The effects of rearing methods and the perch on the daily activity, agonistic behavior, sexual behavior and economic traits of country-chickens

為瞭解公母分飼、合飼及棲木是否能改善土雞的日間作息行為及減少鬥爭行為與性行 為發生，以提高土雞的經濟效益而進行本試驗。利用兩批次雞隻，共１，１７２隻小 雞，進行本試驗。日間作息行為的觀察，如採食、活動與休息行為均由初生至１６週 齡，棲息行為則觀察９至１６週齡。鬥食行為與性行由５週齡開始至１６週齡。此外 並測量體重、雞及飼料效率。所得結果如下： 一、日間作息行為： 各週齡之日間採食行為大致維持穩定變化不，公雞之採食頻率顯著高於母雞（P<０ ．０１），公雞在有棲木雞欄有較低的採食頻率（P<０．００５）。公母分飼與合 飼對採食行為並無影響。 ２．活動與休息行為 活動的頻率１至３週齡呈直線上升，４至１０週齡維持穩定，１０至１６週齡再直線 上升，而在清早及傍晚的活動頻率最高。休息行為的變化則恰好與活動相反。母雞的 活動頻率顯著高於公雞（P<０．０５），９週齡以後休息也顯著減少（P<０．０ ５）。棲木顯著地增加公雞的休息行為（P<０．０５），但是對母雞並無影響。 ３．棲息行為： 公雞顯著地比母雞有較多的棲息行為（P<０．０５）。除了在無公雞的欄雞隻的棲 息行為明顯地隨年齡增加而增加。 二、鬥爭行為與性行為： 無結果之打鬥、威脅及互鬥從５週齡開始觀察頻率就一直直線下降至１１週齡為止。 ６週齡起啄擊及威脅直線上升，表示公雞社會階級秩序１１週齡以前極不穩定。母雞 鬥爭頻率極少，社會階級形成更晚。公雞駕乘的性行為自７週齡開始出現而後持續上 升至１４週齡達高峰。合飼下的公雞鬥爭頻率及駕乘的性行為均顯著少於（P<０． ０５）公飼下之公雞。 三、行為與經濟性狀的關係 公雞棲息行為與攻擊性、順服性有負相關的現象，社會階級係數與傍晚的棲息也有負 相關的現象。母雞１２、１６週齡之體重與早上之棲息有正關的現象。 四、經濟性狀： 合飼下的公雞５至８週齡的增重、１２週齡體重、雞冠及１６週齡雞也都顯著（P< ０．０５）高於分飼下公雞。合飼下母雞５至８週齡之增重及８、１２週齡體重有比 分飼高的趨勢（P<０．０５），但１３∼１６週齡雞冠面積增加卻顯著比分飼要來 得低（P<０．０５）。棲木之使用顯著地（P<０．０５）使公雞１６週齡之雞冠 較小，也使母雞１３至１６週齡之雞冠面積增加較少

Electrical activity of the diaphragm during nCPAP and high flow nasal cannula

Objective To determine if the electrical activity of the diaphragm, as measure of neural respiratory drive and breathing effort, changes over time in preterm infants transitioned from nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) to high flow nasal cannula (HFNC). Design Prospective observational study. Setting Neonatal intensive care unit. Patients Stable preterm infants transitioned from nCPAP to HFNC using a 1: 1 pressure to flow ratio. Interventions The electrical activity of the diaphragm was measured by transcutaneous electromyography (dEMG) from 30 min before until 3 hours after the transition. Main outcome measures At eight time points after the transition to HFNC, diaphragmatic activity was compared with the baseline on nCPAP. Percentage change in amplitude(dEMG), peak(dEMG) and tonic(dEMG) were calculated. Furthermore, changes in respiratory rate, heart rate and fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO(2)) were analysed. Results Thirty-two preterm infants (mean gestational age: 28.1 +/- 2.2 weeks, mean birth weight: 1118 +/- 368 g) were included. Compared with nCPAP, the electrical activity of the diaphragm did not change during the first 3 hours on HFNC (median (IQR) change in amplitudedEMG at t= 180 min: 2.81% (- 21.51-14.10)). The respiratory rate, heart rate and FiO(2) remained stable during the 3-hour measurement. Conclusions Neural respiratory drive and breathing effort assessed by electrical activity of the diaphragm is similar in the first 3 hours after transitioning stable preterm infants from nCPAP to HFNC with a 1:1 pressure-to-flow rati

Diaphragmatic activity during weaning from respiratory support in preterm infants

To determine if weaning from nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) to lesser supportive low flow nasal cannula (LFNC) results in a change in electrical activity of the diaphragm in preterm infants. Prospective observational study. Neonatal intensive care unit. Stable preterm infants weaned from nCPAP to LFNC (1 L/min). Change in diaphragmatic activity, expressed as amplitude, peak and tonic activity, measured by transcutaneous electromyography (dEMG) from 30 min before (baseline) until 180 min after weaning. Subgroup analysis was performed based on success or failure of the weaning attempt. Fifty-nine preterm infants (gestational age: 29.0±2.4 weeks, birth weight: 1210±443 g) accounting for 74 weaning attempts were included. A significant increase in dEMG amplitude (median, IQR: 21.3%, 3.6-41.4), peak (22.1%, 8.7-40.5) and tonic activity (14.3%, -1.9-38.1) was seen directly after weaning. This effect slowly decreased over time. Infants failing the weaning attempt tended to have a higher diaphragmatic activity than those successfully weaned. Weaning from nCPAP to LFNC leads to an increase in diaphragmatic activity measured by dEMG and is most prominent in preterm infants failing the weaning attempt. dEMG monitoring might be a useful parameter to guide weaning from respiratory support in preterm infant

Doxapram Treatment and Diaphragmatic Activity in Preterm Infants

Background: Doxapram is a treatment option for severe apnea of prematurity (AOP). However, the effect of doxapram on the diaphragm, the main respiratory muscle, is not known. Objectives: To investigate the effect of doxapram on diaphragmatic activity measured with transcutaneous electromyography of the diaphragm (dEMG). Methods: A pilot study was conducted in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit. Diaphragmatic activity was measured from 30 min before up to 3 h after the start of doxapram treatment. dEMG parameters were compared to baseline (5 min before doxapram treatment) and at 15, 60, 120 and 180 min after the start of doxapram infusion. Results: Eleven preterm infants were included with a mean gestational age of 25.5 ± 1.2 weeks and birth weight of 831 ± 129 g. The amplitudedEMG, peakdEMG and tonicdEMG values did not change in the 3 h after the start of doxapram infusion compared to baseline. Clinically, the number of apnea episodes in the 24 h after doxapram treatment decreased significantly. Conclusion: Doxapram infusion does not alter diaphragmatic activity measured with transcutaneous dEMG in preterm infants with AOP, indicating that its working mechanism is primarily on respiratory drive and not on respiratory muscle activity

Classifying Apnea of Prematurity by Transcutaneous Electromyography of the Diaphragm

Background: Treatment of apnea is highly dependent on the type of apnea. Chest impedance (CI) has inaccuracies in monitoring respiration, which compromises accurate apnea classification. Electrical activity of the diaphragm measured by transcutaneous electromyography (EMG) is feasible in preterm infants and might improve the accuracy of apnea classification. Objectives: To compare the accuracy of apnea classification based on diaphragmatic EMG (dEMG) and CI tracings in preterm infants. Methods: Fifteen cases of central apnea, 5 of obstructive apnea, and 10 of mixed apnea were selected from recordings containing synchronized continuous tracings of respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP), airway flow, heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO(2)), and breathing activity measured by dEMG and CI. Twenty-two assessors (neonatologists, pediatricians-in-training, and nurses) classified each apnea twice; once based on dEMG, HR, and SpO(2) tracings, and once based on CI, HR, and SpO(2). The assessors were blinded to the type of respiratory tracing (dEMG or CI) and to the RIP and flow tracings. Results: In total 1,320 assessments were performed, and in 71.1% the apnea was classified correctly. Subgroup analysis based on respiratory tracing showed that 74.8% of the dEMG tracings were classified correctly compared to 67.3% of the CI tracings (p <0.001). This improved apnea classification based on dEMG was present for central (86.7 vs. 80.3%, p <0.02) and obstructive (56.4 vs. 32.7%, p <0.001) apnea. The improved apnea classification based on dEMG tracing was independent of the type of assessor. Conclusion: Transcutaneous dEMG improves the accuracy of apnea classification when compared to CI in preterm infants, making this technique a promising candidate for future monitoring systems. (c) 2017 S. Karger AG, Base

Tryptophan requirement of the enterally fed term infant in the first month of life

Tryptophan not only is an amino acid essential to protein synthesis but also serves as a precursor in 2 important metabolic pathways: the serotonin and the kynurenine pathways. Tryptophan is related to sleeping patterns. The objective of the present study was to determine the tryptophan requirement of term infants using the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method with L-[1-C]phenylalanine as the indicator. Enterally fed infants were randomly assigned to tryptophan intakes ranging from 0.5 to 73 mg · kg · day as part of an elemental diet. After 1-day adaptation to the test diet, [C]bicarbonate and L-[1-C]phenylalanine tracers were given enterally. Breath samples were collected at baseline and during isotopic plateaus. The mean tryptophan requirement was determined by using the biphasic linear regression crossover analysis on the fraction of CO2 recovery from L-[1-C]phenylalanine oxidation (FCO2). Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. A total of 30 term neonates (gestational age 39 ± 1 weeks) were studied at 9 ± 4 days. FCO2 decreased until a tryptophan intake of 15 mg · kg · day; additional increases in tryptophan intake did not affect FCO2. Mean requirement was determined to be 15 mg · kg · day. The mean tryptophan requirement for elemental formula-fed term infants is 15 mg · kg · day. This requirement is lower than the present recommended intake of 29 mg · kg · day, which is based on the average intake of a breastfed infan