Comparing the Performance of Automatic Milking Systems through Dynamic Testing Also Helps to Identify Potential Risk Factors for Mastitis

Automatic milking systems (AMSs) are revolutionizing the dairy industry by boosting herd efficiency, primarily through an increased milk yield per cow and reduced labor costs. The performance of milking machines, whether traditional or automated, can be evaluated using advanced vacuum meters through dynamic testing. This process involves scrutinizing the system and milking routine to identify critical points, utilizing the VaDiaTM logger (BioControl AS, Rakkestad, Norway). Vacuum recordings were downloaded and analyzed using the VaDia SuiteTM software under the guidance of a milking specialist. Access to data from AMSs across various manufacturers and herds facilitated a retrospective study aimed at describing and comparing key milk emission parameters for different AMS brands while identifying potential mastitis risk factors. Using the proper statistical procedures of SPSS 29.1 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), researchers analyzed data from 4878 individual quarter milkings from cows in 48 dairy herds. Results indicated a significant variability in milking parameters associated with quarter milk yield and AMS brand. Notably, despite AMSs standardizing teat preparation and stimulation, this study revealed a surprisingly high frequency of two major mastitis risk factors—bimodality and irregular vacuum fluctuations—occurring more frequently than in conventional milking systems. This study, one of the few comparing different AMS brands and their performance, highlights the crucial role of dynamic testing in evaluating AMS performance under real-world conditions

CROSSREACTIVE ANTIBODIES AND MEMORY T CELLS TO HUMAN AND ZOONOTIC INFLUENZA A VIRUSES IN VOLUNTEERS

There exists a real hazard of transferring zoonotic influenza A viruses, either swine, or avian, into human population. In such case, severity of such pandemics depends on the pathogen-specific immunity in the population. Virtual absence of such immunity in humans was declared in the literature. In this work, we assessed systemic, local, and T-cell immunity to potentially pandemic H3N2sw, H5N1, H5N2, H7N3, H7N9 and H2N2 influenza A viruses in a group of healthy adults of different age. Our results indicate that these subjects develop the following immune reactions: (i) local (i.e., nasal IgA) and cellular (CD4+ and CD8v memory T cells) heterosubtypic immunity, in absence of detectable virus-specific serum antibodies to avian influenza A viruses; (ii) Local immune responses (as nasal IgA) to human A (H2N2) virus which circulated in 1957-1968 were detected both in subjects who could be primed at that time, but also in subjects born after 1968; (iii) full-scale systemic and local immunity to potentially pandemic А (H3N2sw) swine virus was found in the group. Conclusion. In order of proper epidemiological forecasts and planning appropriate preventive measures for potentially pandemic Influenza A viruses, a regular monitoring of collective immunity should be performed using different adaptive markers. In this respect, any conclusion based on molecular analysis only could lead to considerable mistakes, and should be accomplished by the mentioned immunological studies

What should we do about the employment of women with children in Russia? The role of preschool educational institutions

The paper examines the opportunities and obstacles to increasing the employment of women with children in Russia. There is a tight correlation between Russia’s lagging behind in the share of working women with children under the age of three and a lack of supply of preschool and childcare institutions. Using quantitative analysis of the Russian regions, we show that the expansion of the supply of preschool education services is associated with an increase in the employment of women, and the cost of introducing additional places in preschool organizations is recouped by additional tax revenues from working women with children in two years. Our cross-country analysis shows that the transition from traditional gender and social roles to more equal ones, the reduction of gender inequality, the encouragement of fathers to take parental leave, and the increased availability of part-time or flexible-schedule employment for women with children could further facilitate the employment of women with children. Our estimates show that an increase of preschool enrollment in Russia to the level of European countries would materialize a sizable economic growth potential: an increase in income per capita would be 3.5%.</jats:p

What should we do about the employment of women with children in Russia? The role of preschool educational institutions

The paper examines the opportunities and obstacles to increasing the employment of women with children in Russia. There is a tight correlation between Russia’s lagging behind in the share of working women with children under the age of three and a lack of supply of preschool and childcare institutions. Using quantitative analysis of the Russian regions, we show that the expansion of the supply of preschool education services is associated with an increase in the employment of women, and the cost of introducing additional places in preschool organizations is recouped by additional tax revenues from working women with children in two years. Our cross-country analysis shows that the transition from traditional gender and social roles to more equal ones, the reduction of gender inequality, the encouragement of fathers to take parental leave, and the increased availability of part-time or flexible-schedule employment for women with children could further facilitate the employment of women with children. Our estimates show that an increase of preschool enrollment in Russia to the level of European countries would materialize a sizable economic growth potential: an increase in income per capita would be 3.5%.</jats:p

AVIDITY EVALUATION OF LOCAL IgA ANTIBODIES IN PERSONS IMMUNIZED WITH LIVE INFLUENZA VACCINE

Abstract. At present, immunogenicity evaluation of influenza vaccines is performed by quantitative assessment of increased serum antibodies. It was, however, shown that the degree of human defense against influenza is mostly related to their qualitative characteristics, i.e., avidity (functional activity). Leading role of local immunity is demonstrated in protection against influenza. Such immunity is mediated by IgA antibodies from mucosal airways. Meanwhile, the avidity issues for local antibodies still remain open.In present study, an attempt was undertaken to evaluate post-vaccination local immunological memory for influenza A virus, according to IgA antibodies from upper respiratory secretions. Two techniques were used to evaluate antibody avidity, that were previously applied for studying this phenomenon with serum imunoglobulins, i.e., a dynamic test (measurement of antigen-antibody reaction rates), and a test with urea, a chaotropic agent (avidity is determined as a strength of antigen-antibody complex). A total of 202 persons (18 to 20 years old) were enrolled into the study.With both tests, a broad range of individual avidity values was observed for the antibodies. A significant cohort (up to 30 per cent) of persons immunized with live influenza vaccine, showed sharply increased avidity of secretory IgA antibodies by both methods, along with accumulation of these immunoglobulins after vaccination. A reverse relationship is revealed between avidity levels of these antibodies before vaccination, and increase of this parameter post-immunization. The data present convincing arguments for specific renewal of local humoral immunological memory, as induced by live influenza vaccine. The study substantiates a necessity for application of the both tests in parallel, when determining avidity of secretory IgA antibodies. (Med. Immunol., vol. 10, N 4-5, pp 423-430)

THE COURSE OF PREGNANCY IN WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME IN VIEW OF PATHOGENETIC ROLE OF THROMBOPHILIA

Metabolic syndrome is widespread among women of reproductive age. Metabolic syndrome is associated with at higher risk of developing various obstetric complications. The endothelial dysfunction, proinflammatory status and thrombophilic status may play an important role in impaired invasion cytotrophoblast and impaired placental developmentin women with metabolic syndrome

APPLICATION OF METHOD BASED ON IN VITRO ANTIBODY QUANTIFICATION IN PBMC SUPERNATANT SAMPLES FOR IMMUNOGENICITY EVALUATION OF A (H5N1) AND A (H5N2) POTENTIALLY PANDEMIC INFLUENZA VACCINES IN CLINICAL TRIALS

There are many data worldwide which suggest that the methods for evaluation of influenza vaccines immunogenicity should be improved. The only method validated in Russia is a HAI (haemagglutination inhibition) assay with serum samples from vaccinated volunteers. This assay does not, however, completely reflect the vaccine-induced immunological changes. In this study, we evaluated antibody immune responses to A (H5N1) inactivated influenza vaccine boosting in healthy volunteers previously primed with A (H5N2) live attenuated influenza vaccine. We compared three methods of antibody detection: (i) HAI assay with serum samples; (ii) ELISA with serum samples; (iii) ELISA with PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) culture supernates, i.e., an alternative test based on quantification of antibodies secreted by PBMC in vitro. The latter test was shown to have an advantage over other techniques in IgA and IgG antibody detection at early timepoints (day 7) after vaccination. The first two methods allowed immunogenicity assessment at day 28 after vaccination.Thus, a test based on antibody quantification in PBMC supernatant samples can be used as an alternative method for evaluation of influenza vaccines immunogenicity. This method also exhibits a better strainspecificity