Effect of an anti-gonadotropin-releasing factor vaccine on sexual and aggressive behaviour in male pigs during the finishing period under Australian field conditions

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an anti-gonadotropin-releasing factor vaccine in controlling sexual and aggressive behaviour of male pigs in the late finishing period under Australian field conditions.

METHODS

Male pigs from four consecutive batches over a 4-month period were randomly assigned to two groups: an untreated control group (n = 434) or a group treated with Improvac® (n = 433). The vaccine was administered at 10 and 16 weeks of age. Pigs were housed under commercial conditions in ecoshelters, a commonly used housing system in Australia in which pigs are kept in large pens often containing >100 animals. The occurrence of sexual and aggressive behaviours was recorded and evaluated after second vaccination until slaughter at 22 weeks of age.

RESULTS

Male pigs treated with Improvac demonstrated significant reductions in mounting, fighting, pushing, head butting and tail manipulation when compared with control animals.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms that vaccination with Improvac can improve the welfare of entire male pigs by inhibiting sexual and aggressive behaviour.

Proliferation of elongate fishes in the deep sea

It was hypothesized that energetically efficient anguilliform swimming and axial elongation in fishes is favoured in the deep sea and predicted that the degree of elongation of the body form of fishes would increase with depth. An index of fish shape was derived from the relationship between length and mass. This was combined with data on abundance of c. 266 fish species from 389 research trawl tows made at depths of between 300 and 2030 m in the north-east Atlantic Ocean. The degree of elongation of the fish increased with depth to c. 1250 m before levelling off. The strength of this phenomenon varied between higher level taxa, being most apparent in the Gadiformes and Osmeriformes, and weak or absent in the Perciformes and Selachimorpha. The advantage of efficient elongate body forms may explain why certain taxa such as the grenadiers (Macrouridae) have dominated the deep sea, some have restricted depth ranges, e.g. the sharks, skates and rays, and others are almost entirely absent, e.g. the flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes).

Multimodality imaging features of hereditary multiple exostoses

Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) or diaphyseal aclasis is an inherited disorder characterised by the formation of multiple osteochondromas, which are cartilage-capped osseous outgrowths, and the development of associated osseous deformities. Individuals with HME may be asymptomatic or develop clinical symptoms, which prompt imaging studies. Different modalities ranging from plain radiographs to cross-sectional and nuclear medicine imaging studies can be helpful in the diagnosis and detection of complications in HME, including chondrosarcomatous transformation. We review the role and imaging features of these different modalities in HME.

The influence of motivation in recruitment and retention of rural and remote allied health professionals: a literature review

INTRODUCTION

Recruitment and retention of allied health professionals (AHPs) to remote and rural Australia is challenging and correlates with poorer health status of remote and rural residents. While much has been written about the recruitment and retention problem, this study took a new approach by reviewing the literature describing the motivation of AHPs to work in remote and rural areas and then analyzing the findings from the perspective of motivation theory using Herzberg's extrinsic and intrinsic classification. Intrinsic motivation incentives are known to contribute to job satisfaction and come from within the individual, for example the pleasure derived from autonomy or challenge at work. In contrast, extrinsic motivation incentives are provided by the job and include such factors as salary and professional development provisions. Extrinsic incentives are important because they prevent job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction has been shown to be linked with increased retention.

METHOD

Thirty-five articles, including 26 from Australia, met the inclusion criteria. The key findings related to motivation from each article are outlined and the results classified into the extrinsic-intrinsic framework. The incentives are then further analyzed as having a positive or a negative influence.

RESULTS

In total, 38 different incentives were described a total of 246 times. Of the total, almost half (n=115) comprised extrinsic incentives with a negative influence, with poor access to professional development, professional isolation and insufficient supervision the most frequently reported. Rural lifestyle and diverse caseloads were the most frequently mentioned positive extrinsic incentives, while autonomy and community connectedness were the most cited positive intrinsic incentives. Negative intrinsic incentives were mentioned least frequently (n=18); however, of these, feeling overwhelmed and that your work was not valued by the community were the most commonly reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate the significant burden of extrinsic incentives with a negative influence that are perceived by AHPs in remote and rural areas. The high turnover rate of AHPs in remote and rural areas is likely to be, in part, due to the job dissatisfaction from these disincentives. More positive intrinsic incentives were reported than negative. This suggests the potential for intrinsic incentives, known to contribute to job satisfaction, to be mediating the extrinsic disincentives. The policy implications of this work include the importance of addressing extrinsic disincentives. Simultaneously, the existing intrinsic incentives need to be nurtured and developed. Organizations that implement strategies to enhance both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation incentives are more likely to successfully address their AHP workforce shortage.

New evidence relating to the health impact of reducing salt intake

This paper is a Position Statement from an 'ad hoc' Scientific Review Subcommittee of the PAHO/WHO Regional Expert Group on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention through Dietary Salt Reduction. It is produced in response to requests from representatives of countries of the Pan-American Region of WHO needing clarification on two recent publications casting doubts on the appropriateness of population wide policies to reduce salt intake for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The paper provides a brief background, a critical appraisal of the recent reports and explanations as why the implications have been mis-interpreted. The paper concludes that the benefits of salt reduction are clear and consistent, and reinforces the recommendations outlined by PAHO/WHO and other organizations worldwide for a population reduction in salt intake to prevent strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.

Abstract PD08-09: Impact of a Telephone-Based Exercise Intervention on Physical Activity Behaviors and Fitness in a Cooperative Group Setting

Observational studies have demonstrated a 30-50% lower risk of disease-specific and overall mortality in physically active breast and colorectal cancer patients as compared to sedentary individuals. However, there have been no randomized trials looking at the impact of physical activity on cancer outcomes, and the optimal design of such a trial is not yet well-defined. The Active After Cancer Trial (AACT) is a multicenter feasibility study designed to evaluate the ability of a telephone-based intervention to increase physical activity in patients with breast and colorectal cancer. Methods: Sedentary (reporting less than 60 minutes/week of recreational activity) individuals with stage I-III breast or colorectal cancer were eligible for enrollment after completion of all adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Participants were randomized 1:1 to a centralized telephone coaching intervention, with a target goal of 180 minutes/week of physical activity, or to a usual care control group. Intervention participants received an average of 10 telephone contacts over 16-weeks. Initial calls focused upon building self-efficacy and later calls concentrated upon relapse prevention and maintenance of exercise behaviors. Participants underwent assessment of physical activity behaviors (7-Day Physical Activity Recall), fitness (6-Minute Walk Test), physical functioning (EORTC QLQ C-30), fatigue (FACIT) and exercise self-efficacy at baseline and 16 weeks after enrollment.

Results: One hundred and twenty-one patients were enrolled through 10 Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) institutions; 100 patients had breast cancer and 21 had colorectal cancer. Average age was 54.3, 74% of patients had received chemotherapy and mean time since completion of adjuvant treatment was 24 months. Participants randomized to the exercise group experienced significant improvements in fitness and physical functioning as compared to controls.

Table. Baseline measures and change (post-minus pre) scores in intervention and control patients (±SD)

Intervention participants also reported a doubling in minutes of weekly physical activity, but this was not a significant increase compared to controls.

Conclusions: Sedentary breast and colorectal cancer survivors can be enrolled in a physical activity intervention. A centralized telephone coaching intervention successfully increased fitness and physical functioning, although self-reported exercise time was not significantly changed. A large-scale clinical trial within the co-operative groups is feasible.

Relationships between growth and disease resistance in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

Rainbow trout from 23 families were evaluated for growth and resistance to the bacterial coldwater disease (BCWD) caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum and infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) caused by IHN virus. Average family weights were between 161 and 263 g with an average of 225 g at 213 days post-fertilization with specific growth rates ranging from 2.37 to 2.88. Per cent survival of fish challenged with F. psychrophilum was between 18% and 100%, while for those challenged with IHNV, the range was between 12% and 93%. Significant positive correlations were found for end body weight and resistance to IHN (P < 0.05) and for early body weight and resistance to BCWD (P < 0.1). However, no significant correlations were detected between resistance to both pathogens or disease resistance and overall genetic diversity or diversity within the major histocompatibility locus.

Molecular C2H2 and HCN lasers pumped by an optical parametric oscillator in the 1.5-microm band

Lasing of HCN and C(2)H(2) in the 3-micron region was demonstrated with a ns pump emitting in the telecommunication C band (1.5 micron region). The observed laser lines correspond to transitions from the terminal pump vibration-rotation state to a combination vibrational state.