Irish pig farmer's perceptions and experiences of tail and ear biting.

peer-reviewedAbnormal behaviours such as ear and tail biting of pigs is of significant welfare and economic concern. Currently, pig welfare legislation is under renewed focus by the EU commission and is likely to be enforced more thoroughly. The legislation prohibits routine tail docking and requires adequate enrichment to be provided. In Ireland, tail-docking is still the most utilised control mechanism to combat tail biting, but biting is still widespread even in tail-docked pigs. In addition, as pig farms are almost all fully slatted, bedding type material cannot be provided. Thus, the opinions, and practices of farmers in countries like Ireland, which may need to make significant adaptations to typical pig management systems soon, need to be considered and addressed. We carried out a survey of pig farmers during 2015 in order to gain a greater understanding of the extent of biting on Irish farms, perception on the most important preventive measures, current enrichment use and actions following outbreaks. Fifty-eight farmers from 21 Counties responded with an average herd size of 710 ± 597 sows (range 90–3000 sows). Only two farms had experienced no biting in the last year. Of the farms that had experienced tail biting (88%), 86% had also experienced ear biting. The most common concerns relating to biting were condemnation and reduced productivity of bitten pigs with both receiving an average score of 4 (most serious). Ear biting occurred most commonly in the 2nd stage (approximately 47–81 days from weaning) weaner and tail biting in the finishing stage. The most important preventive measures were felt to be taking care of animal health, restricting density, maintaining an even quality of feed/content and maintaining good air movement. Sixty-five percent of respondents added additional enrichment following an outbreak. Chains were the most common form of enrichment currently used (83%). Those not using chains favoured wood, toys and rope (17%). Identification of the most effective and accessible control and prevention measures both for the animals and for the farming community is thus essential. Improved understanding of the concerns and practices of producers, which this survey contributes to, is a first step towards this aim

Supplementing essential amino acids with the nitric oxide precursor, l-arginine, enhances skeletal muscle perfusion without impacting anabolism in older men

Postprandial limb blood flow and skeletal muscle microvascular perfusion reduce with aging. Here we tested the impact of providing bolus essential amino acids (EAA) in the presence and absence of the nitric oxide precursor, l-Arginine (ARG), upon skeletal muscle blood flow and anabolism in older men. Healthy young (YOUNG: 19.7 ± 0.5 y, N = 8) and older men (OLD, 70 ± 0.8 y, N = 8) received 15 g EAA or (older only) 15 g EAA +3 g ARG (OLD-ARG, 69.2 ± 1.2 y, N = 8). We quantified responses in muscle protein synthesis (MPS; incorporation of 13C phenylalanine into myofibrillar proteins), leg and muscle microvascular blood flow (Doppler/contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)) and insulin/EAA in response to EEA ± ARG. Plasma EAA increased similarly across groups but argininemia was evident solely in OLD-ARG (∼320 mmol, 65 min post feed); increases in plasma insulin (to ∼13 IU ml−1) were similar across groups. Increases in femoral flow were evident in YOUNG >2 h after feeding; these effects were blunted in OLD and OLD-ARG. Increases in microvascular blood volume (MBV) occurred only in YOUNG and these effects were isolated to the early postprandial phase (+45% at ∼45 min after feeding) coinciding with detectable arterio-venous differences in EAA reflecting net uptake by muscle. Increases in microvascular flow velocity (MFV) and tissue perfusion (MBV × MFV) occurred (∼2 h) in YOUNG and OLD-ARG, but not OLD. Postprandial protein accretion was greater in YOUNG than OLD or OLD-ARG; the latter two groups being indistinguishable. Therefore, ARG rescues aspects of muscle perfusion in OLD without impacting anabolic blunting, perhaps due to the “rescue” being beyond the period of active EAA-uptake

Citrulline increases arginine pools and restores nitrogen balance after massive intestinal resection

Objective: Arginine supplementation seems logical in situations where this amino acid becomes essential, for example after massive intestinal resection. Arginine is taken up and metabolised by the liver to a large extent and its supplementation is potentially unsafe. Citrulline is not captured by the liver and passes freely to the kidneys where it is metabolised to arginine, and so is a good candidate to generate arginine and thereby improve nutritional status. Methods: Twenty four rats were assigned to four groups: citrulline, arginine, control, and sham. The sham group underwent transection and the three other groups resection of 80% of the small intestine. All rats were fed by enteral nutrition and its composition was as follows: supplementation with citrulline in the citrulline group, supplementation with arginine in the arginine group, and standard polymeric enteral nutrition in the control and sham groups. All groups received isonitrogenous nutrition and citrulline and arginine intakes were equimolar in their respective groups. After 10 days, the rats were sacrificed. Results: Arginine concentration was higher (p<0.05) in plasma and muscle in the citrulline group than in the three other groups. Plasma levels of arginine were 110 (12), 79 (7), 167 (22), and 228 (13) μmol/l in the sham, control, arginine, and citrulline groups respectively. Arginine concentrations in the gastrocnemius were: 0.15 (0.02), 0.16 (0.02), 0.40 (0.05), and 0.94 (0.20) μmol/g, respectively. Citrulline preserved nitrogen balance in resected rats but not in arginine supplemented rats (mean J10: 2.27 (0.29), 1.67 (0.15), 1.98 (0.29), and 2.43 (0.41) g/24 hours in the sham, control, arginine, and citrulline groups, respectively). Conclusion: Supplementing the diet with citrulline is a very efficient means of increasing arginine levels and improving nitrogen balance after massive intestinal resection. The results of this study form a strong rationale for citrulline supplementation in these patients

Decrease of spermatozoa with an unbalanced chromosome content after cell sorting in men carrying a structural chromosomal abnormality

International audienc