Social-ethical issues concerning the control strategy of animal diseases in the European Union: A survey

In 2004 a survey was conducted in the member states of the European Union designed to gain greater insight into the views on control strategies for foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever, and avian influenza with respect to the epidemiological, economic and social-ethical consequences of each of these animal diseases. This article presents the results of the social-ethical survey. A selection of stakeholders from each member state was asked to prioritize issues for the prevention and control of these diseases. A majority of stakeholders chose preventive measures as the preferred issue. An analysis was done to determine whether there were differences in views expressed by stakeholders from member states with a history of recent epidemics and ones without such a history, and whether there were regional differences. There were no differences between member states with or without a history of recent epidemics. There were indeed regional differences between the priority orders from Northern and Southern Europe on the one hand, and from Eastern Europe on the other. Nina E. Cohen is a biologist and is a researcher at the Wageningen University. She is specialized in societal and ethical issues in human–animal relationships. Her current research is focused on the social-ethical issues concerning the prevention and control of foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever and avian influenza. Marcel A.P.M. van Asseldonk has studied animal science. Currently he works at the Institute for Risk Management in Agriculture (IRMA) of the Wageningen University. He is specialized in the design and pricing of insurance policies and animal health funds for the main livestock epidemics. Elsbeth N. Stassen is a veterinarian and professor of Animals and Society at the Wageningen University. Elsbeth Stassen is specialized in animal health, animal welfare and human–animal relationships. She was a member of a governmental welfare committee during the avian influenza epidemic in the Netherlands in 2003.     

内蒙古猪瘟流行病学调查及猪瘟病毒的分离

对内蒙古部分地区猪场进行了猪瘟流行病学调查，发现我区在较大范围内以非典型的猪瘟为主，发病多见于3月龄以下的仔猪，且以局部流行为主，母猪多呈隐性感染，部分母猪表现出繁殖障碍；个别地区仍有发病率和致死率较高的急性典型猪瘟，发病猪场不同程度上存在免疫程序不合理和免疫抑制性疾病。在此基础上对疑似病例进行了病理学检测和兔体交互免疫试验进行确诊，并对猪瘟野毒进行了分离。本研究不仅为内蒙古地区进一步作好猪瘟的防制提供了理论依据，而且为猪瘟野毒分子生物学的研究打下了基础。     

微缩景观文化的美学价值初探

微缩景观艺术在我国造园活动中历史久远,形成的门派风格众多,现代微缩景观设计能否将其蕴含的中国传统元素发展应用,是值得关注的一个重要议题。即从微缩景观艺术的意象、微缩景观艺术的美术思想和微缩景观设计的继承与创新等几个方面去探讨微缩景观艺术的美学价值及其应用。     

传统文化思想在中韩古典园林中的体现

作为一种综合艺术,古典园林往往体现着一个民族的文化精神,同时文化思想会直接影响到同时期的古典园林的风格。中国与韩国的古典园林在历史空间上有一定的连系性,又各有独到之处。在文化思想方面也不例外,类似的传统观念,在古典园林中就有不同的体现,对此,文章分析了阴阳五行思想、神仙思想和儒教思想在中韩古典园林中的差异体现。     

中国古典诗词与中国园林分析

鉴于当前园林设计欧陆风格盛行,而忽视本土园林文化特色,空于形式,没有文化,通过对中国古典园林内涵的分析,强调中国园林的特色,唤起对中国园林的重视。     

逆向遗传学技术在猪瘟病毒研究中的应用

猪瘟是猪的最严重疾病之一,其病原 是猪瘟病毒,基因组为单股正链RNA。猪瘟 弱毒疫苗在猪瘟的免疫防治中发挥了巨大作 用,但由于弱毒疫苗免疫的动物不能从血清 学上与自然感染动物区分,使其应用受到很 大限制,研制标记疫苗是解决这个问题的重 要途径。由于RAN的结构不稳定成为阻碍 RNA病毒研究的主要障碍,所以病毒分子生 物学是新型猪瘟疫苗研究的必要手段。近年 来兴起的逆向遗传研究将RNA病毒的基因 组转化为cDNA,文章就猪瘟病毒逆向遗传 研究的意义、方法、概况及其在猪瘟新型疫苗 研究中的应用进行了全面综述。     

桂花种子发育与发芽研究综述

文章指出结实桂花雌蕊的4胚珠中只1个能双受精并发育成种子;形态成熟的桂花种子还需后熟发育才能发芽,赤霉素和层积有利于桂花种子后熟;桂花种子的发芽抑制物、包埋胚的胚乳、低于脱水耐性的临界含水量是桂花种子发芽的障碍;层积催芽使桂花种子发生一系列生理生化变化,朝萌发的方向发展。最后提出桂花种子诱变育种研究和桂花种子生产研究将是桂花种子研究重要的工作。     

Simulating the spread of classical swine fever virus between a hypothetical wild-boar population and domestic pig herds in Denmark

Denmark has no free-range wild-boar population. However, Danish wildlife organizations have suggested that wild boar should be reintroduced into the wild to broaden national biodiversity. Danish pig farmers fear that this would lead to a higher risk of introduction of classical swine fever virus (CSFV), which could have enormous consequences in terms of loss of pork exports. We conducted a risk assessment to address the additional risk of introducing and spreading CSFV due to the reintroduction of wild boar. In this paper, we present the part of the risk assessment that deals with the spread of CSFV between the hypothetical wild-boar population and the domestic population. Furthermore, the economic impact is assessed taking the perspective of the Danish national budget and the Danish pig industry. We used InterSpreadPlus to model the differential classical swine fever (CSF) risk due to wild boar. Nine scenarios were run to elucidate the effect of: (a) presence of wild boar (yes/no), (b) locations for the index case (domestic pig herd/wild-boar group), (c) type of control strategy for wild boar (hunting/vaccination) and (d) presence of free-range domestic pigs. The presence of free-range wild boar was simulated in two large forests using data from wildlife studies and Danish habitat data. For each scenario, we estimated (1) the control costs borne by the veterinary authorities, (2) the control-related costs to farmers and (3) the loss of exports associated with an epidemic. Our simulations predict that CSFV will be transmitted from the domestic pig population to wild boar if the infected domestic pig herd is located close to an area with wild boar (<5 km). If an outbreak begins in the wild-boar population, the epidemic will last longer and will occasionally lead to several epidemics because of periodic transfer of virus from groups of infected wild boar to domestic pig herds. The size and duration of the epidemic will be reduced if there are no free-range domestic pig herds in the area with CSF-infected wild boar. The economic calculations showed that the total national costs for Denmark (i.e. the direct costs to the national budget and the costs to the pig industry) related to an outbreak of CSF in Denmark will be highly driven by the reactions of the export markets and in particular of the non-EU markets. Unfortunately, there is a substantial amount of uncertainty surrounding this issue. If hunting is used as a control measure, the average expenses related to a CSF outbreak will be 40% higher if wild boar are present compared with not present. However, a vaccination strategy for wild boar will double the total costs compared with a hunting strategy.