The pig industry faces many animal welfare issues. Among these, biting behaviour has a high incidence. It is indicative of an existing problem in biters and is a source of physical damage and ...psychological stress for the victims. We categorize this behaviour into aggressive and non-aggressive biting, the latter often being directed towards the tail. This review focusses specifically on predisposing factors in early life, comprising the prenatal and postnatal periods up to weaning, for the expression of aggressive and non-aggressive biting later in life. The influence of personality and coping style has been examined in a few studies. It varies according to these studies and, thus, further evaluation is needed. Regarding the effect of environmental factors, the number of scientific papers is low (less than five papers for most factors). No clear influence of prenatal factors has been identified to date. Aggressive biting is reduced by undernutrition, cross-fostering and socialization before weaning. Non-aggressive biting is increased by undernutrition, social stress due to competition and cross-fostering. These latter three factors are highly dependent on litter size at birth. The use of familiar odours may contribute to reducing biting when pigs are moved from one environment to another by alleviating the level of stress associated with novelty. Even though the current environment in which pigs are expressing biting behaviours is of major importance, the pre-weaning environment should be optimized to reduce the likelihood of this problem.
Background Despite evidence that use of a checklist during the pre-incision time out improves patient morbidity and mortality, compliance with performing the required elements of the checklist has ...been low. In an effort to improve compliance, a standardized time out interactive Electronic Checklist System iECS was implemented in all hospital operating room (OR) suites at 1 institution. The purpose of this 12-month prospective observational study was to assess whether an iECS in the OR improves and sustains improved surgical team compliance with the pre-incision time out. Methods Direct observational analyses of preprocedural time outs were performed on 80 cases 1 month before, and 1 and 9 months after implementation of the iECS, for a total of 240 observed cases. Three observers, who achieved high interrater reliability (kappa = 0.83), recorded a compliance score (yes, 1; no, 0) on each element of the time out. An element was scored as compliant if it was clearly verbalized by the surgical team. Results Pre-intervention observations indicated that surgical staff verbally communicated the core elements of the time out procedure 49.7 ± 12.9% of the time. After implementation of the iECS, direct observation of 80 surgical cases at 1 and 9 months indicated that surgical staff verbally communicated the core elements of the time out procedure 81.6 ± 11.4% and 85.8 ± 6.8% of the time, respectively, resulting in a statistically significant ( P < .0001) increase in time out procedural compliance. Conclusion Implementation of a standardized, iECS can dramatically increase compliance with preprocedural time outs in the OR, an important and necessary step in improving patient outcomes and reducing preventable complications and deaths.
This paper describes the issues relating to the implementation of EC organic livestock standards and of the organic livestock principles, in new and pre-accession EU member states. The information ...was generated as part of an EU network project (SAFO: Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety in Organic Farming) which focused on organic livestock production. The primary sources of information were five seminars (so-called Roadshows) in new member states, as well as contributions at the five main SAFO workshops, and through a questionnaire survey among participating partner countries. The main challenges to organic livestock production and welfare were identified as the lack of existing home markets for organic products, inappropriate housing conditions, non-availability of organic replacement breeding animals and feedstuffs and a lack of advisors and in particular veterinarians, with organic farming expertise. The challenges of implementing the standards and principles in the new and pre-accession EU member states are described and discussed, and future perspectives are outlined in order to meet future challenges and requirements.
This article describes one method of introducing a course in research methods which will foster cooperation between students within the class, and provide the students with a positive experience with ...the content of the course. Each student is encouraged to view the sociologist as more like a detective than a laboratory scientist, which serves the function or reducing anxiety for those students who fear the quantitative and empirical perspectives of the sciences.
The aim of the study was to investigate ammonia (NH3) emission in the stable for pigs and cattle. Dairy cows, heifers and calves were kept in tie-up and bulls in loose housing system. Gestating sows, ...weaners and slaughter pigs were housed in group pens and lactating sows were kept individually. NH3 emission was expressed by production year (dairy cows, heifers and bulls) or by period (calves and all pigs)
Losses excreta and manure nutrients (N, P, K) ex animal, ex building and ex storage were studied in different animal categories and keeping systems. Dairy cows with milk yield 5000 and 7000 kg per ...year, heifers 12-24 months and calves 0-6 months were kept in tying system where manure was scraped out twice a day. Bullocks 12-24 months were grouped in loose housing system with solid floor where manure was removed out by tractor once a week. Fattening pigs, weaners and dry and pregnant sows were kept in group pens and lactating sows were kept individually (manure was scraped out twice a day). Sawdust was used as bedding material in all animal categories except bullocks where a mixture of straw and peat was used. The nutrient content and amount of excreta per year (dairy cows, heifers and bullocks) or per period (calves and pigs) depending on the amount and composition of feed was investigated. The effect of feed nitrogen content and amount of bedding material on the dynamics of nitrogen (ammonia) emission in the building was studied. Quantitative and qualitative changes of cattle manure were studied in uncovered and non-leaking manure storage
The premise is developed that families are created by an adoption process. All family members, including spouses, are adopted, not just the child who goes through a recognized formal adoption ...procedure. It is meaning, not biology, which makes a family of a mother, father, and children. Although the more general adoption process is not as visible as the formal child adoption process, it is essential in family formation. The adoption process involves an appropriate use of symbols, including identity documents or "adoption papers" which certify the adoption. The analysis which uses the Symbolic Interaction perspective is part of the larger sociological question concerning the relative impact upon human behavior of biological and learned socio-symboled factors.
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