Optimising production systems for organic pig production (OF0169)

This is the final report of Defra project OF0169. There is a more comprehensive Executive Summary at the start of the attached main report. The overall objective of this project was to generate the scientific and financial information necessary to facilitate increased production of pigmeat on existing organic farms, and the conversion of conventional farms to this organic production. Information was collected through a series of experiments focusing on the effects of genotype, management and nutrition. The study was conducted on commercial organic pig farms, supported by literature searches, financial appraisal, and survey data collection. Organic production standards favour traditional breeds of livestock in preference to ‘improved’ genotypes, which may be less suited to the more extensive production systems. An experiment was carried out to compare performance, health and welfare of three different genotypes managed organically. These genotypes were chosen to represent different breeding strategies - British Saddleback (S), a pure-bred, traditional genotype; PIC Camborough 12 (C12), an improved modern genotype; and Saddleback x Duroc (SD) sow, suitable for ‘criss-cross breeding’ system by smaller organic farms. The modern improved genotypes of sows produced higher litter sizes than their more traditional counterparts, although the numbers of pigs weaned were similar across the genotypes studied. The results indicated that all three breeding strategies can be successfully adopted in organic production systems, and that choice of sow breed should depend on the ability of the farm to manage prolific sows, the implications for slaughter pig performance, and market requirements. A factorially designed experiment was carried out to investigate the effects on performance and carcass quality of three different genotypes of growing pig, three feeding systems and two housing systems. Overall, there were few significant treatment effects on product quality. In a further experiment, the herbage intake of growing pigs maintained at pasture was quantified. The results showed that, when offered a cereal- based concentrate ad libitum, the herbage intake of growing pigs from a good quality grass/clover sward contributed <5% to daily organic matter consumption. In these circumstances, modification of concentrate composition would not be appropriate. To facilitate efficient feed use in organic pig production, a ‘Feed Handbook’ (publication C3) was compiled, printed and made available to UK organic farmers. The effect of paddock management on the ranging behaviour of sows was also studied in a two by three factorial design, involving three sow genotypes. Two commercially applicable paddock management strategies were established: a) ‘Rotational’ (R) where a group of up to 6 sows was relocated to clean ground every four months, and b) ‘Set stocked’ (SS) where a group of up to 6 sows was relocated to clean ground every twelve months. Results suggest that during wet periods, the R paddocks may be advantageous as the pigs are moved off damaged pasture, whereas in drier periods, the SS paddocks maintain grass cover for longer than R and therefore incur less labour for moving without significant pollution risk. Pigs in the SS paddocks do use the further portions of the field, but this may require management manipulations to achieve satisfactory grass usage and distribution of excreted nutrients. In a survey conducted between August 1999 and April 2002 on the commercial organic farms, the main welfare issues reported related to keeping stock clean and dry in periods of high rainfall, managing Porcine Dermatitis and Nephropathy Syndrome and Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PDNS/PMWS) within their herd, and recruiting and retaining good quality personnel. Mange and lice were the highest-ranking current health concerns, and post-mortem reports of endo-parasitism was the highest-ranking historical health concern. Two of the five farms surveyed reported problems with scouring in young pigs probably due to Coccidia, which may pose a significant risk in organic systems. Data collected on physical performance, capital investment and operating costs were used to establish bench-mark production levels for organic pig herds, the cashflow implications of establishing an organic pig herd, profitability, and sensitivity to movements in productivity, costs and prices. This showed the potential for profitability, which was vulnerable to price fluctuations. Information was disseminated widely through farmer conferences and talks at national conferences, scientific papers, conference proceedings, technical and press reports

Parents understanding of vitamin D requirements, and the use of fortified foods

One in four toddlers are not achieving the recommended vitamin D intake crucial for their healthy development(1, 2). This study explored parents’ acceptability of factors affecting purchasing of foods and drinks fortified with Vitamin D in children aged 0-2 years old. A total of 194 parents completed an online parent questionnaire. Focus groups and interviews were used to explore in depth perceptions of vitamin D fortification. Thirteen participants participated in the 5 focus groups, 5 completed interviews. The majority of participants were female (mothers) and of White-British ethnic background, aged between 25-40 years, with 89% of the sample with a level 3 qualification (e.g. 2 or more A levels, NVQ level 3). Basic descriptive statistics were calculated from the questionnaire data and a thematic analysis methodology was applied to the qualitative data. The findings indicated low purchasing of vitamin D fortified foods/drinks by parents (21% of the sample). The foods/drinks most purchased were cereal, yogurts and alternative milks. Willingness to purchase certain products fortified with vitamin D to increase their child’s vitamin D was however high. After excluding formula milk, parents would be willing to buy yogurt, yogurt drinks, cereals, milk-based drinks, fruit juice and margarine. The table outlines parents’ views on the facilitators and barriers to purchasing vitamin D fortified foods and drinks. There is a potential for fortified foods to play a role in increasing the intake of vitamin D intake. Parents need quality education explaining the need to prevent vitamin D deficiency, though fortified products. Products also need to be suitable for babies and toddlers; better labelled, lower cost; with healthy options available with lower sugar and salt content, tasty, longer shelf life and better availability in local shops and supermarkets. Future research should determine if consumption of fortified foods/drinks alone rather than supplementation is sufficient to meet children’s daily intake of vitamin D(3)

Asymmetry of balance responses to monaural galvanic vestibular stimulation in subjects with vestibular schwannoma

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the potential of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) to quantify lateralised asymmetry of the vestibulospinal pathways by measuring balance responses to monaural GVS in 10 subjects with vestibular schwannoma and 22 healthy control subjects. METHODS: Subjects standing without vision were stimulated with 3s, 1mA direct current stimuli delivered monaurally. The mean magnitude and direction of the evoked balance responses in the horizontal plane were measured from ground-reaction forces and from displacement and velocity of the trunk. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) to 500Hz air and bone-conducted tones were also recorded. RESULTS: In healthy subjects, the magnitudes of the force, velocity and displacement responses were not significantly different for left compared to right ear stimulation. Their individual asymmetry ratios were always <30%. Subjects with vestibular schwannoma had significantly smaller force, velocity and displacement responses to stimulation of the affected compared with non-affected ear. Their mean asymmetry ratios were significantly elevated for all three measures (41.2±10.3%, 40.3±15.1% and 21.9±14.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Asymmetry ratios of balance responses to monaural GVS provide a quantitative and clinically applicable lateralising test of the vestibulospinal pathways. SIGNIFICANCE: This method offers a more clinically relevant measure of standing balance than existing vestibular function tests which assess only vestibuloocular and vestibulocollic pathways

Using a Smartphone App to Teach Students Practical Epidemiological Skills

Background: Despite the evidence that shows the pedagogical benefits of experiential education, epidemiology instructors rarely utlize experiential activities to teach epidemiological concepts and skills. Poster presented at 8th annual 2016 Thomas Jefferson University Faculty Days

The effect of premature extraction of primary teeth on the subsequent need for orthodontic treatment.

Aim: This was primarily to examine the effect of premature extraction of primary teeth (PEPT) on subsequent malocclusion and need for orthodontic treatment in the permanent dentition. The secondary aim was to correlate the effect of PEPT with loss of space in the primary and mixed dentitions. Methods: A predefined protocol was developed and registered prospectively with PROSPERO database. The electronic databases, searched, were MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The study designs considered for inclusion were controlled trials, cohort, and case-control studies. Risk of bias was assessed using a validated quality assessment tool. Results: 513 studies were identified. Sixteen studies were included in the systematic review, one study reported on malocclusion, and 15 studies reported on space changes. Narrative synthesis was undertaken owing to the heterogeneity of the included studies. No study examined the effect of PEPT on orthodontic need. Most studies reported on space dimensions used a split-mouth design and were at a high risk of bias. Conclusions: The included literature identified that PEPT led to various features of malocclusion and space loss in the mixed and permanent dentitions. No studies, that met the inclusion criteria, described the effect of PEPT on the subsequent need for orthodontic treatment

Cross-sectional associations between sleep duration, sedentary time, physical activity, and adiposity indicators among Canadian preschool-aged children using compositional analyses

Abstract Background Sleep duration, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity are three co-dependent behaviours that fall on the movement/non-movement intensity continuum. Compositional data analyses provide an appropriate method for analyzing the association between co-dependent movement behaviour data and health indicators. The objectives of this study were to examine: (1) the combined associations of the composition of time spent in sleep, sedentary behaviour, light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) with adiposity indicators; and (2) the association of the time spent in sleep, sedentary behaviour, LPA, or MVPA with adiposity indicators relative to the time spent in the other behaviours in a representative sample of Canadian preschool-aged children. Methods Participants were 552 children aged 3 to 4 years from cycles 2 and 3 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey. Sedentary time, LPA, and MVPA were measured with Actical accelerometers (Philips Respironics, Bend, OR USA), and sleep duration was parental reported. Adiposity indicators included waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) z-scores based on World Health Organization growth standards. Compositional data analyses were used to examine the cross-sectional associations. Results The composition of movement behaviours was significantly associated with BMI z-scores (p = 0.006) but not with WC (p = 0.718). Further, the time spent in sleep (BMI z-score: γ sleep  = −0.72; p = 0.138; WC: γ sleep  = −1.95; p = 0.285), sedentary behaviour (BMI z-score: γ SB  = 0.19; p = 0.624; WC: γ SB  = 0.87; p = 0.614), LPA (BMI z-score: γ LPA  = 0.62; p = 0.213, WC: γ LPA  = 0.23; p = 0.902), or MVPA (BMI z-score: γ MVPA  = −0.09; p = 0.733, WC: γ MVPA  = 0.08; p = 0.288) relative to the other behaviours was not significantly associated with the adiposity indicators. Conclusions This study is the first to use compositional analyses when examining associations of co-dependent sleep duration, sedentary time, and physical activity behaviours with adiposity indicators in preschool-aged children. The overall composition of movement behaviours appears important for healthy BMI z-scores in preschool-aged children. Future research is needed to determine the optimal movement behaviour composition that should be promoted in this age group

Improving the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions during COVID-19: examining the factors that influence engagement and the impact on individuals

Background: During an evolving outbreak or pandemic, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) including physicaldistancing, isolation, and mask use may flatten the peak in communities. However, these strategies rely on communityunderstanding and motivation to engage to ensure appropriate compliance and impact. To support current activitiesfor COVID-19, the objectives of this narrative review was to identify the key determinants impacting on engagement.Methods: An integrative narrative literature review focused on NPIs. We aimed to identify published peer-reviewedarticles that focused on the general community (excluding healthcare workers), NPIs (including school closure,quarantine, isolation, physical distancing and hygiene behaviours), and factors/characteristics (including social, physical,psychological, capacity, motivation, economic and demographic) that impact on engagement.Results: The results revealed that there are a range of demographic, social and psychological factors underpinningengagement with quarantine, school closures, and personal protective behaviours. Aside from the factors impacting onacceptance and compliance, there are several key community concerns about their use that need to be addressedincluding the potential for economic consequences.Conclusion: It is important that we acknowledge that these strategies will have an impact on an individual and thecommunity. By understanding the barriers, we can identify what strategies need to be adopted to motivate individualsand improve community compliance. Using a behavioural framework to plan interventions based on these key barriers,will also ensure countries implement appropriate and targeted responses

Improving Vitamin D Intake in Young Children—Can an Infographic Help Parents and Carers Understand the Recommendations?

Vitamin D deficiency is a serious public health issue in the United Kingdom. Those at increased risk, such as pregnant women, children under 5 years and people from ethnic groups with dark skin, are not all achieving their recommended vitamin D. Effective vitamin D education is warranted. A qualitative study was undertaken to evaluate the acceptability and understanding of a vitamin D infographic, developed using recommendations from previous research. Fifteen parents/carers, recruited through local playgroups and adverts on popular parent websites, participated in focus groups and telephone interviews. The majority were female, White British and educated to degree level. A thematic analysis methodology was applied. The findings indicated that understanding and acceptability of the infographic were satisfactory, but improvements were recommended to aid interpretation and create more accessible information. These included additional content (what vitamin D is; other sources; its health benefits; methods/doses for administration and scientific symbols used) and improved presentation (eye-catching, less text, simpler language, more images and a logo). Once finalized, the infographic could be a useful tool to educate families around vitamin D supplementation guidelines, support the UK Healthy Start vitamins scheme and help improve vitamin D status for pregnant and lactating women and young children