Decreasing the level of hemicelluloses in sow’s lactation diet affects the milk composition and post-weaning performance of low birthweight piglets

Hemicelluloses (HC) are polysaccharides constituents of the cell walls of plants. They are fermented in the gut to produce volatile fatty acids (VFA). The present study investigated the effects of decreasing HC level in a sow’s lactation diet on sow performances, offspring development and milk composition. From 110 days (d) of gestation until weaning (26 ± 0.4 d post-farrowing), 40 Swiss Large White sows were assigned to one of the four dietary treatments: (1) T13 (HC: 127 g/kg), (2) T11 (HC: 114 g/kg), (3) T9 (HC: 94 g/kg) and (4) T8 (HC: 80 g/kg). Milk was collected at 3 and 17d of lactation. At birth, piglets were divided into two groups according to their birthweight (BtW): normal (N-BtW; BtW >1.20 kg) or low (L-BtW; BtW ≤1.20 kg). Decreased HC levels in the maternal diet linearly increased (p ≤.05) the body weight of L-BtW piglets at two weeks post-weaning and linearly decreased (p ≤.05) diarrhoea incidence and duration in this category. The concentrations of copper, threonine and VFA, as well as the proportion of butyrate, in milk linearly increased (p ≤.05), whereas lactose content linearly decreased (p ≤.05) with decreased HC in the maternal diet. The present study provides evidence that decreasing HC level in a sow’s lactation diet can positively affect the composition and VFA profile of milk and ultimately favour the growth and health of L-BtW piglets.Highlights The results of this study showed that decreasing the level of hemicelluloses in a sow’s lactation diet modified milk composition and had positive effects on the post-weaning performance of low birthweight piglets. This study highlighted the role of dietary fibres in the maternal diet to alleviate body weight variations at two weeks post-weaning. Nevertheless, before advising pig producers, further research should elucidate the optimal level of hemicelluloses for lactating sows

Bath Chairs, Bureaux and Birds

The project selected was an investigation into office fu rniture from an industrial producer/consumer angle.The first stage took the form of an investigation into the needs of an office system in a modern office situation involving interviews with office users, the reading of research articles on ergonomics and office needs and then correlating these with knowledge of production and distribution pro· cesses in order to reach a solution acceptable to all concerned

Individual patient data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of community occupational therapy for stroke patients

<p><b>Background and Purpose:</b> Trials of occupational therapy for stroke patients living in the community have varied in their findings. It is unclear why these discrepancies have occurred.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Trials were identified from searches of the Cochrane Library and other sources. The primary outcome measure was the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living (NEADL) score at the end of intervention. Secondary outcome measures included the Barthel Index or the Rivermead ADL (Personal ADL), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire (NLQ), and death. Data were analyzed using linear or logistic regression with a random effect for trial and adjustment for age, gender, baseline dependency, and method of follow-up. Subgroup analyses compared any occupational therapy intervention with control.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> We included 8 single-blind randomized controlled trials incorporating 1143 patients. Occupational therapy was associated with higher NEADL scores at the end of intervention (weighted mean difference [WMD], 1.30 points, 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.47 to 2.13) and higher leisure scores at the end of intervention (WMD, 1.51 points; 95% CI, 0.24 to 2.79). Occupational therapy emphasizing activities of daily living (ADL) was associated with improved end of intervention NEADL (WMD, 1.61 points; 95% CI, 0.72 to 2.49) and personal activities of daily living (odds ratio [OR], 0.65; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.91), but not NLQ. Leisure-based occupational therapy improved end of intervention NLQ (WMD, 1.96 points; 95% CI, 0.27 to 3.66) but not NEADL or PADL.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> Community occupational therapy significantly improved personal and extended activities of daily living and leisure activity in patients with stroke. Better outcomes were found with targeted interventions.</p&gt

Factors associated with smoking cessation in early and late pregnancy in the smoking, nicotine, and pregnancy trial: a trial of nicotine replacement therapy

Introduction: Previous studies have found partners’ smoking status, multiparity, and nicotine dependence to be associated with smoking cessation in pregnancy. However, no studies have investigated influences on cessation among women using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). We analyzed data from a trial of NRT in pregnancy to determine factors associated with shorter- and longer-term cessation. Methods: Data were collected at baseline, 1 month, and delivery from 1,050 pregnant women. Two multivariable logistic models for validated cessation at 1 month and delivery were created with a systematic strategy for selection of included factors. Results: All findings are from multivariable analyses. At 1 month, odds of cessation were greater among those who completed full time education at >16 years of age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.82, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.24–2.67, p = .002) but they were lower in women with higher baseline cotinine levels (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.90–0.95, p 16 years of age (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.16–3.07, p = 0.010) but were inversely associated with higher baseline cotinine levels (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.92–0.99, p = .010). Conclusions: Women who are better educated and have lower pretreatment cotinine concentrations had higher odds of stopping smoking and factors associated with shorter and longer term cessation were similar

Does mode of administration affect health-related quality-of-life outcomes after stroke?

Telephone interviews and postal surveys may be a resource-efficient way of assessing health-related quality-of-life post-stroke, if they produce data equivalent to face-to-face interviews. This study explored whether telephone interviews and postal surveys of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale (SAQOL-39g) yielded similar results to face-to-face interviews. Participants included people with aphasia and comprised two groups: group one (n =22) were 3-6 months post-stroke; group two (n =26) were ≥1 year post-stroke. They completed either a face-to-face and a telephone interview or a face-to-face interview and a postal survey of the SAQOL-39g. Response rates were higher for group two (87%) than for group one (72-77%). There were no significant differences between respondents and non-respondents on demographics, co-morbidities, stroke severity, or communication impairment. Concordance between face-to-face and telephone administrations (.90-.98) was excellent; and very good-excellent between face-to-face and postal administrations (.84-.96), although scores in postal administrations were lower (significant for psychosocial domain and overall SAQOL-39g in group two). These findings suggest that the SAQOL-39g yields similar results in different modes of administration. Researchers and clinicians may employ alternative modes, particularly in the longer term post-stroke, in order to reduce costs or facilitate clients with access difficulties

The Mersey Estuary : sediment geochemistry

This report describes a study of the geochemistry of the Mersey estuary carried out between April 2000 and December 2002. The study was the first in a new programme of surveys of the geochemistry of major British estuaries aimed at enhancing our knowledge and understanding of the distribution of contaminants in estuarine sediments. The report first summarises the physical setting, historical development, geology, hydrography and bathymetry of the Mersey estuary and its catchment. Details of the sampling and analytical programmes are then given followed by a discussion of the sedimentology and geochemistry. The chemistry of the water column and suspended particulate matter have not been studied, the chief concern being with the geochemistry of the surface and near-surface sediments of the Mersey estuary and an examination of their likely sources and present state of contamination

Applying a SNP-based tool for conservation of wild and managed black bees in Ireland

Apis mellifera mellifera (Amm) is threatened over much of its natural range. However, in Ireland microsatellite and mitochondrial data have shown that a significant population of this subspecies exists in pure form and is spread over a large geographical region on the Island. Black bees have been managed and protected by beekeepers on the island, some of whom formed the Native Irish Honeybee Society (NIHBS)in 2012 and a breeding programme was initiated for Amm in 2014/2015. The application of a SNP panel that detects hybridization between M and C lineages clearly supports other data showing that the majority of beekeepers included in the breeding programme indeed have bees with very low to no introgression from the C lineage. Furthermore, SNP data has also been applied to the first feral bee colonies located in Ireland subsequent to the introduction of Varroa. Here we will present on the use of molecular data as an aid to manage and conserve honeybees in Ireland, and to elucidate patterns in colour variation and honeybee subspecies purity in wild and managed bees with a view towards improving conservation approaches in the face of a potential hybridization threat.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Incidence of fatal food anaphylaxis in people with food allergy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Food allergy is a common cause of anaphylaxis, but the incidence of fatal food anaphylaxis is not known. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of fatal food anaphylaxis for people with food allergy and relate this to other mortality risks in the general population. METHODS: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis, using the generic inverse variance method. Two authors selected studies by consensus, independently extracted data and assessed the quality of included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa assessment scale. We searched Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS or AMED, between January 1946 and September 2012, and recent conference abstracts. We included registries, databases or cohort studies which described the number of fatal food anaphylaxis cases in a defined population and time period and applied an assumed population prevalence rate of food allergy. RESULTS: We included data from 13 studies describing 240 fatal food anaphylaxis episodes over an estimated 165 million food-allergic person-years. Study quality was mixed, and there was high heterogeneity between study results, possibly due to variation in food allergy prevalence and data collection methods. In food-allergic people, fatal food anaphylaxis has an incidence rate of 1.81 per million person-years (95%CI 0.94, 3.45; range 0.63, 6.68). In sensitivity analysis with different estimated food allergy prevalence, the incidence varied from 1.35 to 2.71 per million person-years. At age 0–19, the incidence rate is 3.25 (1.73, 6.10; range 0.94, 15.75; sensitivity analysis 1.18–6.13). The incidence of fatal food anaphylaxis in food-allergic people is lower than accidental death in the general European population. CONCLUSION: Fatal food anaphylaxis for a food-allergic person is rarer than accidental death in the general population

Hydrolysable tannin-based diet rich in gallotannins has a minimal impact on pig performance but significantly reduces salivary and bulbo-urethral gland size

Tannins have long been considered ‘anti-nutritional’ factors in monogastric nutrition, shown to reduce feed intake and palatability. However, recent studies revealed that compared to condensed tannins, hydrolysable tannins (HT) appear to have far less impact on growth performance but may be inhibitory to the total activity of caecal bacteria. This in turn could reduce microbial synthesis of skatole and indole in the hindgut of entire males (EM). Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the impact of a group of dietary HT on growth performance, carcass traits and boar taint compounds of group housed EM. For the study, 36 Swiss Large White boars were assigned within litter to three treatment groups. Boars were offered ad libitum one of three finisher diets supplemented with 0 (C), 15 (T15) or 30 g/kg (T30) of HT from d 105 to 165 of age. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, boar taint compounds in the adipose tissue and CYP2E1, CYP1A2, and CYP2A19 gene expression in the liver was assessed. Compared to C, feed efficiency but not daily gain and daily feed intake was lower (P < 0.05) in T15 and T30 boars. Except for the percent carcass weight loss during cooling, which tended (P < 0.10) to be greater in T30 than C and T15, carcass characteristics were not affected by the diets. In line with the numerically lower androstenone level, bulbo-urethral and salivary glands of T30 boars were lighter (P < 0.05) than of T15 with intermediate values for C. Indole level was lower (P < 0.05) in the adipose tissue of T30 than C pigs with intermediate levels in T15. Skatole levels tended (P < 0.10) to be lower in T30 and C than T15 pigs. Hepatic gene expression of CYP isoenzymes did not differ between treatment groups but was negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with androstenone (CYP2E1 and CYP1A2), skatole (CYP2E1, CYP2A) and indole (CYP2A) level. In line with the numerically highest androstenone and skatole concentrations, boar taint odour but not flavour was detected by the panelists in loins from T15 compared with loins from C and T30 boars. These results provide evidence that HT affected metabolism of indolic compounds and androstenone and that they affected the development of accessory sex glands. However, the effects were too small to be detected by sensory evaluation