and «Anolyte ANK Super» was carried out in laboratory conditions. The consumption of disinfectants and the duration of treatment were also taken into account. It was found that the new disinfectant «Anolyte ANK Super + CHAS» has high bactericidal activity against gram-negative microorganisms (E. coli, pc. 1257) and disinfecting activity against gram-positive (S. aureus, pc. 209-P) bacteria. Disinfection of test objects contaminated with gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria occurs with a consumption of the drug «Anolyte ANK Super + CHAS» of 25...27 ml/m3 (volume aerosols) and an exposure of 3...6 hours (depending on the type of microorganism and test object). The disinfectant activity of the anolyte «Anolyte ANK Super + CHAS» is less pronounced than that of the disinfectant «Anolyte ANK Super». The drug «Anolyte ANK Super» was studied earlier: it has pronounced bactericidal and disinfectant activity against pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms (E. coli, pcs. 1257, disinfected with targeted aerosols in 3 hours at a flow rate of 150 ml/m2), low corrosive activity and toxicity. «Anolyte ANK Super» is used for disinfection of objects of veterinary supervision in the absence of animals.

Calls for Conservation: A Review of Bioacoustics Monitoring with Case Studies from India

With recent technological advances and greater accessibility of equipment, bioacoustics monitoring has emerged as a valuable method that utilises biologically-produced acoustic signals to gather information on the presence and absence of animals, as well as their behavioural and ecological features. A wide range of microphones and recorders can be employed to collect acoustical data, allowing for the selection of equipment suitable for the specifics of the study. Data analyses can be conducted using software packages that facilitate visualisation of acoustic emissions. This essay provides an overview of the methods involved in bioacoustics monitoring, followed by advantages, disadvantages, and ethical considerations illustrated through examples of its application to collect data on a wide range of species from varied habitats in India. The case studies reveal that bioacoustics monitoring can be applied to a wide range of studies owing to its passive, non-invasive and increasingly inexpensive methods. As the field is at its nascent stage, it suffers from drawbacks arising from the limited expertise and availability of baseline data, because of which it has not been deployed extensively. Despite this, it holds potential as an emerging tool that can significantly advance the field of conservation research.

Морфологическая характеристика лошадей из памятников пазырыкской культуры Северо-Западного Алтая

The results of morphological examination of horse remains from the Pazyryk burials the North-Western Altai indicate a high similarity of buried animals in the height at the withers, size and proportions of their bones. Only stallions were buried in the Khankarinsky Dol, Inskoy Dol and Chineta-II burial mounds. Horses from these mounds were morphologically similar to the horses from other Pazyryk burials. The distinctive features of the Pazyryk burials in North-Western Altai are the higher proportion of young horses in the burials and the absence of animals which are above 144 cm at the withers. However, Pazyryk horses from Khankarinsky Dol, Inskoy Dol and Chineta-II burial mounds differ significantly in the size and proportions of the bones from horses which belonged to the previous Arzhano-Mayemir period of the Sayan region and the Bulan-Koby culture of the Xiongnu-Xianbei-Rouran period of the Altai. The morphological differences illustrate local characteristics of animals in the past times.

Predicting ammonia volatilization from fertilized pastures used for grazing

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization from fertilised agricultural soils is driven by complex interactions between edaphic, climatic and plant canopy factors that can be difficult to measure or predict. We developed a simplified approach using default parameters in the DairyMod model to predict daily NH3 volatilization from urea applied to grazed dairy pastures. Several published datasets were used to validate the reliability of the model to reproduce key related soil processes in a whole farming systems framework. For the sites where monitoring for the experimental duration occurred, DairyMod simulated the main features of the observed NH3 emissions, with an overall predicted median of 4.1 kg/ha or 7% of applied N, compared to the measured median of 6.1 kg/ha for 12% of applied N fertilizer. There was an overall root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.9 kg NH3N/ha/d and an overall mean prediction error (MPE) of 0.5 kg NH3N /ha/d. However, there was high uncertainty in several of the datasets used which made it difficult to be conclusive about the validation. The simulation accuracy was improved using daily wind speed (collected on-site in field campaigns) as input to the evapotranspiration calculations. In cases of high certainty in the volatilization data, it was concluded that the model was useful for the analysis of N cycling in situations used for dairy farming without the need for a more complex mechanistic method with difficult-to-obtain parameters. DairyMod presents a simple but readily reproducible prediction of NH3 volatilization from urea application on pasture in intensive livestock farming systems compatible with the certainty of the model inputs and scale of model application. However, the collective understanding of NH3 volatilization in pasture based dairy systems is currently based on a limited number of often uncertain, short term plot studies in the absence of animals.

(en)CANTO ESCONDIDO

Este artigo resulta da reflexão sobre a construção da obra “(en)CANTO ESCONDIDO”, uma escultura/instalação que intervém in situ captando as relações dinâmicas entre materiais, paisagem e habitats de Coruche, em Portugal. O projeto apela às relações permeáveis entre natureza e cultura. O fluxo de presença/ausência dos animais que visitaram a escultura eram parte integrante da lógica da instalação. A obra pretendeu potenciar relações de observação dinâmicas em que o observador se tornava observado, constatando a sua evidente parte na natureza. “(en)CANTO ESCONDIDO” é simultaneamente um modelo de observatório urbano das migrações (insetos e pássaros) e uma construção arquitetural que invoca relações de convivência e partilha interespécie/intergeracional que incitam a interação e a descoberta de novas relações. A instalação pretendeu levar os observadores a um espaço de imersão, onde a realidade da natureza circundante se funde nas memórias e ficções de cada visitante. Foi uma experiência de partilha e um exercício estético e de reflexão sobre a sustentabilidade na nossa prática que se tornou uma experiência comunitária de partilha com imenso potencial narrativo e reflexivo.

Epizootic situation with bovine leukemia in the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation in 2012–2016

Leukemia is a chronic infectious viral disease of a tumor nature. The disease is widespread in different countries of the world and is relevant for most regions of the Russian Federation. The purpose of the work is to study the epizootic situation of leukemia in cattle in livestock farms of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation. A complex epizootological method and evidence-based epizootology methods were used in the work. Objects of research are dysfunctional points, sick cattle. The paper presents a comparative analysis of the epizootic situation for the period 2012–2016. In the analyzed period, a total of 470 dysfunctional points for leukemia were identified, which amounted to 29.59 % of the total number of dysfunctional points in the Russian Federation and 62908 animals with leukemia were registered, which amounted to 36.90 % of the total number of diseased animals in Russia. Despite the decrease in the number of cattle infected with leukemia in five subjects, and the absence of animals that died from leukemia in all 18 subjects of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation during 2012–2016, the epizootic situation of leukemia in the whole region remains quite tense, which is explained by the failure to comply with the basic requirements of the state veterinary service regarding sanitary anti-leukemia measures, according to the “Rules for the Prevention and Control of Leukemia of Large R gatogo cattle “ (1999.).

Synthesis of 3-indolylmethyl substituted (pyrazolo/benzo)triazinone derivatives under Pd/Cu-catalysis: Identification of potent inhibitors of chorismate mutase (CM)

The chorismate mutase (CM) is considered as an attractive target for the identification of potential antitubercular agents due to its absence in animals but not in bacteria. A series of 3-indolylmethyl substituted pyrazolotriazinone derivatives were designed and docked into CM in silico as potential inhibitors. These compounds were efficiently synthesized using the Pd/Cu-catalyzed coupling-cyclization in a single pot involving the construction of indole ring. The methodology was later extended to the preparation of corresponding benzo analogs of pyrazolotriazinones i.e. 3-indolylmethyl substituted benzotriazinone derivatives. Several of these novel compounds showed significant inhibition of CM when tested in vitro at 30 µM. The SAR (Structure-Activity-Relationship) studies suggested that benzotriazinone moiety was more favorable over the pyrazolotriazinone ring. The two best active compounds showed IC50 ∼ 0.4–0.9 µM (better than the reference/known compounds used) and no toxicity till 30 µM in vitro.

Biochemical characterization and mutational analysis of alanine racemase from Clostridium perfringens

Clostridium perfringens is a gram-positive, anaerobic, pathogenic bacterium that can cause a wide range of diseases in humans, poultry and agriculturally important livestock. A pyridoxal-5-phosphate-dependent alanine racemase with a function in the racemization of d- and l-alanine is an attractive drug target for C.perfringens and other pathogens due to its absence in animals and humans. In this study alanine racemase from C.perfringens (CPAlr) was successfully expressed and purified in Escherichia coli and biochemically characterized. The purified CPAlr protein was a dimeric PLP-dependent enzyme with high substrate specificity. The optimal racemization temperature and pH were 40°C and 8.0, respectively. The kinetic parameters Km and kcat of CPAlr, determined by HPLC at 40°C were 19.1mM and 17.2s-1 for l-alanine, and 10.5mM and 8.7s-1 for d-alanine, respectively. Gel filtration chromatographic analysis showed that the molecular weight of mutant Y359A was close to monomeric form, suggesting that the inner layer residue Tyr359 might play an essential role in dimer-formation. Furthermore, the mutation at residues Asp171 and Tyr359 resulted in a dramatic increase in Km value and/or decreased in kcat value, indicating that the middle and inner layer residues Asp171 and Tyr359 of CPAlr might have the key role in substrate binding, catalytic activity or oligomerization state through the hydrogen-bonding interaction with the pentagonal ring waters and/or PLP cofactor.

Evaluation of the cleansing and disinfection protocol of pig-breeding premises contaminated by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus

The results of the determination of the efficiency of the cleaning and disinfection protocol of pig farms contaminated by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus are presented in this study. The research was conducted in the Scientific Research Center of Biosafety and Environmental Control AIC of the Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University. The experimental part was carried out on the basis of a permanently infected pig breeding farm of the southern region of Ukraine. In order to determine the critical points, a selection of samples of washings/scraps from the surfaces of the pig farm’s premises and the objects of the environment was carried out before cleaning and disinfection and after 1 and 2 premises’ sanitation. A total of 204 tests were analyzed. Disinfection of the territory of pig farms and livestock premises was carried out in accordance with generally accepted methods. Before disinfection, a thorough mechanical cleaning of livestock premises was carried out, with subsequent irrigation of all surfaces with cold tap water. Disinfection of premises and the territory of the pig complex was carried out by the wet cleaning of surfaces with a solution of disinfectant based on glutaraldehyde after preparatory operations in the absence of animals. After disinfection the premises were additionally processed with Ca(OH)2 solution. Washes were obtained with a sterile swab from a surface of 10.0 cm2 by inserting a swab into a test tube with a sterile physiological solution. Scraps from the surfaces were obtained with a disposable sterile blades from the scalpel. The obtained material was placed in disposable sterile plastic 1.5–2.0 cm3 test tubes. The study of the presence of the PEDV was performed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction with the previous reverse transcription of RNA. It was established that the causative agent of PED in a permanently infected farm contaminates most of the production and auxiliary premises and objects of the environment. The one-time cleaning and disinfection protocol does not allow free the farm from the PEDV completely. Only two-time sanitation of premises and objects of the environment with the laboratory control of the efficiency of cleaning and disinfection contributes to the effective eradication of the PEDV.

Molecular identification of Plasmodium spp. and blood meal sources of anophelines in environmental reserves on S\xe3o Lu\xeds Island, state of Maranh\xe3o, Brazil

BackgroundConsidering the diversity of feeding habits that females of some species of anophelines present, it is important to understand which vertebrates are part of blood food sources and how important is the role of each in the ecoepidemiology of malaria. There are many vector species for Plasmodium spp. in the State of Maranhão, Brazil. In São Luís Island, Anopheles aquasalis is the main vector for human malaria; this species is abundant in areas with primates that are positive for Plasmodium. Anopheles aquasalis has natural exophilic and zoophilic feeding behavior, but in cases of high density and absence of animals, presents quite varied behavior, and feeds on human blood. In this context, the objective of the present study was to identify Plasmodium spp. and the blood meal sources of anophelines in two environmental reserves on São Luís Island, state of Maranhão, using molecular methods.MethodsBetween June and July 2013, female anophelines were collected in the Sítio Aguahy Private Reserve, in the municipality of São José de Ribamar, and in the Sítio Mangalho Reserve, located within the Maracanã Environmental Protection Area, in the municipality of São Luís. CDC-type light traps, Shannon traps and protected human bait were used during three consecutive hours in peridomestic and wooded areas. Pools of anophelines were formed using mosquitoes of the same species that had been caught at the same site on the same date. A genus-specific amplification protocol based on the 18S rRNA gene was used for qPCR and cPCR.ResultsA total of 416 anophelines were collected, of the following species: An. aquasalis (399), An. mediopunctatus (3), An. shannoni (1), An. nuneztovari (sensu lato) (1), An. goeldii (1), An. evansae (2) and An. (Nyssorhynchus) sp. (9), comprising 54 pools. Two pools were positive for Plasmodium (2/54) based on the 18S rRNA gene. In the phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood method, based on a 240 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene, it was found that the sequences of Plasmodium sp. amplified from pools of An. aquasalis (pool 2) and An. nuneztovari (s.l.) (pool 10) were phylogenetically related to a clade of P. falciparum isolates from India, and to a clade of Plasmodium sp. isolates from psittacines in Brazil, respectively. Cat, dog and human DNA were identified in the blood meals of the anophelines sampled.ConclusionThe species An. aquasalis was the most abundant anopheline species in São Luís Island. Plasmodium spp. DNA was detected, thus confirming the importance of this species as the main vector on São Luís Island, Brazil. In addition, the presence of An. nuneztovari (s.l.) with DNA positive for Plasmodium spp. confirms its importance as a secondary vector.

Metacaspases versus caspases in development and cell fate regulation.

Initially found to be critically involved in inflammation and apoptosis, caspases have since then been implicated in the regulation of various signaling pathways in animals. How caspases and caspase-mediated processes evolved is a topic of great interest and hot debate. In fact, caspases are just the tip of the iceberg, representing a relatively small group of mostly animal-specific enzymes within a broad family of structurally related cysteine proteases (family C14 of CD clan) found in all kingdoms of life. Apart from caspases, this family encompasses para- and metacaspases, and all three groups of proteases exhibit significant variation in biochemistry and function in vivo. Notably, metacaspases are present in all eukaryotic lineages with a remarkable absence in animals. Thus, metacaspases and caspases must have adapted to operate under distinct cellular and physiological settings. Here we discuss biochemical properties and biological functions of metacaspases in comparison to caspases, with a major focus on the regulation of developmental aspects in plants versus animals.

Small macro‐benthic invertebrates influence the survival, growth and behaviour of juvenile green sea urchins Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis in the laboratory

AbstractRecent settlers of many marine benthic invertebrates are cryptic, which exposes them to a suite of animals that differs from those they may experience as adults, potentially resulting in interactions causing mortality and/or reducing growth. Previous field experiments have indicated that such is the case with small juvenile green sea urchins Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis but which taxa are responsible for the mortality and reduced growth was not determined. A laboratory study was conducted to examine the effects of small macro‐benthic invertebrates, specifically chitons, scaleworms and larger juvenile conspecifics, as well as the full suite of cobble‐dwelling organisms, on the mortality, growth and behaviour of small (<3 mm) juvenile sea urchins. The likelihood of survival of small juvenile sea urchins was lower in the presence of larger juvenile sea urchins or with the full suite of cobble‐dwelling organisms than in the absence of animals. The small juvenile sea urchins survived and grew the best when they were with chitons and scaleworms. The behaviour of small sea urchins with the full suite of cobble‐dwelling organisms was more cryptic than the behaviour of urchins with scaleworms. This study indicates that interactions with the suite of small organisms living amongst cobbles can affect survival, growth and behaviour of small juvenile sea urchins, and that larger juvenile sea urchins can be a source of mortality for smaller conspecifics.

The use of higher-order statistics in rapid object categorization in natural scenes.

We can rapidly and efficiently recognize many types of objects embedded in complex scenes. What information supports this object recognition is a fundamental question for understanding our visual processing. We investigated the eccentricity-dependent role of shape and statistical information for ultrarapid object categorization, using the higher-order statistics proposed by Portilla and Simoncelli (2000). Synthesized textures computed by their algorithms have the same higher-order statistics as the originals, while the global shapes were destroyed. We used the synthesized textures to manipulate the availability of shape information separately from the statistics. We hypothesized that shape makes a greater contribution to central vision than to peripheral vision and that statistics show the opposite pattern. Results did not show contributions clearly biased by eccentricity. Statistical information demonstrated a robust contribution not only in peripheral but also in central vision. For shape, the results supported the contribution in both central and peripheral vision. Further experiments revealed some interesting properties of the statistics. They are available for a limited time, attributable to the presence or absence of animals without shape, and predict how easily humans detect animals in original images. Our data suggest that when facing the time constraint of categorical processing, higher-order statistics underlie our significant performance for rapid categorization, irrespective of eccentricity.

Detection of pathogenic Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis using water filtration, animal and bait testing.

The pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) can be challenging to detect at endangered amphibian reintroduction sites. Pre-release Bd detection can be confounded by imperfect animal sampling and the absence of animals. In Study 1, we used historical Bd-positive sites, to concurrently evaluate water filtrates and mouth bar (tadpoles) or skin swab (caudates) samples for Bd using molecular beacon realtime PCR. In Study 2, during a natural outbreak, we used PCR to detect Bd from zoospore-attracting keratin baits (three avian, three snake species). In Study 1, no captured animals (n=116) exhibited clinical signs, although 10.6% were positive, representing three of seven species sampled. In contrast, 5.4% of water filters (n=56) were Bd-positive. In Study 2, after short incubation times, a single duck down feather tested Bd-positive. In conclusion, Bd was detected in asymptomatic amphibians and water filtrate at two sites, and from water only, at two other sites. With continued refinement, semi-quantitative Bd water filtrate screening could better define zoospore-specific disease risk, allowing better characterization of the free-living phase of the organism's life cycle. Finally, these results suggest wild aquatic birds (e.g., waterfowl) should be systematically explored as a means of Bd spread. Since large numbers of aquatic birds migrate, even low Bd transfer rates could be a significant means for disease dissemination.

Gluten and wheat intolerance today: are modern wheat strains involved?

Celiac disease is a food-induced enteropathy resulting from exposure to gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. The non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a less known syndrome whose prevalence is under-estimated. The last decades have seen changes in the clinical presentation of both diseases. One possible explanation is that changes in the gluten-rich cereals themselves were the principal causes. Celiac-triggering gluten proteins are indeed expressed to higher levels in modern cereals while non-triggering proteins are expressed less. Sophisticated hybridization techniques have been used to produce new strains of modern wheat, the most high-yielding of which have since made their way into human foods in the absence of animal or human safety testing. The dramatic changes in the clinical presentation of celiac disease and NCGS have taken place when new cereal hybrids were introduced into human foods. This is a critical medical and environmental issue which needs to be investigated by appropriate studies.

Recent advances in riboflavin biosynthesis.

Riboflavin is biosynthesized from GTP and ribulose 5-phosphate. Whereas the early reactions conducing to 5-amino-6-ribitylamino-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione 5'-phosphate show significant taxonomic variation, the subsequent reaction steps are universal in all taxonomic kingdoms. With the exception of a hitherto elusive phosphatase, all enzymes of the pathway have been characterized in some detail at the structural and mechanistic level. Some of the pathway enzymes (GTP cycloyhdrolase II, 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate synthase, riboflavin synthase) have exceptionally complex reaction mechanisms. The commercial production of the vitamin is now entirely based on highly productive fermentation processes. Due to their absence in animals, the pathway enzymes are potential targets for the development of novel anti-infective drugs.

Seasonal oxygen-driven migration of mobile benthic fauna affected by natural water column stratification

Changes in mobile benthic fauna affected by a seasonal oxycline were studied at three-monthly intervals for one year at Lough Hyne, a marine reserve in county Cork, Ireland. This marine lake features regular seasonal anoxic conditions in the deepest part (the Western Trough). Building on previous studies of the effects of the oxycline on demersal fauna, a ROV was used to film the benthic assemblage. Transects above, within and below oxycline depth were filmed on each sampling occasion. Animals were identified and their sizes measured. Data on oxygen concentration of the water column were taken monthly during this period to correlate with the presence and absence of animals in the Trough. Most noteworthy was the establishment of a demersal fish assemblage during normoxic conditions in the deeper areas of the Trough. The goby Lesueurigobius friesii was the most abundant species and their population contained all size classes. They are territorial and build burrows into which they retreated when the ROV approached. The main factor influencing benthic fauna below oxycline depth was oxygen concentration, while the assemblage above the oxycline was never affected by hypoxia. This study shows that mobile animals make use of areas affected by hypoxia as soon as conditions improve, and can establish resident communities.

Chemoinformatic Identification of Novel Inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis L-aspartate α-decarboxylase

L-Aspartate α-decarboxylase (ADC) belongs to a class of pyruvoyl dependent enzymes and catalyzes the conversion of aspartate to β-alanine in the pantothenate pathway, which is critical for the growth of several micro-organisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Its presence only in micro-organisms, fungi and plants and its absence in animals, particularly human, make it a promising drug target. We have followed a chemoinformatics-based approach to identify potential drug-like inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis L-aspartate α-decarboxylase (MtbADC). The structure-based high throughput virtual screening (HTVS) mode of the Glide program was used to screen 333,761 molecules of the Maybridge, National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs databases. Ligands were rejected if they cross-reacted with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) decarboxylase, a human pyruvoyl dependent enzyme. The lead molecules were further analyzed for physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters, based on Lipinski's rule of five, and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) properties. This analysis resulted in eight small potential drug-like inhibitors that are in agreement with the binding poses of the crystallographic ADC:fumarate and ADC:isoasparagine complex structures and whose backbone scaffolds seem to be suitable for further experimental studies in therapeutic development against tuberculosis.