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BackgroundCOPD patients are more susceptible to viral respiratory infections and their sequelae, and have intrinsically weaker immune responses to vaccinations against influenza and other pathogens. Prime-boost, double-dose immunisation has been suggested as a general strategy to overcome weak humoral response to vaccines, such as seasonal influenza vaccination, in susceptible populations with weak immunity. However, this strategy, which may also provide fundamental insights into the nature of weakened immunity, has not been formally studied in COPD.MethodsWe conducted an open-label study of seasonal influenza vaccination in 33 vaccine-experienced COPD patients recruited from established cohorts (mean age 70 (95% CI 66.9–73.2) years; mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio 53.4% (95% CI 48.0–58.8%)). Patients received two sequential standard doses of the 2018 quadrivalent influenza vaccine (15 μg haemagglutinin per strain) in a prime-boost schedule 28 days apart. We measured strain-specific antibody titres, an accepted surrogate of likely efficacy, and induction of strain-specific B-cell responses following the prime and boost immunisations.ResultsWhereas priming immunisation induced the expected increase in strain-specific antibody titres, a second booster dose was strikingly ineffective at further increasing antibody titres. Similarly, priming immunisation induced strain-specific B-cells, but a second booster dose did not further enhance the B-cell response. Poor antibody responses were associated with male gender and cumulative cigarette exposure.ConclusionsPrime-boost, double-dose immunisation does not further improve influenza vaccine immunogenicity in previously vaccinated COPD patients. These findings underscore the need to design more effective vaccine strategies for COPD patients for influenza.

A recently published article has confirmed that a novel immunization method of sustained and escalating antigen delivery augments the magnitude, quality and durability of humoral immune responses.

Full list of authors: Silber, Joseph Harry; Fagrelius, Parker; Fanning, Kevin; Schubnell, Michael; Aguilar, Jessica Nicole; Ahlen, Steven; Ameel, Jon; Ballester, Otger; Baltay, Charles; Bebek, Chris; Beard, Dominic Benton; Besuner, Robert; Cardiel-Sas, Laia; Casas, Ricard; Castander, Francisco Javier; Claybaugh, Todd; Dobson, Carl; Duan, Yutong; Dunlop, Patrick; Edelstein, Jerry; Emmet, William T.; Elliott, Ann; Evatt, Matthew; Gershkovich, Irena; Guy, Julien; Harris, Stu; Heetderks, Henry; Heetderks, Ian; Honscheid, Klaus; Maria Illa, Jose; Jelinsky, Patrick; Jelinsky, Sharon R.; Jimenez, Jorge; Karcher, Armin; Kent, Stephen; Kirkby, David; Kneib, Jean-Paul; Lambert, Andrew; Lampton, Mike; Leitner, Daniela; Levi, Michael; McCauley, Jeremy; Meisner, Aaron; Miller, Timothy N.; Miquel, Ramon; Mundet, Julia; Poppett, Claire; Rabinowitz, David; Reil, Kevin; Roman, David; Schlegel, David; Serrano, Santiago; Van Shourt, William; Sprayberry, David; Tarle, Gregory; Tie, Suk Sien; Weaverdyck, Curtis; Zhang, Kai; Azzaro, Marco; Bailey, Stephen; Becerril, Santiago; Blackwell, Tami; Bouri, Mohamed; Brooks, David; Buckley-Geer, Elizabeth; Penate Castro, Jose; Derwent, Mark; Dey, Arjun; Dhungana, Govinda; Doel, Peter; Eisenstein, Daniel J.; Fahim, Nasib; Garcia-Bellido, Juan; Gaztanaga, Enrique; Gontcho, Satya Gontcho A.; Gutierrez, Gaston; Horler, Philipp; Kehoe, Robert; Kisner, Theodore; Kremin, Anthony; Kronig, Luzius; Landriau, Martin; Le Guillou, Laurent; Martini, Paul; Moustakas, John; Palanque-Delabrouille, Nathalie; Peng, Xiyan; Percival, Will; Prada, Francisco; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Gonzalez de Rivera, Guillermo; Sanchez, Eusebio; Sanchez, Justo; Sharples, Ray; Soares-Santos, Marcelle; Schlafly, Edward; Weaver, Benjamin Alan; Zhou, Zhimin; Zhu, Yaling; Zou, Hu; DESI Collaboration.--This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., A system of 5020 robotic fiber positioners was installed in 2019 on the Mayall Telescope, at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The robots automatically retarget their optical fibers every 10–20 minutes, each to a precision of several microns, with a reconfiguration time of fewer than 2 minutes. Over the next 5 yr, they will enable the newly constructed Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to measure the spectra of 35 million galaxies and quasars. DESI will produce the largest 3D map of the universe to date and measure the expansion history of the cosmos. In addition to the 5020 robotic positioners and optical fibers, DESI's Focal Plane System includes six guide cameras, four wave front cameras, 123 fiducial point sources, and a metrology camera mounted at the primary mirror. The system also includes associated structural, thermal, and electrical systems. In all, it contains over 675,000 individual parts. We discuss the design, construction, quality control, and integration of all these components. We include a summary of the key requirements, the review and acceptance process, on-sky validations of requirements, and lessons learned for future multiobject, fiber-fed spectrographs. © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society., The authors in the Barcelona-Madrid Regional Participation Group (BCN-MAD RPG) wish to acknowledge support by MICIN under grants PID2019-111317 GB, PGC2018-094773, PGC2018-102021, SEV-2016-0588, SEV-2016-0597, MDM-2015-0509, and CEX2020-001058-M, some of which include ERDF funds from the European Union. IFAE is partially funded by the CERCA program of the Generalitat de Catalunya. M.A., S.B., N.F., F.P., G.G.R., and J.S. acknowledge support from the Spanish MICINN grants MultiDark CSD2009-00064, IFT-UAM/CSIC Severo Ochoa Award SEV-2012-0249 and AYA2014-60641-C2-1-P, CSIC-AVS contract through MICINN grant AYA2010-21231-C02-01 and CDTI grant IDC-20101033, and support from the Campus of International Excellence UAM+CSIC. This research is supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231, and by the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science User Facility under the same contract; additional support for DESI is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Division of Astronomical Sciences under Contract No. AST-0950945 to the NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory; the Science and Technologies Facilities Council of the United Kingdom; the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA); the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT); the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (MICINN), and by the DESI Member Institutions: https://www.desi.lbl.gov/collaborating-institutions., With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2021-001131-S).

This article focuses on the extent to which interactions between religious communities and the State can leave children vulnerable to physical abuse. In recent history, there have been numerous challenges to State control and authority from both new and nontraditional religious movements (Urban, 2006; Richardson & Bellanger, 2014; Doherty, 2016). In comparison, one can argue that insufficient attention has been paid to how religious groups seek to constrain or evade government authority to protect children. As part of their “monopoly of violence” (Gallaher & Froehling, 2002), governments in democratic societies are expected to protect the physical security of citizens. Despite this expectation, it is arguable that, when it comes to concerns over the bodies of minors, governing officials have been more limited and certainly more inconsistent in their actions to provide protection. This reality leads to a dangerous situation in which children’s well-being is subsumed to the rights of religious communities.

This special issue of the International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation is dedicated to articles about Scientology and NXIVM, so it offers an opportunity to present evidence, in an academic setting, about Scientology’s possible influence on Keith Raniere (b. 1960) and the organization that he founded. I provide, therefore, a summary of comments that former members and critics of both groups have made about the (alleged) Scientology influence on NXIVM, and I conclude with my own interpretations of why some apparent similarities exist between the two groups and their creators. I realize that my comments are only preliminary (pending the discovery of new information), and I identify some lacuna in both evidence and interpretation that further researchers may want to pursue.

Background: The BALB/c mouse has been proposed as a model of human psychiatric disorders characterised by elevated anxiety and altered sociability. Juvenile BALB/c mice show decreased social exploratory behaviour, increased anxiety, and reduced brain serotonin synthesis compared to other strains including C57BL/6J mice. Aim: To determine whether supplementation of brain serotonin synthesis alters social behaviour and activation of serotonergic neurons across subregions of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) in BALB/c mice. Methods: Juvenile male BALB/c mice were assigned to one of four treatment conditions: vehicle/vehicle, carbidopa (25 mg/kg)/vehicle, vehicle/5-HTP (10 mg/kg), carbidopa (25 mg/kg)/5-HTP (10 mg/kg). Social behaviour was measured using the three-chamber social approach test, followed by immunohistochemical staining for TPH2 and c-Fos to measure activation of serotonergic neurons across subregions of the DR. Results: Mice treated with carbidopa/5-HTP spent more time in the social cage zone and covered more distance in the social approach test compared to other treatment groups. There was no difference between treatment groups in the activation of serotonergic neurons across subregions of the DR. However, the DRD was associated with increased social approach behaviour in carbidopa/5-HTP treated animals. Conclusions: Supplementation of serotonin synthesis can increase social approach behaviour in juvenile BALB/c mice. An increase in locomotor behaviour was also observed suggesting that increasing central serotonin synthesis may have led to a reduction in state anxiety, manifesting in increased exploratory behaviour. As no effect on serotonergic activation within the DR was found, alternative mechanisms are likely important for the effects of 5-HTP on social behaviour.

A microfluidic device was created and used to demonstrate that supported lipid bilayers can be deposited on clean glass slides and removed using high velocity buffer flow (1-4 m/s linear velocity). This was accomplished by forcing the flow through a microfluidic channel covering an annealed glass coverslip bearing a supported lipid bilayer (SLB). The removal of bilayer material was monitored via fluorescence microscopy, and two basic regimes were observed: at 1-2 m/s smaller areas were stripped, while at 3-4 m/s larger areas were stripped. SLB removal was verified by two means. First, lipid vesicles labeled with a different fluorescent dye were added to the device and filled in holes left by the removal of the original SLB, allowing stripping to be verified visually. Second, the solutions obtained from stripping were concentrated and the fluorescence in the concentrates was measured. The ability to strip SLB from glass provides a relatively gentle method of creating spatially inhomogeneous SLB, which could be a useful tool in the continued investigation of membrane properties and components. KEYWORDS: Supported Lipid Bilayer; Membrane Vesicle; Microfluidic Device

Thomas Tillam was a fascinating Christian Evangelist who lived through the exceptionally disruptive period of the seventeenth century. Whilst a leader at Hexham Baptist Church in 1651–1655, he kept...

Influenza viruses circulate globally, causing seasonal influenza outbreaks. Although antibody-inducing vaccines are the most effective way to combat seasonal infections, current vaccines can have poor efficacy, especially in children and immunocompromised individuals. We investigated the immunogenicity and efficacy of monovalent and quadrivalent formulations of the whole virus particle vaccine (WPV) in comparison to the commonly used split vaccines (SVs) in a non-human primate model. Naïve cynomolgus macaques vaccinated with either monovalent or quadrivalent WPV formulations consistently induced a stronger neutralizing antibody response against vaccine-matched virus strains, while reactogenicity was minimal. In contrast to the modest responses in SV-vaccinated animals, responses in WPV-primed animals were further increased by boosting with either formulation. Using a 28-parameter multiplex bead array to define key antibody features, we found that while both WPV and SV induced elevated IgG responses against A/H1N1 nucleoprotein, only WPV elevated IgG responses against A/H1N1 haemagglutinin (HA) and HA-Stem after each vaccine dose. Higher IgA responses to A/H1N1-HA were also induced after each WPV dose. Antibodies to A/H1N1-HA and HA-Stem that could engage FcγR2a and FcγR3a were present at higher levels after one dose of WPV compared to SV and remained elevated after the second dose. WPV-enhanced antibody responses were associated with higher frequencies of HA-reactive B-cells and IFN-γ-producing CD4+ T-cell responses. Our data suggest that robust antibody responses require WPV to be given as a priming dose but do not depend on the vaccine type used for the second dose. In contrast, antibody responses are not as prominent when SV is given first. Our findings support vaccination regimens using WPV, which may be particularly beneficial for priming immunologically-naïve individuals, such as the young and immunocompromised, and also advantageous in the event of a pandemic outbreak.

China's national strategy identifies railway electrification as one of the principal means of reducing carbon emissions and optimising the energy structure of transportation in the country. Here, the authors investigate the carbon-reduction potential of rail electrification in China and present a model to estimate the CO2 emissions under three possible future scenarios. These scenarios differ in their contribution to railway transport in China's transportation market. The authors also consider the effect of potential improvements in the country's electricity generation mix. The results demonstrate that railway electrification using the current energy generation mix can reduce carbon emissions by 8.9%. However, using a generation mix similar to that of the UK can help achieve a maximum reduction of carbon emissions of 65.4%.

Before the diminished influence of classical psychoanalysis in the late twentieth century, several now-classic studies of sectarian religions contained Freudian psychoanalytic perspectives on religious sects or cults. These studies included Weston La Barre’s analyses of both serpent handlers and the Native American Ghost Dance; Norman Cohn’s panoramic examination of medieval European sectarian apocalyptic movements; and E. P. Thompson’s groundbreaking examination of Methodism within the formation of English working-class consciousness. Regardless of the problems that are endemic to the application of Freudian psychoanalysis to history, the sheer (although sometimes flawed) erudition of these three authors suggests that classical psychoanalysis had an important interpretive role to play in the study of some sectarian and cultic groups.

Introduction: The Pain and Movement Reasoning Model is a tool to assist clinical reasoning. It was created for physiotherapists to use in musculoskeletal outpatient clinics but may be appropriate in other clinical contexts. The Model has also been used in physiotherapy education.Objective: To determine physiotherapists' perceptions of the appropriateness (suitability) and benefit (utility) of the Pain and Movement Reasoning Model across clinical contexts in hospital and community practice. Methods Physiotherapists from two health networks in Melbourne, Australia, received training in using the Model and over 4-6 weeks applied it in their clinical interactions. Drawing on a deductive phenomenological approach, transcripts from focus groups and interviews were analysed to determine the suitability and utility of the Model across clinical areas.Results: Twenty-nine physiotherapists from 12 different clinical areas participated. Two themes represented the participants' comments: Suitability for Practice and Utility in Practice. Participants reported the approach to clinical reasoning, promoted by the Model, aligned with existing physiotherapy practice. Enhancements to practice included more comprehensive assessment, selection of broader management techniques and increased confidence with reasoning and explaining the complexity of pain to patients. Participants described using the Model for developing junior staff and training postgraduate students. They also saw potential in adapting the Model for other disciplines and for other multifactorial conditions.Conclusion: Physiotherapists working in a range of clinical contexts considered the Pain and Movement Reasoning Model appropriate and beneficial in clinical practice and in teaching. Further evaluation of the Model in wider settings is warranted.

Previous studies have demonstrated mindfulness-based programs are effective in reducing workplace stress; however, few have investigated the effectiveness of online mindfulness-based programs. Physiological measures are also underutilised when examining the efficacy of these programs. Therefore, we assessed the efficacy of an online mindfulness-based program on both short-term and more enduring aspects of psychological and physiological measures of stress and ill-health. Participants (N = 22) completed an 8-week online mindfulness-based program. Immediately before and after a mindfulness session, participants completed questionnaires to assess the short-term effects on mood and state anxiety and provided saliva samples to assess salivary alpha amylase (sAA) concentrations. Additionally, pre and post the 8-week intervention, participants completed questionnaires assessing workplace stress, over-commitment, work engagement, dispositional mindfulness and personal resources. Saliva samples were collected to measure the cortisol awakening response, sAA awakening response and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). Our findings demonstrate that online mindfulness-based programs induce short-term improvements in fatigue and anxiety in employees. Additionally, we also report a decrease in over-commitment and increases in optimism and mucosal immunity (sIgA) following the program.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous and highly heritable condition with multiple aetiologies. Although the biological mechanisms underlying ASD are not fully understood, evidence suggests that dysregulation of serotonergic systems play an important role in ASD psychopathology. Preclinical models using mice with altered serotonergic neurotransmission may provide insight into the role of serotonin in behaviours relevant to clinical features of ASD. For example, BALB/c mice carry a loss-of-function single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; C1473 G) in tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2), which encodes the brain-specific isoform of the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin synthesis, and these mice frequently have been used to model symptoms of ASD. In this study, juvenile male BALB/c (G/G; loss-of-function variant) and C57BL/6 J (C/C; wild type variant) mice, were exposed to the three-chamber sociability test, and one week later to the elevated plus-maze (EPM). Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) activity was measured following injection of the aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC)-inhibitor, NSD-1015, and subsequent HPLC detection of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) within subregions of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) and median raphe nucleus (MnR). The BALB/c mice showed reduced social behaviour and increased anxious behaviour, as well as decreased 5-HTP accumulation in the rostral and mid-rostrocaudal DR. In the full cohort of mice, TPH2 activity in the mid-rostrocaudal DR was correlated with anxious behaviour in the EPM, however these correlations were not statistically significant within each strain, suggesting that TPH2 activity was not directly associated with either anxiety or sociability. Further research is therefore required to more fully understand how serotonergic systems are involved in mouse behaviours that resemble some of the clinical features of ASD.

Serotonergic systems are involved in the development and regulation of social behaviour, and drugs that target serotonin neurotransmission, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also alter aspects of social approach-avoidance. The midbrain dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), which is a major serotonergic nucleus and main source of serotonergic innervation of the forebrain, has been proposed as an important target for SSRIs, although evidence in females is lacking. In this study, we examined the involvement of the DR serotonergic systems in social behaviour and in response to SSRI treatment, using peri-adolescent female BALB/c mice. Mice were exposed to the SSRI fluoxetine either chronically (18 mg/kg/day, in drinking water, for 12 days) or acutely (18 mg/kg, i.p.), or to vehicle control condition (0.9 % saline, i.p.), prior to being exposed to the three-chambered sociability test. Activation of serotonergic neurons across subregions of the DR were subsequently measured, using dual-label immunohistochemistry for TPH2 and c-Fos. Acute fluoxetine administration increased generalised and social avoidance, while mice exposed to chronic fluoxetine treatment showed levels of social approach behaviour that were comparable to controls. Serotonergic populations across the DR showed reduced activity following acute fluoxetine treatment. Further, activation of serotonergic neurons in the ventral DR correlated with social approach behaviour in vehicle-treated control mice. These data provide some support for the involvement of discrete populations of DR serotonergic neurons in the regulation of social approach-avoidance, although more research is needed to understand the effects and mechanisms of chronic SSRI treatment in females.

This document provides a single reference point for requirements for Relying Party (RP) software for use in the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) in the context of securing Internet routing. It cites requirements that appear in several RPKI RFCs, making it easier for implementers to become aware of these requirements that are segmented with orthogonal functionalities.

Although the neurobiological mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are still unknown, dysregulation of serotonergic systems has been implicated in the etiology of ASD, and serotonergic antidepressant drugs are often prescribed to treat some symptoms of ASD. The BALB/c strain of mice express a dysregulated serotonergic system and a phenotype that is relevant to ASD. In this study, juvenile male BALB/c mice were exposed to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine either chronically (18 mg/kg/day in drinking water, post-natal day (PND) 28–39) or acutely (18 mg/kg, i.p.; PND40), or to vehicle control conditions (0.9% sterile saline, i.p.; PND40), prior to being exposed to the three-chambered sociability test (SAT; PND40). One cohort of mice then received an injection of the aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, NSD-1015, and one hour later brain tissue was collected for quantification of 5-hydroxytryptophan accumulation in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) as a measure of TPH2 activity. For the second cohort, brain tissue was collected ninety minutes after the onset of the social phase of the SAT and prepared for immunohistochemical staining for c-Fos and TPH2 to measure the activation of serotonergic neurons within subregions of the DR. Acute fluoxetine decreased social behavior, while chronic fluoxetine increased social behavior compared with vehicle-treated controls. Furthermore, acute and chronic fluoxetine treatments were without effect on TPH2 activity but differentially affected populations of serotonergic neurons in the DR. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that serotonergic systems are implicated in social behavior that is relevant for ASD.

This study aimed to explore the use of a contemporary workplace stress model, the Job Demands-Resources model, with direct-care workers using a qualitative approach. The JD-R model has successfully been used to predict health outcomes across different occupations using quantitative methods. However, the use of the generic questionnaire developed for this model may not always be appropriate. Direct-care workers (n = 19) attended two focus groups and reported on their job demands, job resources and personal resources. Six themes relating to demands across the two groups: funding insecurity, time pressure, hindrance demands, poor systems, emotional engagement and dealing with client crises were identified. Participants identified clinical supervision, social support and progressive workplace resources as job resources. Finally, the personal resources identified by participants were professional behaviours, disposition and self-care. The JD-R model and its standard questionnaire captures some of these aspects of direct-care work, but many were not assessed. As such, future investigations with direct-care workers should ensure items related to poor systems, progressive workplace resources, disposition and professional behaviours are included. Alternatively, a qualitative approach should be used as a first step in the development of valid questionnaires when investigating workplace stress with this group to ensure their experience is accurately quantified.

A novel gel formulation was selected for intravaginal delivery of the GnRH agonist (triptorelin) for synchronizing ovulation in pigs. Studies with gilt models were used to assess LH response profiles. The lowest dose of triptorelin that induced the most gilts to show an LH surge was 100 μg in 1.2% methylcellulose gel. This formulation had a similar effect in weaned sows while also advancing ovulation. The timing of administration was evaluated in sows after weaning. Administration at 96 h induced more sows to ovulate (58%) by 48 h compared to treatment at estrus (45%) or for controls (34%), but the desired level of ovulation synchrony was not achieved. As a result, greater doses of triptorelin were tested and 200 μg given at 96 h after weaning, induced 81% of sows to ovulate within 48 h after treatment. The best synchrony of ovulation occurred when given at 96 h after weaning compared to earlier or later intervals. The optimum time to give a single fixed time AI (SFT-AI) after administration of 200 μg of triptorelin in 1.2% gel (OvuGel®) at 96 h after weaning was tested. A SFT-AI at 22 ± 2 h after OvuGel achieved the highest fertility and was practical for staff during the normal work day. In field trials, a SFT-AI 22 ± 2 h after all weaned sows were treated with OvuGel improved (P = 0.04) farrowing rate to 82.5% compared to control sows weaned (80.1%), with no effect on numbers of pigs born alive (12.1). Research continues for identifying the advantages for use of OvuGel in different production systems, and potential application for use in gilts.

Boar exposure is used to stimulate follicle development and estrus in sows after weaning and also to improve semen uptake and sperm transport with insemination. However, the need and value of boar exposure is uncertain when ovulation induction is used. These studies were designed to determine the effect of daily boar exposure after weaning when used with ovulation induction and fixed time post-cervical artificial insemination (PCAI). In experiment 1, sows were weaned into stalls and assigned to receive 3 min of daily fenceline boar exposure (BE, n = 7) or no boar exposure (NBE, n = 8). All sows received OvuGel at 96 h after weaning and BE or NBE 30 min prior to a single PCAI 24 h after OvuGel. Ovaries were assessed daily for follicle size from weaning until ovulation. Cervical contractions were measured 30 min following BE or NBE and before PCAI, while uterine contractions were measured for 1 h following PCAI. In experiment 2, weaned sows (n = 244) were assigned by parity to receive once daily BE for 1.5 min each day or NBE. OvuGel, PCAI and ultrasound methods were performed similarly as in experiment 1. Results from experiment 1 indicated BE did not significantly influence follicle size or measures of fertility. However, BE did increase the frequency of cervical contractions (P 24 h from ovulation but not when inseminations occurred ≤24 h before ovulation. The results indicate that boar exposure for only minutes each day after weaning had beneficial effects for improving follicle development, ovulation induction, and AI timing, most notably in parity 1 sows, but had no beneficial or detrimental effects on the ability to perform PCAI.

Estrus and ovulation responses in Matrix-treated gilts may affect ovulation synchrony in response to triptorelin. In experiment 1, estrus and ovulation measures at 12h intervals after last Matrix feeding (LMF) were analyzed. For the 398 gilts that displayed estrus, 87.4% were detected on Days 6-8 after LMF. Duration of estrus was 24-60h for 85.6% of gilts and negatively correlated with interval from LMF to estrus (r=-0.53, P 0.10) among treatments. The proportion of gilts ovulating 32-56h after treatment was greater for TRP120 and TRP144 (P 0.10) on estrus or on interval from LMF to estrus. The proportion of gilts ovulating by 40, 48 and 56h after treatment increased (P

Variability in estrus and ovulation requires multiple inseminations during estrus to ensure one AI occurs close to ovulation. Induction of ovulation after weaning improves synchrony of ovulation and allows for fixed time AI. However, the interaction between number of sperm in the AI dose and the timing of insemination has not been fully investigated. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sperm numbers used in a single post-cervical insemination (PCAI) and the timing of insemination following induced ovulation in weaned sows. The experiment was performed using sows (n = 641) allotted by parity (1–6) and lactation length (19.5 d) to receive a single PCAI using 1.5 or 2.5 billion motile sperm at either 22, 26, or 30 h following administration of a GnRH agonist, triptorelin acetate (OvuGel ® ) at 96 h post-weaning. Sows received boar contact once daily 3–6 d following weaning. A sub-population of the sows (n = 499) were assessed for follicle size and ovulation utilizing ultrasound at 8 h intervals. There was no interaction of number of sperm and timing of insemination for any response measure (P > 0.10). Wean to estrus interval (4.8 d), duration of estrus (1.9 d), and expression of estrus (88.0%), were not different among treatments (P > 0.10). Of sows scanned by ultrasound at the time of OvuGel ® , 88.2% had large follicles, 10.9% had small, medium or cystic sized follicles, and 0.9% had corpora lutea. The proportion of sows that ovulated averaged 94%, and differed by time of AI (P ≤ 0.05) but not by number of sperm. Pregnancy rate and farrowing rate tended to be affected by dose (P ≤ 0.10), while time of insemination affected pregnancy rate and tended to influence farrowing rate (P ≤ 0.10). Farrowing rate was greater (P ® (P ≤ 0.10). Farrowing rate was also affected by parity, estrus expression, ovulation and ovarian abnormalities (P ® compared to 30 h.

Objective Despite considerable research into associations between the effort reward imbalance (ERI) model and various health outcomes over the past 20 years, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the association remain unclear. Recently, ERI investigations have examined associations with immune sub-systems (e.g., leukocytes, cytokines and immunoglobulins). Synthesis of the amalgamated research evidence will aid clarity to this field of enquiry. We conducted a meta-analysis and reviewed the associations of ERI and over-commitment (OC) in the workplace with immunity. Method Electronic databases were searched with the phrase ‘effort reward imbalance’ which initially yielded 319 studies leading to 57 full text studies being screened. Seven studies that met inclusion criteria were combined using mixed and random effects models. Results Greater ERI was associated with lower immunity ( r = − 0.09, CI − 0.14, − 0.05, p r = − 0.33, CI − 0.47 to − 0.18) than trends between both cytokine ( r = − 0.04, CI − 0.07, − 0.01) and leukocyte sub-groups ( r = − 0.02 CI − 0.04, 0.01) respectively ( k = 7, N = 9952). Over-commitment was also associated with lower immunity ( r = − 0.05, CI − 0.09, 0.01, p = 0.014); subgroup (leukocytes, cytokines, mucosal immunity) associations, however, were homogenous (Q = 1.83, df = 2, p = 0.400, k = 6, N = 2358). Conclusions Greater ERI and OC were both associated with lower immunity. The association between mucosal immunity and ERI was stronger than the cytokine and leukocyte sub-groups. OC moderated the relationship between ERI and immunity.

The use of single-fixed time insemination enhances leverage of genetically superior boars. It is prudent to elucidate the appropriate strategy for using OvuGel® by season and parity given the potential economic return. It was hypothesized that OvuGel® could be used to mitigate seasonal anestrus, in particular for parity 1 sows. The objective was to evaluate reproductive performance of weaned sows administered OvuGel® (OG; n = 1342) that expressed proestrus or estrus on d 4 post-weaning, followed by a single post-cervical artificial insemination (PCAI) 24 h later. This protocol was evaluated as an alternative to treating all weaned sows regardless of estrous behavior. The Control (CO; n = 1530) sows were inseminated via PCAI after they were identified in estrus and again 24 h later if still expressing estrus. Sows were inseminated from May through November 2017. Prior to weaning, within each replicate, sows were equally assigned to OG or CO treatment by parity, genetic line, litter size, nurse sow status and health treatment status. Farrowing rate for OG was not different than CO (86.2 ± 1.2 vs. 86.6 ± 1.2%; P > 0.10, respectively). There was no effect on total born between OG and CO (13.2 ± 0.1 vs. 13.3 ± 0.1; P > 0.10, respectively). However, there was a parity × treatment interaction. Parity 1 OG (86.6 ± 3.0%) sows had greater farrowing rates than CO (74.5 ± 3.0%) sows (P < 0.01), whereas there were no differences (P > 0.05) between treatments for the other parities. These data indicate that producers can administer OvuGel® to sows in proestrus or estrus on d 4 post-weaning, followed by a single insemination 24 h later, and achieve similar performance as sows inseminated multiple times upon detection of estrus.