Castration of male lambs is performed in all major sheep producing counties as a standard management practice. The reasons to castrate may be different and will depend on the size and type of the farm. Castration gives more control over genetics of the flock, stops inbreeding, unwanted pregnancies and behaviours. It also gives improved carcass characteristics. However, it has been shown that castration is painful and distressing to the animals. Different techniques are used to castrate sheep at the present time such as rubber ring, Burdizzo, combined, short scrotum, and surgical castration. Due to changing attitudes towards animal pain and unnecessary suffering there is a need for further development and implementation of new castration methods, efficient pain assessment techniques, animal welfare codes of practice and legislative requirements to improve lamb well-being. Recent increase of public concern regarding animal welfare is putting pressure on many government bodies to strengthen research in this area and increase attempts to regulate by law unnecessary suffering during standard livestock management practices. Immunocastration with an anti-GnRF vaccine has the potential to be an alternative to common physical castration methods. Nonetheless there is little or no information about the impact of vaccination against GnRF on the physiology of lambs (rams’ reproductive tract, endocrine regulation), emotionality (possible changes to normal behavioural patterns like increased aggression, anxiety) and health (is the vaccine safe to be used and if there are any adverse effects of vaccination like tissue damage, swelling, lesions etc.). There is also little or no information on how the vaccine affects sheep at the time of injection. This study investigates three main questions: Is Immunocastration a pain free alternative to traditional physical methods of castration? Is Immunocastration safe and practical to use? Does Immunocastration influence the male reproductive system in a way to achieve sterility without any negative impact on the ram natural behaviours, wellbeing and health?

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-12-20Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:41:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 takahashi_jdb_dr_jabo.pdf: 1029595 bytes, checksum: 5dcfa84983a9d8cd96a2b6949bdbf51e (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O aparecimento de doenças em peixes de criação intensiva é um problema enfrentado no Brasil e no mundo. Algumas substâncias podem influenciar as respostas do sistema imune de peixes, como o levamisol, através da modulação de parâmetros imunes, aumentando a resistência contra diversos agentes. Foram avaliados os efeitos do levamisol na dieta em dois experimentos. O primeiro experimento avaliou a suplementação com 0, 125, 250 e 500 mg kg-1 do imunoestimulante administrado por sete e 15 dias, no qual foram avaliados os parâmetros da imunidade inata, hematológicos e bioquímicos. A administração do levamisol por sete e 15 dias promoveu alterações em parâmetros imunológicos e hematológicos. A administração do levamisol pode promover imunomodulação, entretanto a determinação do efeito não ficou claro devido às respostas contraditórias em cada parâmetro avaliado. O segundo experimento consistiu em suplementação com 0, 125, 250 e 500 mg kg-1 do imunoestimulante administrada por sete dias conjuntamente com a imunização com bactérias Aeromonas hydrophila. A imunização e a administração de levamisol promoveram aumento do título de anticorpos, atividade bactericida do soro, hematócrito, número de eritrócitos, leucócitos totais e trombócitos nos pacus. A administração de levamisol por sete dias e a imunização de pacus promoveu melhora de alguns parâmetros da imunidade adquirida e inata de defesa. Entretanto outros protocolos devem ser estudados para avaliar o efeito do levamisol sobre o sistema imune de pacu / The emergence of diseases in fish farming is a problem faced in Brazil and worldwide. Some substances can influence the immune system responses of fish, like levamisole, increasing resistance against various etiological agents. Were evaluated the effects of levamisole in diet in two experiments. The first experiment evaluated supplementation with 0, 125, 250 and 500 mg kg-1 imunoestimulante administered by seven and 15 days in which have been assessed the parameters of innate immunity, haematological and biochemists. The administration of levamisole by seven and 15 days promoted changes in haematological and immunological parameters. The administration of levamisole can promote immunodulation, however the determination of the effect not clear due to contradictory answers evaluated in each parameter. The second experiment consisted of supplementation with 0, 125, 250 and 500 mg kg-1 imunoestimulante administered by seven days together with immunization with inactivated Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria with formaldehyde. Immunization and administration of levamisole promoted increase antibody titre, serum bactericidal activity, hematocrit, number of erythrocytes, leucocytes and thrombocytes in pacus totals. Administration of levamisole for seven days and immunization pacus promoted improves some parameters of innate and acquired immunity defense. However other protocols must be studied to assess the effect of levamisole on the immune system of pacu

nÃo hà / A vacinaÃÃo representa um dos mais belos e bem sucedidos avanÃos da medicina. à importante destacar que os princÃpios e as normas de conservaÃÃo das vacinas sÃo fatores determinantes na eficÃcia das mesmas, sem os quais as vacinas nÃo teriam nenhum efeito. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o processo de conservaÃÃo dos imunobiolÃgicos do Programa Nacional de ImunizaÃÃo (PNI) nas salas de vacina da zona urbana de Teresina-PI. Tratou-se de um estudo epidemiolÃgico realizado em 53 salas de vacina, distribuÃdas por Regional de SaÃde da seguinte forma: 20 na zona centro-norte, 19 na zona sul e 14 na zona leste, no perÃodo de setembro de 2008 a fevereiro de 2009. Os resultados mostraram que nas salas de vacina da zona Centro-Norte apenas 60% possuÃam tamanho adequado e bancada de inox; somente 35% dispunham de macas; 30% nÃo estavam distantes de calor e incidÃncia de luz solar; 95% nÃo funcionavam em horÃrio integral e quanto à capacitaÃÃo dos funcionÃrios, 10% destes nÃo possuÃam capacitaÃÃo em sala de vacina, 40% em BCG, 95% em rede de frio e 80% em efeitos adversos. Nas salas de vacina da zona Sul somente 26,3% possuÃa bancada de inox; 36,8% tinham tamanho adequado; 32% dispunham de macas, 21,1% nÃo estavam distantes de calor e incidÃncia de luz solar; a lavagem do refrigerador nÃo era realizada conforme preconizado pelo PNI em 26,3% das salas; em 31,6% nÃo era feito a organizaÃÃo adequada de imunos na caixa tÃrmica; 85,9% nÃo funcionavam em horÃrio integral e quanto a capacitaÃÃo dos funcionÃrios, 21,1% nÃo possuÃam capacitaÃÃo em sala de vacina, 57,9% em BCG, 100% em rede de frio e 89,5% em efeitos adversos. Nas salas de vacina da zona Leste foi visto que todas possuÃam tamanho adequado; 50% tinham bancada de inox; 43% dispunham de macas; 71,4% nÃo monitoravam a temperatura das caixas tÃrmicas; 64% nÃo funcionavam em horÃrio integral e quanto a capacitaÃÃo dos funcionÃrios, todos tinham mais de 2 anos que haviam sido capacitados em sala de vacina, 36% nÃo possuÃam capacitaÃÃo em BCG, 93% em rede de frio e em efeitos adversos. Pode-se concluir com este estudo que para que as atividades de vacinaÃÃo atinjam resultados coerentes com o desejado, faz-se necessÃrio alÃm das altas coberturas, uma capacitaÃÃo dos profissionais que atuam em sala de vacina, como tambÃm, o monitoramento dos processos que envolvem a manipulaÃÃo dessas substÃncias. / Vaccination represents one of the most beautiful and successful advances in medicine. Importantly, the principles and standards for vaccine storage are decisive factors in the effectiveness of the same, without which the vaccine would have no effect. This study aimed to evaluate the conservation of biological process of the National Immunization Program (NIP) in rooms of vaccine from the urban area of Teresina-PI. This was an epidemiological study conducted in 53 rooms of vaccine distributed by the Regional Health as follows: 20 in the central-north zone, 19 in the south zona and 14 in the east zone, considering the period between September 2008 and February 2009 . The results showed that in the halls of vaccine from noth central zone, only 60% had adequate size and stainless steel bench, only 35% had gurneys, 30% were not far from heat and sunlight, 95% did not work on schedule full and on the training employees, 10% of these had no training in vaccine, BCG 40%, 95% in the cold chain and 80% in adverse effects. In the halls of vaccine from the South zone only 26.3% had a stainless steel countertop, 36.8% had adequate size, 32% had gurneys, 21.1% were not far from heat and sunlight, washing cooler was not performed as recommended by the NIP in 26.3% of the rooms, at 31.6% was not done the proper organization of immunosuppressive in the insulated box, 85.9% were not working full time and the training of officials, 21, 1% had no training in vaccine, 57.9% in BCG, 100% in the cold chain and 89.5% in adverse effects. In the halls of vaccine from the East zone was seen that all had adequate size, 50% were stainless steel countertop, 43% had gurneys, 71.4% were not monitored the temperature of the coolers and 64% did not work full time and about training of officials, all had more than 2 years who had been trained in vaccine, 36% had no training in BCG, 93% in the cold chain and adverse effects. This study concludes that for vaccination activities to achieve results consistent with the desired, it is necessary beyond vaccination campaigns, a capacitation (empowering training) of health workers in vaccine, but also the monitoring of processes that involve handling these substances.

Background: In Utah, all major hospital facilities have employee vaccination policies. However, the presence of health care worker vaccination policies in the Utah outpatient oncology setting was unknown. Objectives: The objectives were to identify Utah oncology outpatient employee vaccination policies and to identify what consequences, if any, were present for unvaccinated employees. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study design in which clinic managers from outpatient oncology clinics in Utah were asked, via questionnaire, to describe the clinic's employee vaccination policy and the consequences for refusing the policy. Findings: Most vaccination policies applied to employees primarily assigned to work in the back office area. Most commonly, influenza and Hepatitis B vaccines were required as part of the vaccination policy. Most managers offered free vaccinations to employees, although most managers also allowed employees to refuse to follow the vaccination policy for medical, religious, or personal reasons.

In the United States, children must be vaccinated in order to attend school, although parents also have the right to request a vaccine exemption. The type of vaccine exemption varies by state but can include exemption for religious, philosophical, medical, and temporary medical reasons. The purpose of this research was to identify the use of provider signature requirements and fees in states during the vaccine exemption process. A questionnaire was sent to immunization managers in the 50 United States, District of Columbia, the United States Indian Health Service, and eight United States territories. The managers were asked if their states required a provider, or other individual, to sign the exemption form prior to granting a vaccine exemption. If a provider signature was required to validate the vaccine exemption form, immunization managers were then asked to identify what type of provider was allowed to sign the form. Immunization managers also reported on whether parents needed to pay a fee in order to obtain a vaccine exemption. A provider signature was most frequently required on medical vaccine exemption forms. For religious exemptions, only two states required a signature from a religious leader. Three states allowed a physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and naturopath to sign philosophical vaccine exemption forms. For medical and temporary medical vaccine exemption forms, the majority of states allowed a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant to sign the form. Only one state, Utah, confirmed that a fee was required to obtain religious or philosophical vaccine exemptions. With the hope of reducing vaccine exemption rates, some states employ various obstacles to obtaining and validating a vaccine exemption form, such as requiring a provider signature or charging a fee to process the exemption form. Surprisingly, only a few states required a provider signature on religious and philosophical exemption forms and only one state reported charging a fee to obtain a vaccine exemption form. Identifying these data provides opportunities to further study the effectiveness of various vaccine exemption obstacles.

Due to the growing burden of malignancy and chronic infections, manipulating CD8+ T cell responses for clinical use has become an important goal for immunologists. CD8+ T cells have the unique capacity to recognize and kill tumor cells and intracellular pathogens. Thus far, failed or only minimally effective T cell vaccines against chronic pathogen infections and tumors have highlighted basic knowledge gaps for eliciting memory CD8+ T cell protection. Defining the immunological mechanisms that determine protective capacity and longevity in T cells will be critical to both therapeutic and prohylactic vaccine efficacy. My studies focus on strategies to manipulate effector and memory CD8+ T cell responses, including their mechanisms of action. Specifically, I show that dendritic cell (DC) immunization coupled with relatively early (days 1-3) or late (days 4-6) administration of enhanced IL-2 signals drive either effector or memory programs. DC + IL-2c administered 4-6 days post-DC transfer is shown to enhance Ag-specific effector CD8+ T cell responses; this approach is further explored in the context of a cancer immunotherapy, demonstrating effective control of tumor burden in multiple murine models of cancer. Temporal alterations of IL-2 signaling from day 4-6 to day 1-3 post-DC immunization is shown to increase memory potential and memory CD8+ T cell numbers long-term. Additional studies reveal CTLA-4-mediated down-regulation of B7-ligands on DCs after IL-2c treatment, demonstrating that weaker or more transient signaling through the CD28-B7 axis may favor memory CD8+ T cell programs. My work contributes valuable concepts in memory CD8 T cell generation to develop T cell vaccines that are both safe and predictable.

Amish communities have persistently low childhood immunization rates. Prior to this study, reasons for low rates had not been clearly identified. Researchers have speculated that access to health care, religious factors, and fear might be reasons that Amish parents refuse childhood immunizations, but more empirical evidence was warranted.The purpose of this study was to gather that empirical evidence regarding the knowledge, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs of Amish parents residing in Ashtabula County Ohio, an additional purpose was to examine how these factors influence timely immunizations of Amish children. The theoretical framework was the PEN-3-Cultural Model, focusing on cultural influences, beliefs, and experiences in health behavior of individuals in a community. The development of a 20 question survey was guided by 4 research questions designed to evaluate any differences in Amish parents' decision to defer recommended childhood immunizations. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to evaluate the 4 research questions based on the 84 individual surveys received. Results revealed a significant link between knowledge, beliefs, and opinions toward immunization and immunization adherence. Results also revealed that age and gender had no effect on the relationship between knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and opinions toward immunization adherence. This study contributes to positive social change by educating parents of Amish children as to why it is important to receive timely childhood immunizations; thereby, keeping their children safe from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Alzheimers disease (AD) is defined as a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that gradually destroys a persons memory and ability to learn. There are three pathological hallmarks of the disease which are necessary for diagnosis of AD, these are; extracellular amyloid plaques composed of [beta]-amyloid (A[beta]) protein, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal loss. Amyloid plaques exist as both compact deposits which stain with Congo red and more numerous diffuse deposits. Active immunization against A[beta] 1-42 or passive immunization with monoclonal anti-A[beta] antibodies reduces amyloid deposition and improves cognition in APP transgenic mice. Over several studies of active immunization in APP+PS1 transgenic mice we showed a strong correlation between reduction of compact amyloid deposits and the degree of microglial activation suggesting a potential role of microglia in the removal of A[beta]. Injection of anti-A[beta] antibodies into the frontal cortex and hippocampus of aged APP transgenic mice revealed an early phase of A[beta] removal which was removal of only diffuse amyloid deposits with no associated activation of microglia. A later phase was the removal of compact amyloid deposits. This was associated with significant activation of microglia. Prevention of this microglial activation by anti-A[beta] F(ab)2 fragments or its inhibition by dexamethasone also precluded the removal of compact amyloid deposits but did not affect the removal of the diffuse deposits. Systemic injection of anti-A[beta] antibodies weekly over a period of 1, 2, 3 and 5 months transiently activated microglia associated with the removal of compact amyloid deposits and elevated plasma A[beta], suggesting a peripheral mechanism contributes to removal of brain A[beta]. This systemic administration also dramatically improved cognitive performance in the Y-maze and in the radial-arm water maze. These studies also showed a significant increase in vascular amyloid dependent on the number of antibody injections the mice received. Associated with this increase in vascular amyloid was a dramatic increase in the numbers of microhemorrhages in the brain. Despite this pathology the mice showed cognitive improvement with the treatment. These effects could have major ramifications in humans and should be further investigated prior to any human clinical trials.

The purpose of this study was to collect information regarding healthcare worker (HCW) vaccination policies in Utah family practice clinics. Data sources: The study was conducted in Utah family practice clinics in the most densely populated counties in the state and was a cross-sectional descriptive design. Data were collected from 155 family practice clinic managers. Analyses included frequencies and percentages for quantitative items and a content analysis for open-ended items. Conclusions: HCWs are employed in environments where infectious diseases can be easily spread from person to person, thus, vaccinations can be instrumental in protecting the health of HCWs and patients alike. In Utah, 56.8% of family practice clinics had either no vaccination policy for HCWs or had a policy with no consequences for noncompliance. Utah family practice clinics need to implement changes to create and maintain HCW vaccination policies. Implications for practice: Nurse practitioners can be leaders and change agents by working with their county and state health departments to create state-wide policies that mirror the position statements from the American Nurses Association and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Autism is a childhood developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication and limited activities. The root cause of autism is unknown. However it has been postulated that administration of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may be causally related to the development of autism. MMR vaccination is a requirement for entry into schools, so any increase in adverse events associated with the vaccine carries widespread public health importance. The primary objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the association between the MMR vaccination and the development of autism. The meta-analysis was limited to studies with an experimental design, unvaccinated control group, and odds ratio or relative risk as the effect measure. Both the fixed effects and random effects models were applied. A total of 29 studies were identified for possible inclusion in the meta-analysis. After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled treatment effect was weighted based on the width of the 95% confidence interval for each of the individual studies. The pooled effect measure for the seven studies was 1.052 (95% CI: 0.973, 1.138) (P=0.202). An association between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism was not found in this analysis. Public health initiatives should continue to support mandatory vaccination with MMR for entry into school and steps should be taken to eliminate any barriers to vaccination. Further epidemiological studies are needed to assess the root cause of autism