Proceedings of a Meeting held at the University of Surrey, Guildford, U.K., September 15-17, 1981

Fundamental aspects of ELISA technology; Applications of ELISA to the study of Helminths; Review of application of ELISA to the study of Protozoa; Application of ELISA to the study of Bacteria and Mycoplasma; Application of ELISA to the study of viruses; Application of ELISA to the study of hormones; Report on PACIA system.

Reproductive wastage is a major inefficiency in all livestock production with embryonic mortality accounting for a major portion of this loss. Accordingly the Commission of the European Communities encouraged the organisation of a seminar on embryonic mortality in farm animals which was held in Brussels on the 11th and 12th of December 1984. This book contains the text of the papers, discussions and final summary presented at that Seminar. As a background to the Seminar, the extent and timing of embryonic loss was described for farm animals. Particular consideration was then given to the various mechanisms and signals, both embryonic and uterine in origin, that are so far known to be involved in the establishment of pregnancy. Possible causes of embryonic death including physiological, endocrinological, genetic and immunological components were outlined and discussed. The final summary contains general conclusions from the Seminar and recommendations for future research work on this topic. J.M. Sreenan M.G. Diskin July 1985. ******************** THE EXTENT AND TIMING OF EMBRYONIC MORTALITY IN THE COW J. M. Sreenan & M. G. Diskin, The Agricultural Institute, Belclare, Tuam, Galway, Ireland ABSTRACT The extent and timing of embryonic mortality in heifers, normal cows and repeat breeder cows has been reviewed.

The CEC-seminar on "Indicators relevant to Animal Welfare" was held on November 9 - 10, 1982 at the Institut fUr Tierzucht und Tierverhalten, Mariensee, of the Bundesforschungsanstal t fUr Landwirtschaft (FAL) - It was the intention of this meeting to outline the present state of know ledge on proven and potential indicators and to discuss their applica bility in the assessment of farm animal management systems. After an introduction of the legal and material aspects of animal welfare, the following topics were dealt with : - Significance of indicators relevant to animal welfare - Integrated systems of indicators relevant to animal welfare - Applicability of indicators in animal welfare research and control procedures. The concluding discussion focussed on the applicability of indicators in science and in practice. As a result of the seminar, the presently known indicators can be grouped into the following categories : - indicators already being applied to animal welfare assessment in prac tice, such as morbidity and mortality, technopathies, behavioural aberrations and production performances; - indicators of high sensitivity, such as physiological criteria, which as yet are too demanding for general application; - indicators still under investigation for their reliability. It became also evident that the continuous integration of indicators into canprehensive assessment systems promises an ever improving judgement of animal welfare problems. The proceedings will be of substantial value to the CEC in the pursuit of animal welfare problems

Animal production systems have changed dramatically over the last two decades. Knowledge of energy metabolism and environmental physio logy has increased as appears from many textbooks on these disciplines. The contents of the symposia on energy metabolism of farm animals show this and they have initially focussed on feed evaluation and later on com parative aspects of energy metabolism. They show part of the progress being made. Application of knowledge of energy metabolism for animals has a long history since Lavoisier. In addition to this, studies about the environ mental requirements of animals have shown that we are still far from ac curate assessment of these requirements in terms of nutrients and ener gy. I n model studies on energy metabolism researchers have recognized the interaction between the environment and the energy requirements of animals. Estimation of energy requirements has been done in physiolo gical, physical and behavioural studies. The impact of conditions as en countered by animals in various production systems has been approached from different viewpoints related to these different disciplines. In addi tion, various kinds of infections (bacterial, parasitic: subclinical, clini cal) have been evaluated only recently with regard to their effect on pro tein and/or energy metabolism and thus on production. People working in the field of feed evaluation have defined how che mical and physical properties of nutrition infiuence energy to be derived for maintenance and production.

Hypotheses regarding development of dominant follicles during a bovine estrous cycle; Inhibin and ovarian function; Development of preovulatory follicles in the cow from luteolysis until ovulation; Follicular development in heifers chronically treated with bromocryptine; ...

The success of a scientific workshop depends on a delicate blend of many types of ingredients. Most important is to select a provocative topic which is at the forefront of a current investigative study. Coupled together with a relatively small but distinguished group of active research scientists known for their continued record of contributing significant findings, one has the firm foundation for an exciting and rewarding investment of time and effort. This was the setting for the first workshop organized by the European Association for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology. Ruminants have been domesticated for many centuries and have served mankind as a source of dairy products, meat, wool and power. The ruminant stomach has long been - and still is - a major concern for physiologists, pathologists, clinicians and pharmacologists. This workshop was organized and convened in an attempt to strengthen the basic science of the ruminant stomach, as it applies to an economically important group of mammals. To achieve this, various topics were covered by specialists which ensured presentation of new data, followed by discussions. In this book, reviews are presented on the different topics: motility (control and regulation, neurotransmitters and endogenous substances involved); flow of digesta (comparative aspects, role of content and metabolites); food intake; rumen metabolism (chemical manipulation, metabolism of xenobiotics and drugs); pharmacology of forestomach motility and, the reticulo-rumen as a pharmacokinetic compartment.

A Seminar in the CEC Agricultural Research Programme, held in Dublin, Ireland, November 21-22, 1985. Sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities, Directorate-General for Agriculture, Division for the Coordination of Agricultural Research

In spite of the availability of modern broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs, the prevention and control of helminth zoonoses remain a challenge to human and veterinary parasitologists and to physicians and veterina rians working on the field. Although the life cycles of most helminths of zoonotic importance are well known, there are still major gaps in our knowledge especially in the fields of epidemiology, diagnosis and treat ment The International Colloquium on Helminth Zoonoses held at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, 11-12 December 1986, laid emphasis on more recent advances made in the control and epidemiology of these zoonotic diseases. The disease complexes echinococcosis/hydatidosis, taeniasis/cysticercosis and the larva migrans-syndrome were dealth with in considerable detail. In the first chapter the phenomenon of strain variation in Echinococcus spp. is examined in the light of newer findings. The progress made in recent years towards a more specific diagnosis and drug targeting in hydatidosis is reported. In the second chapter recent advances in immunisation and treatment of cysticercosis are dealt with. The possibili ty of the existence of strain differences in Taenia saginata is also dis cussed. The third chapter is devoted to trematode zoonoses with particular reference to the situation in South-east Asia, Senegal (schistosomiasis) and Liberia (paragonimiasis). In the last chapter the larva migrans syndrome is treated in detail with special attention to its etiology and and diagnosis. Reports on lesser known nematode zoonoses like mammomono gamosis and oesophagostomiasis are included.

Proceedings of a Seminar held in Brussels on June 3-4, 1986, at the Commission of the European Communities