40 research outputs found
Vanilla distribution modeling for conservation and sustainable cultivation in a joint land sparing/sharing concept
No full textsponsorship: This research was supported by the Doctoral Grant Strategic Basic Research (FWO-SB) of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Research and collections permits were given by the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energia-Sistema Nacional de areas de Conservacion (MINAE-SINAC). Maps representing the different conservation areas in ACOSA and the biological corridor network in Costa Rica were provided by MINAE-SINAC, and recent land use maps of ACOSA were provided by Osa Conservation. Charlotte Watteyn, Bart Muys, and Bert Reubens designed the research. Charlotte Watteyn, Adam P. Karremans, Ruth Pillco Huarcaya, and Jose B. Azofeifa Bolanos collected and/or provided the data. Charlotte Watteyn and Tobias Fremout analyzed and interpreted the data, and wrote the first draft of the paper. All authors reviewed and approved the final paper. We would like to give a special word of thanks to Jose Luis Perez Fuentes and Marvin Lopez for their help during the fieldwork. (Doctoral Grant Strategic Basic Research (FWO-SB) of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO))status: Publishe
Efficacy of florfenicol and gamithromycin in an Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale infection model in turkeys : a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic integration
No full textTrick or treat? Pollinator attraction in Vanilla pompona (Orchidaceae)
No full textNatural pollination of Vanilla species remains poorly understood. Our research aimed at better understanding the pollinator attraction mechanism of the Neotropical species Vanilla pompona. Based on our results, we hypothesize that the identified pollinator Eulaema cingulata is attracted via a dual mechanism combining floral fragrance rewards and food deception
Study of the immunomodulatory properties of gamithromycin and dexamethasone in a lipopolysaccharide inflammation model in calves
No full textPathofysiologie van lipopolysaccharide geïnduceerde inflammatoire respons bij vogels
No full textInflammation is a protective response to infection and/or tissue damage and it induces migration of immune cells and mediators of immune response from the circulation to the infected and/or damaged tissue. This response will remove the initial noxe (e.g. lipopolysaccharide or LPS) and tissue healing will be stimulated. LPS is part of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and causes an inflammatory response in birds due to its proinflammatory properties. As a result to this inflammatory response, birds develop a change in body temperature, increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins, show leukocytosis and sickness behavior. The magnitude of these symptoms in birds depends on the bird species and differs from the symptoms in mammals. The characteristics and pathophysiology of an inflammatory response are frequently studied using LPS inflammation models. These models can further be applied for pharmacodynamic studies to assess the clinical effect of different anti-inflammatory drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. In this paper, an overview of the LPS-induced inflammatory response in birds is given
Enantioselective pharmacokinetics of ketoprofen in calves after intramuscular administration of a racemic mixture
No full textThe pharmacokinetic properties of ketoprofen were determined in 4-week-old calves after intramuscular (IM) injection of a racemic mixture at a dose of 3 mg/kg body weight. Due to possible enantioselective disposition kinetics and chiral inversion, the plasma concentrations of the R(‒) and S(+) enantiomer were quantified separately, using a stereospecific HPLC-UV assay. A distinct predominance of the S(+) enantiomer was observed, as well as significantly different pharmacokinetic parameters between R(‒) and S(+) ketoprofen. More in specific, a greater value for the mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0→∞) (46.92 ± 7.75 and 11.13 ± 2.18 µg.h/mL for the S(+) and R(‒) enantiomer, respectively), a lower apparent clearance (Cl/F) (32.8 ± 5.7 and 139.0 ± 25.1 mL/h.kg for the S(+) and R(‒) enantiomer, respectively) and a lower apparent volume of distribution (Vd/F) (139 ± 14.7 and 496 ± 139.4 mL/kg for the S(+) and R(‒) enantiomer, respectively) were calculated for the S(+) enantiomer, indicating enantioselective pharmacokinetics for ketoprofen in calves following IM administration
How Do Flemish Laying Hen Farmers and Private Bird Keepers Comply with and Think about Measures to Control Avian Influenza?
No full textCompetent authorities of many countries, including Belgium, impose control measures (preventing wild bird access to feeders and water facilities, indoor confinement of captive birds, or fencing off outdoor ranges with nets) on professional and non-professional keepers of birds to prevent the spread of avian influenza (AI). Flemish laying hen farmers (FAR, n = 33) and private keepers of captive birds (PRI, n = 263) were surveyed about their opinion on and compliance with AI measures legally imposed during the most recent high-risk period before this survey in 2021. Participants answered questions on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = the worst, 3 = neutral, and 5 = the best). FAR indicated better compliance with the AI measures than PRI, except for net confinement. FAR indicated that they and other poultry farmers complied better with AI measures than PRI. Additionally, PRI indicated that they better complied than other PRI keepers. FAR regarded the AI measures as more effective than PRI. To prevent the spread of AI more effectively, national authorities could focus on information campaigns explaining to private bird keepers the need for the various control measures that they impose. If these campaigns fail, local authorities may need stricter enforcement or alternative ways to increase compliance
Killing individual poultry on-farm-a survey among veterinarians and farmers
No full textTo date, information about reasons to select and kill poultry on-farm and which method veterinarians and poultry producers preferably use is scarce. Little is also known about their knowledge of the legislation regarding on-farm killing methods and of methods alternative to the one(s) they use, as well as their perception of those alternatives. In this study, Flemish poultry veterinarians (n = 13), broiler chicken producers (n = 27), and turkey producers (n = 4) were surveyed on killing methods they currently use in practice and alternative methods, on their opinion about what constitutes an appropriate method for on-farm killing of poultry, and on their reasons for killing. All poultry veterinarians and chicken producers who filled out the survey kill poultry by manual cervical dislocation (CD), whereas some turkey farmers also indicated killing by percussive blow to the head (n = 1) or exsanguination (n = 1). Turkey producers seem to be more inclined not to kill animals with injuries or symptoms of disease as compared to veterinarians or chicken producers, such that moribund turkeys are more likely to remain in the flock. Veterinarians considered the following properties of a killing method important: animal friendliness, applicability inside the stable, a high success rate, and time efficiency. Producers ranked the properties similarly, but for them, ease of performance and cost efficiency were more important than applicability inside the stable. Producers scored those killing properties rather positively for manual as well as mechanical CD. Veterinarians and chicken producers considered the captive bolt method to be easy to perform, to have a high success rate, to be feasible to perform in the stable, and to be animal friendly. Turkey producers, however, had doubts about the latter 2 properties. Gas, injection, and electrocution were inferior methods to kill poultry according to producers. In conclusion, manual CD is the most common method for killing broiler chickens and turkeys, and knowledge of, and experience with, alternative methods is very limited, both among veterinarians and producers. Informing them about legislation and training for the use of alternative killing techniques are recommended
Development of a cytometric bead array screening tool for the simultaneous detection of pro-inflammatory cytokines in plasma of lipopolysaccharide-challenged pigs
No full textIntroduction : Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been widely used as a model of immune challenge in pigs as it induces the immediate synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6. In research, multiplex assays currently are a very popular tool for the simultaneous detection of biomarkers of infection and inflammation. Specific and sensitive Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assays (ELISAs) are well-suited to perform single factor analysis, yet for multi-parameter analyses, this approach is time-consuming and expensive. Cytometric bead array (CBA) is a flexible, bead-based flow cytometric application for the simultaneous detection of various soluble proteins of interest. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a CBA 3-plex assay for the major pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. The results were compared to commercial ELISA kits.
Materials and Methods : Four pigs with a mean body weight (BW) of 24.9 kg were intravenously challenged with 15 µg ultrapure LPS/kg BW (Escherichia coli serotype O111:B4). Plasma was isolated and stored at -70 °C until analysis. Capture antibodies were covalently coupled to the surface of beads with unique fluorescence intensities (Becton Dickinson Biosciences). Detection antibodies were conjugated with R-Phycoerythrin (R-PE). A mixture of beads was firstly incubated with an appropriate standard mixture. Subsequently, a mixture of detection antibodies, either directly or indirectly conjugated to R-PE, was added to accomplish the desired sandwich format. The samples were finally analyzed on a BD FACSArrayTM Bioanalyzer. ELISAs were purchased from R&D Systems.
Results : Table 1 shows the validation parameters of the developed CBA 3-plex assay and the commercial ELISAs. Following an in vivo LPS challenge, similar plasma concentration-time profiles were observed for all cytokines with CBA and ELISA.
Discussion : This is the first CBA study describing a validated multiplex protocol for the simultaneous measurement of the major porcine pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. In research, ELISAs are still considered as the gold standard for determination of secreted proteins in serum or plasma, however, the novel validated CBA 3-plex assay provides a fast and economical screening tool for determination of cytokine profiles in small porcine plasma volumes
