Austral Journal of Veterinary Sciences
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In need of publishing a paper to find a job or grant? Co-authorship without contributing: The rise of an ethical problem
Get PDFIn recent times the pressure for publishing has led researchers to want to appear in the author list without having made a significant contribution, a practice not included in the Vancouver Agreement that frames who the authors of a paper should be. This situation creates not only an ethical problem but also a problem within the work environment if a researcher refuses to include authors who have not participated in the study, creating uncomfortable situations in some institutions.It is well known that some researchers that appear to be very productive, holding a high record of published papers, may have entered the ratings without having read a manuscript that later mentions them in the authorship list, thanks to supporting infrastructure or by maintaining networks. This network somehow strengthens the group leader, or leader of the line and also some “emerging researchers” so they can apply for more grants and increase their chances of finding better jobs or more grants for their students. Some professors even take advantage of their students’ novel ideas to generate a grant and thus maintain the vanguard, without even including the latter in the benefits of the grant or the paper that is generated. Neither European, North American nor Chilean universities are exempt from these practices. In Chile, institutions such as Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad Austral de Chile have had a series of problems with postgraduate students denouncing their professors for using their theses, or part of these, to generate papers without including them in the authorship list. This unethical practice has some deep roots, fueled by the desire of some professors to remain in the “elite” of research.The solution to this problem is complex since grants are scarce and competition is tough. In some research centres and universities this subject is not even spoken of, because this practice is highly institutionalised, therefore discussing the ethics of this matter or the Vancouver Agreement is not an option. The only way to eradicate these practices would be to generate debate and denounce them, and to avoid “collaborating” with this type of researchers.Unfortunately, science is not estranged from what happens in the world, nor within non-academic institutions, where this type of action is common and very recurrent. Science should be a beacon for society, a place to look toward and be guided by.
Editorial CommitteeAustral Journal of Veterinary Science
Prevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in sheep flocks from three regions of Antioquia, Colombia
Get PDFParatuberculosis or Johne’s disease is a slow-developing infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) affecting mainly domestic ruminants and producing a significant economic threat to livestock production systems. Although reports on paratuberculosis in small ruminants in Colombia are very scarce, the Colombian sheep industry has identified paratuberculosis as one of the causes of its low development. There have been reports of MAP infection in sheep flocks, mainly in the Cundiboyacense Plateau and the Bogotá savannah, but the prevalence of MAP infection in sheep and goat populations in Colombia is yet unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to accurately estimate the prevalence of MAP infection at flock level in a sheep population of 24 flocks located in three regions of the province of Antioquia, Colombia. ELISA test as well as culture and direct qPCR were used as diagnostic tools. Overall, 456 blood serum samples were analysed and at least one seropositive animal was found in 17 (70% IC: 51.2-0.90) out of the 24 study flocks and, in total, 37 animals showed positive ELISA results (8% IC: 5.5-10.5). Regarding MAP direct detection, 90 faecal pools from the 24 flocks were cultured and subjected to qPCR diagnosis. Both direct qPCR and culture detected 25 (27.7%) and 64 (71.1%) faecal pools as MAP positive, respectively. More specifically, MAP positive pools were detected in 45.8% (IC: 24.3-67.3) and 83.3% (IC: 67.3-99.3) of the flocks by direct qPCR and culture, respectively. MAP infection is widespread in sheep flocks in the study regions and the combination of several diagnostic tests was necessary to achieve a more accurate and precise infection detection of this important pathogen
Chemical immobilisation of the wild Patagonian otter (Lontra provocax) and the North American mink (Neovison vison)
Get PDFThe Patagonian otter (Lontra provocax) is an endangered species endemic to southern Chile and Argentina. Most of its distribution range has recently been occupied by the American mink (Neovison vison). As part of a long-term study on the impact of mink in Patagonia, we assessed five reversible anaesthetic combination protocols in different doses on wild L. provocax and N. vison, and described the occurrence of any adverse effects. We assessed 16 anaesthetic procedures with a combination of ketamine-medetomidine (KET-MED; 6.0±2.8-0.05±0.01 mg/kg IM, respectively) or ketamine-dexmedetomidine (KET-DEX; 4.1±0.9-0.02±0.004 mg/kg IM) in L. provocax and 23 anaesthetic procedures with KET-MED (13.3±4-0.1±0.04 mg/kg IM), KET-DEX (4.8±0.3-0.024±0.001 mg/kg IM) in a low dose of ketamine (LDK) or KET-DEX (10.2±0.9-0.025±0.002 mg/kg IM) in a high dose of ketamine (HDK) in N. vison. Reversal was accomplished using atipamezole at 5 times the dose of MED or 10 times the dose of DEX. All anaesthetic combinations produced complete immobilisation and rapid anaesthetic induction, except for two otters anaesthetised with KET-MED which exhibited a longer time to initial effect. Hypothermia was commonly observed at the end of the anaesthetic procedures. Due to the hypoxemia presented in four otters at the beginning of anaesthesia, it is recommended to use additional oxygen when possible
Histopathological lesions compatible with nymphs of Linguatula serrata in bovine liver
Get PDFLinguatula serrata is the causative parasite of Linguatulosis, a disease that not only produces economic losses in cattle but also represents a public health risk due to its zoonotic nature. This study aimed to microscopically characterise the compatible lesions produced by this parasite in bovine liver collected at a slaughterhouse in the city of Curicó, Chile. Histologic compatible lesions with Linguatulosis were observed in 18 out of 269 livers. Furthermore, nymphs were visualised in 3 cases, allowing an etiologic diagnosis. Microscopic lesions containing nymphs demonstrated two patterns of inflammatory reactions, one pattern with a predominance of eosinophils, accompanied by lymphocytes and some macrophages, and another pattern with a predominance of lymphocytes and plasma cells with some macrophages. A microscopic characterisation was performed in compatible lesions without nymphs (n=15), defining 4 types of granulomas attributable to visceral Linguatulosis, according to the presence and features of cells at the centre of the lesion, the presence of presumably degenerated nymphal structures, location of inflammatory infiltrate, as well as location and amount of surrounding fibrous tissue. These lesions can concede a presumptive microscopic diagnosis. Also, different microscopic features of granulomas compatible with Linguatulosis analysed in this study suggest a temporal evolution of the lesions. The description of lesions generates a better understanding of the host-parasite interaction of this agent which has importance in both animal productivity and public health
Seropositivity to Leptospira interrogans in a herd of vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) under captivity in northern Chile
Get PDFTwenty-one vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) from a Chilean breeding unit were tested to serovars Pomona, Canicola, Copenhageni, Ballum and Grippotyphosa of Leptospira interrogans using the microscopic microagglutination technique. The results showed that 23.8% of the samples reacted to the serovar Grippotyphosa which has been related to abortions in South American camelids
Knowledge, attitude, and practices of cattle farmers regarding zoonotic diseases in Erzurum, Turkey
Get PDFThis study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of cattle farmers regarding zoonotic diseases in Erzurum, Turkey, where cattle-raising is the most common occupation. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,045 cattle farmers in Erzurum. In terms of the diseases that can be transmitted from animal to human, 69.6% of the cattle farmers had information on anthrax, 62.8% on brucellosis, 18.4% on tuberculosis, 44.9% on rabies, 32.5% on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, 8.9% on hydatid cyst, 8.0% on toxoplasmosis and 7.9% on giardiasis. The knowledge level of cattle farmers who were university graduates was 94.8%. Cattle farmers having over 100 cattle had a knowledge level of 96.7% on zoonotic diseases and their positive attitudes and practices reached 95.1% and 91.8%, respectively. The results showed that the increase in education status, size of the enterprise, and monthly income of cattle farmers was related to an increase in knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding zoonotic diseases. However, it was found that the positive knowledge and attitudes of the cattle farmers could not be transformed into positive practices evenly
Effect of test year, parity number and days in milk on somatic cell count in dairy cows of Los Ríos region in Chile
Get PDFIn Chile, most dairy cattle are located in the southern region of the country, where the largest volume of milk is produced. This study aimed to quantify changes of somatic cell count (SCC) over 20 years in 11 herds of the Los Ríos region and to assess the effect of parity number, days in milk, milk yield, and milk fat and protein content on SCC. A database of approximately 277,709 observations based on 10,363 cows from 11 herds of the area was used. Data were gathered from 1998 to 2018. Outliers and inconsistent observations were eliminated. Multiple linear regression was used to model SCC on fixed variables such as test year, parity number, test season, and stage of lactation; covariables included in the model were milk yield, milk fat and protein yields, and milk urea concentration. There were statistically significant associations among SCC and all independent variables included in the model. Regarding parity number and stage of lactation, they increased along with SCC. SCC was higher in warmer months and, as SCC increased, the yield decreased. It was concluded that as test year increased, SCC decreased, indicating that the mammary gland health improved and the quality of the milk was better
Genetic structure and population dynamics of autochthonous and modern porcine breeds. Analysis of the IGF2 and MC4R genes that determine carcass characteristics
Get PDFTo know the genetic situation of the Pampa Rocha, Celta, Bizaro Portuguese, Duroc, Iberian Extremeño and Iberian Andalusian porcine populations, their genetic structure and population dynamics were studied on the IGF2 and MC4R genes, which determine meat characteristics and quality. The degree of genetic variability (He = 0.2511 in Pampa Rocha; 0.0278 in Celta; 0,1453 in Bizaro Portuguese; 0.3719 in Duroc; 0.0764 in Iberian Extremeño and 0.0384 in Iberian Andalusian), genetic distance, and the presence or absence of consanguinity were studied. The Fis values were positive for the Duroc population (0.00426) indicating a very low inbreeding, the rest of the populations did not present consanguinity. Significant deviations (P ≤ 0.05) in the Hardy-Weinberg (HW) equilibrium were obtained for the IGF2 locus in Celta, Iberian Extremeño, and Iberian Andalusian populations with the G allele fixed, while the Bizaro Portuguese, Pampa Rocha, and Duroc populations presented polymorphism, the G allelic frequency was much higher than A allele, except in the Duroc breed (0.15). These findings could help breeders to increase the presence of the A allele for the improvement of muscle mass and reduction in the back-fat thickness in this breed. All the studied populations presented polymorphism for the MC4R locus with different frequencies for each allele. Furthermore, these results could allow developing strategies against anthropogenic activities that hinder the conservation of the biodiversity of these porcine breeds
Comparison of two phenotypical methods to segregate resistant and susceptible lambs to parasitic nematodes
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to compare two segregation methods to select resistant and susceptible female Pelibuey lambs infected naturally with gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) in relation to their haematological and immunological response. For 6 months, faeces and blood samples were taken fortnightly from 40 grazing 5-month-old female lambs. The lambs were classified according to two methods using faecal egg count (FEC) as a phenotypical trait. In the first (reference) method (M3SE, n = 22), resistant (RES) lambs had FEC lower than the mean – 3 standard errors, the susceptible (SUS) lambs levels higher than + 3 standard errors(n = 10) and the intermediate (INT) lambs (n = 8) were categorised by having FECs between the two values. The second method (QUM) divided the population, using quartiles, into resistant (RES; 25%), intermediate (INT; 50%), and susceptible (SUS; 25%) lambs. The agreement between both methods was estimated using the Kappa index. The packed cell volume (PCV), total plasma protein (TPP) and peripheral eosinophils (EOS) were determined for each group. Serum was used to evaluate the IgA levels. PCV and TPP values were higher (P<0.01) in the RES lambs (31.5 ± 3.4 and 6.16 ± 0.5 g/dL by QUM, respectively, and 31.5 ± 3.9 and 6.24 ± 0.49 g/dL by M3SE, respectively) than the SUS lambs (28.1 ± 4.7 and 5.94 ± 0.5 g/d, respectively, by both methods). The EOS and IgA values increased with age. M3SE and QUM were in moderate agreement (Kappa = 0.43). We concluded that the two segregation methods allowed for the identification of the same female SUS lambs, but a greater number of animals were categorised phenotypically as resistant using the M3SE method. PCV and TPP can help to identify phenotypically resistant animals
Are we at a turning point in journal assessment? An introduction to altmetrics
Get PDFThe status of any journal in which research is published is an important issue for academics. For many years the impact factor has been the criteria of choice to infer the quality of the research being published by each journal. However, with the massification of the internet, research currently impacts well beyond the academic community. This study aims to introduce readers into other bibliometric and non-bibliometric (altmetric) indicators that provide a wider perspective about the impact any particular research outcome may have besides citations. From a geographic viewpoint, the documents published by AJVS between 2010-2019 were written by authors affiliated to institutions from 33 different countries, mostly from Chile (37%) and Mexico (24%). These two countries served as collaboration nodes for countries from America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. From an altmetric perspective, 59 documents published between 2010-2016 were mentioned at least once in one of the sources tracked, being the majority of them through social media. Of particular interest is one document that was used as a reference for a patent issued in 2017 by researchers that were not related to the document published in the journal. Unfortunately, data for the documents published between 2017-2019 were unavailable, probably due to issues with the journal title change. Nevertheless, it is fair to conclude that since research outputs have shown to have an impact well beyond academia, it may be time to reconsider how journals should be assessed in the near future