Privatization of Veterinary Services in Developing Countries: A Review

Increasing fiscal constraints on the government, a lackadaisical performance by public sector animal health and breeding services and pressure from donor partners have prompted the governments of various developing countries to rethink the role of the public sector in the provision of veterinary services. Various countries have started to implement, or have already implemented, privatization of some veterinary services. The results are mixed. It is established that private provision alone is not optimal, and a blend of private and public sector veterinary services is required to utilize the virtues of both.The privatization process has also begun in India. Certain state governments in India are pursuing a cost recovery approach and are encouraging private practitioners to cope with the financial constraints and to deliver broad and effective animal health and breeding services. This paper considers the global aspects of the privatization of veterinary services as well as the scenario in India, so as to gain an insight into the very complex and debatable issue of privatization of veterinary services.     

大学生休闲与心理健康探析

休闲是大学生活中不可或缺的一部分，文章探讨了大学生休闲的含义、类型、休闲对心理健康的促进作用、休闲中存在的问题及其调适，以期为大学生在休闲活动中发展心理素质提供参考。     

Relation between Soil Health, Wave-like Fluctuations in Microbial Populations, and Soil-borne Plant Disease Management

A healthy soil is often defined as a stable soil system with high levels of biological diversity and activity, internal nutrient cycling, and resilience to disturbance. This implies that microbial fluctuations after a disturbance would dampen more quickly in a healthy than in a chronically damaged and biologically impoverished soil. Soil could be disturbed by various processes, for example addition of a nutrient source, tillage, or drying-rewetting. As a result of any disturbance, the numbers of heterotrophic bacteria and of individual species start to oscillate, both in time and space. The oscillations appear as moving waves along the path of a moving nutrient source such as a root tip. The phase and period for different trophic groups and species of bacteria may be shifted indicating that succession occurs. DGGE, Biolog and FAME analysis of subsequent populations in oscillation have confirmed that there is a cyclic succession in microbial communities. Microbial diversity oscillates in opposite direction from oscillations in microbial populations. In a healthy soil, the amplitudes of these oscillations will be small, but the background levels of microbial diversity and activity are high, so that soil-borne diseases will face more competitors and antagonists. However, soil-borne pathogens and antagonists alike will fluctuate in time and space as a result of growing plant roots and other disturbances, and the periods and phases of the oscillations may vary. As a consequence, biological control by members of a single trophic group or species may never be complete, as pathogens will encounter varying populations of the biocontrol agent on the root surface. A mixture of different trophic groups may provide more complete biological control because peaks of different trophic groups occur at subsequent locations along a root. Alternatively, regular addition of soil organic matter may increase background levels of microbial activity, increase nutrient cycling, lower the concentrations of easily available nutrient sources, increase microbial diversity, and enhance natural disease suppression.     

Assessing hygiene proficiency on organic and conventional pig farms regarding pork safety: A pilot study in Finland

A key element in the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be a single farm payment system that is linked to compliance with rules on, for instance hygiene standards. However, there are no recommended methods for assessing the hygiene proficiency of pig production farms. The present study was undertaken to develop a method for this purpose. A first implementation was done on pilot scale; with a set of both conventional and organic pig farms (N = 15). Fifty hygiene-related factors were selected, especially with reference to the possible proliferation of enteric pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The factors were allocated into 8 evaluation categories: (1) general production management, (2) animal density, (3) the outdoor area for pigs, (4) pest and pet animals, (5) general hygiene in the piggery, (6) pen hygiene, (7) feed production hygiene, and (8) feeding hygiene. A farm questionnaire and a supplementary on-site observation form were devised, and one arbitrary scale of hygiene points assigned for each factor. In addition to the mailed questionnaires, one person subsequently visited all the farms, perused the questionnaire with the owners and completed the observation form. The hygiene scores of the farms in each evaluation category were compared both without weighting and with weighting based on expert opinions. The method proved to be feasible and applicable to different types of production.     

Introductions of non-native plant pathogens into Great Britain, 1970–2004

An analysis of records of plant pathogens first identified in Great Britain from 1970 to 2004 (inclusive) was undertaken to determine the numbers of new species that have become established over time. Results show that the numbers of newly recorded pathogens have not varied significantly. Of the 234 pathogens recorded for the first time between 1970 and 2004, 157 were fungi, 27 were oomycetes, 26 were viruses, 23 were bacteria, and one was a phytoplasma. Approximately 53% of pathogens were found on ornamental crops, 16% on horticultural crops, 15% on wild native species, 12% on agricultural crops, 2% on pasture plants and 2% on exotic forestry tree species. Where the origin of introductions was known or strongly suspected, 47% came from the Netherlands. About 38% of newly recorded pathogens with information on the location of first record were discovered in the South East region of England. Plant Pathologists regarded 19% of all new pathogens as important because of actual or potential economic/environmental losses. The results indicate that the numbers of new or important pathogens establishing in recent years are not increasing and that most new findings are associated with ornamental plants.     

陕北枣林病虫害生态调控复合模式的可行性分析

基于有害生物控制的原理,考虑陕北黄土高原环境特点和资源优势,结合国家退耕还林生态工程,提出乔木(枣树)—灌木—牧草(作物)—畜禽栽种养殖为一体作为陕北枣林病虫害生态调控的复合模式,并就其机制和可行性进行了较为深入的分析,对陕北红枣产业具有一定的实践指导意义。     

Associations among antimicrobial drug treatments and antimicrobial resistance of fecal Escherichia coli of swine on 34 farrow-to-finish farms in Ontario, Canada

Logistic regression was used to model associations between antimicrobial treatment and resistance among fecal Escherichia coli of finisher pigs at the farm level. Four sets of potential risk factors representing different levels of refinement of antimicrobial use on farms were modelled on resistance to antimicrobials. Final models for each antimicrobial were constructed from treatment and management variables significant on initial screening, and corrections for overdispersion were made. In general, in-feed antimicrobial treatment of pigs was more consistently associated with an increased risk of resistance than individual-animal treatment. Antimicrobial treatment in starter rations was significant in final models of resistance to ampicillin, carbadox, nitrofurantoin, sulfisoxizole, and tetracycline. Treatment in grower–finisher rations was significantly associated with resistance to ampicillin, spectinomycin, sulfisoxizole, and tetracycline. There was little evidence that in-feed antimicrobials increased the risk of resistance to gentamicin, which is a drug used only for individual-pig treatment in this study population. These results suggest that antimicrobial medication of rations of post-weaning pigs selects for and maintains antimicrobial resistance among E. coli of finisher pigs. Although resistance was common on farms that did not medicate rations of post-weaning pigs, the results indicate that antimicrobial use does increase the risk of resistance to the antimicrobials studied.     

发酵酸驴乳的生理功能研究初探

介绍了新型乳制品发酵酸驴乳的生理功能,酸驴乳的营养价值,及其维持肠道菌群微生态平衡的保健作用,分析了酸驴乳的发展现状和前景,为新品种发酵乳制品的研究,尤其是驴乳制品的研究开发提供依据。     

惠楼山药营养保健功能与加工利用

惠楼山药为豫东四大特产之一，明万历年间即为贡品，被封为“一品山药”，其药用及营养价值极高，属纯天然绿色保健品。通过分析惠楼山药的营养成分，综述惠楼山药的保健功能，提出惠楼山药的加工利用途径。     

Watershed Health Characterization Using Reliability–Resilience–Vulnerability Conceptual Framework Based on Hydrological Responses

An attempt was made to employ the reliability (R_el)–resilience (R_es)–vulnerability (V_ul) conceptual framework to develop a typical indicator system for quantitative assessment of watershed health. The study aimed to conceptualize and customize the R_elR_esV_ul framework to watershed health assessment for the Shazand Watershed in Markazi Province, Iran, for the period of 1977–2014. To this end, four easily, reliable, available and accessible criteria viz. standardized precipitation index (SPI), low and high flow discharges (LFD and HFD), and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) were selected, and corresponding indices for reliability–resilience–vulnerability (R_elR_esV_ul) framework were accordingly conceptualized and calculated. The thresholds of 0.1, 0.16 m³ s⁻¹, 12.63 m³ s⁻¹ and 25 mg l⁻¹ day⁻¹ were thus selected for SPI, LFD, HFD and SSC, respectively. The results showed a decreasing trend in R_el and R_es, and an increasing trend in V_ul for SPI and LFD in the Shazand Watershed. The results further showed an increasing trend in R_el, and a decreasing trend in V_ul for HFD and SSC. A decreasing trend was ultimately recognized in watershed health index for all criteria except SSC. Additionally, the integrated hydrological watershed health index of 0.16 ± 0.11 obtained from the geometric mean of the R_elR_esV_ul framework indices also showed a decreasing trend for the Shazand Watershed health during the study period. The results of the present initiative study can be considered as a baseline by decision makers and managers to effectively adjust watershed management strategies to handle land degradation issues in the area. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.