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The importance of a Culture of Care is increasingly referred to in the literature surrounding laboratory animal science, with good care viewed as essential to the competent management of animal facilities. Yet 'culture of care' is poorly defined, with care often being seen as synonymous with an attention to animal welfare. This paper draws on data from focus groups with researchers and animal technologists working in UK animal research facilities to identify practices that support or negate a culture of care. Tronto's ethic of care is used as a framework to consider how caring cultures are shaped within laboratory animal facilities, revealing practices which support or limit care. I suggest that closer attention human–human as well as human–animal relations is central to more expansive understanding of a culture of care, one which values care labour, recognises the need for both practical and emotional support, and provides opportunities for technologists and researchers to develop attentiveness to one another's work. The paper also recognises key obstacles to developing a more expansive culture of care including institutional hierarchies, the need to realise scientific outcomes, and the preconceptions held by individuals who work in animal facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to summarize the Italian Animal Genetic Resources (ItAnGR) recorded in the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) of FAO. The breed data sheets of ItAnGR were implemented by the Italian National Focal Point (ItNFP) of FAO under the guidance of Prof. Donato Matassino and CONSDABI. The impressive amount of work done is documented by 299 breed data sheets. The average level of completeness of the data sheets is 48%, i.e. a value similar to the average for European Countries, and for half of ItAnGR updating is quite regular. The number of breeds/populations included is very high for cattle (61), sheep (84), goats (54), asses (15), horses (34) and pigs (45), while it is very low for chicken (6) and absent for the other species. The level of risk of ItAnGR described in DAD-IS is worrying as about one fifth of the breeds are yet extinct, one fifth is judged critical, almost one fifth is endangered and about two fifth are not at risk, transboundary breeds included. The priority for next years is to complete and update the existing data sheets, to implement new breed data sheets for avian species, buffaloes and shepherd and hunting dogs, and to implement the new PED (Production Environment Description) module for all breeds/populations. It is evident that complete and updated database of ItAnGR is a prerequisite for the implementing of a sound National Plan of Action for the safeguarding of farm animal biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD34 is a cell surface glycoprotein expressed by hematopoietic progenitors and endothelial cells. It is widely used in the clinic for isolation of human hematopoietic stem cells. In recent years large animals are gaining increasing importance in biomedical research for the study and therapy of human diseases. Sheep has proved to be an useful experimental model for preclinical trials in transplantation procedures. Unfortunately, the lack of specie-specific monoclonal antibodies (MABS) recognizing hemopoietic progenitor cells hampers the use of this animal in experimental hematology. The aim of this paper was to determine whether commercial monoclonal antibodies specific for human CD34 molecule could cross-react with hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) present in sheep umbilical cord blood (UCB). Six antihuman CD34 MABS, recognizing the three different epitope classes, were tested in flow cytometry on purified mononuclear cells (MNC) isolated from cord blood of both species. None of the MABS used in this trial seemed to be able to identify HPC from sheep UCB. These data suggest that the panel of monoclonal antibodies used for cross reactivity detection has to be expanded with recently produced reagents. Further studies should be directed towards the production of ovine specific anti CD34 MABS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]