- Invited Review - Current status and future trends for pork production in the United States of America and Canada.

Pork production is a significant agricultural enterprise in the United States and Canada. The United States is the third-largest global producer of pork and Canada ranks seventh in pork production. The North American Free Trade Agreement and its successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, have facilitated trade and integration between the two countries. The majority of production systems are modern and intensive, characterized by large vertically integrated farms using advanced technologies. Both nations benefit from their status as major producers of feed grains, with the United States leading in corn and soybeans, while Canada excels in canola and barley production. The regulatory frameworks for food safety, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship differ slightly, with the FDA and USDA overseeing these aspects in the United States, and Health Canada and the Canada Food Inspection Agency in Canada. The United States and Canada also have well-established distribution networks for pork products, relying on both domestic and international markets. Export markets play a crucial role, with the United States being a major importer of Canadian pigs, and both countries exploring opportunities in Asia. Despite a rise in global demand, domestic pork consumption trends differ, with per capita consumption remaining stable in the USA and declining in Canada. Changing consumer preferences, including a demand for ethically raised and locally sourced pork, may influence production practices. Future trends in pig production include a focus on consumer concerns, sustainability, disease prevention, reduction of antimicrobial use, and advancements in technology. The industry is adapting to challenges such as disease outbreaks and changing regulations, with a strong emphasis on animal welfare. Labor and workforce considerations, along with advancements in technology and automation, are expected to shape the efficiency of pork production in the future.

Veterinary Professions Advising Center: an innovative approach to preveterinary advising for Animal Science students.

Veterinary Professions Advising Center (VetPAC) is a unique undergraduate advising center that combines Career Center services with preprofessional advising for preveterinary students at North Carolina State University (NCSU). During the past 10 years, VetPAC has created five distinct internships, three annual study abroad courses, and a competitive annual high school summer camp, provided holistic advising, and hosted large-scale advising events that consistently provide resources to more than 800 students annually. The VetPAC provided outreach to an average of 13 local high schools per academic year and educated over 300 visiting students about VetPAC and preveterinary life at NCSU since 2015. NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine has had a minimum of 26% and a maximum of 45% DVM students in the incoming classes who accessed VetPAC resources and advising. This article presents the impact VetPAC has had on preveterinary student success at NCSU and provides an outline of VetPAC's first 10 years of development as a model of combined career services and preprofessional advising for peer institutions.

DNA methylation and expression of estrogen receptor alpha in fathead minnows exposed to 17α-ethynylestradiol.

The gene expression response thought to underlie the negative apical effects resulting from estrogen exposure have been thoroughly described in fish. Although epigenetics are believed to play a critical role translating environmental exposures into the development of adverse apical effects, they remain poorly characterized in fish species. This study investigated alterations of DNA methylation of estrogen receptor alpha (esr1) in brain and liver tissues from 8 to 10 month old male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) after a 2d exposure to either 2.5 ng/L or 10 ng/L 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2). Changes in the patterns of methylation were evaluated using targeted deep sequencing of bisulfite treated DNA in the 5' region of esr1. Methylation and gene expression were assessed at 2d of exposure and after a 7 and 14d depuration period. After 2d EE2 exposure, males exhibited significant demethylation in the 5' upstream region of esr1 in liver tissue, which was inversely correlated to gene expression. This methylation pattern reflected what was seen in females. No gene body methylation (GBM) was observed for liver of exposed males. Differential methylation was observed for a single upstream CpG site in the liver after the 14d depuration. A less pronounced methylation response was observed in the upstream region in brain tissue, however, several CpGs were necessarily excluded from the analysis. In contrast to the liver, a significant GBM response was observed across the entire gene body, which was sustained until at least 7d post-exposure. No differential expression was observed in the brain, limiting functional interpretation of methylation changes. The identification of EE2-dependent changes in methylation levels strongly suggests the importance of epigenetic mechanisms as a mediator of the organismal response to environmental exposures and the need for further characterization of the epigenome. Further, differential methylation following depuration indicates estrogenic effects persist well after the active exposure, which has implications for the risk posed by repeated exposures..

A systematic review of community nursing interventions focusing on improving outcomes for individuals exhibiting risk factors of cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of community-based nursing interventions in improving outcomes for community-dwelling individuals exhibiting risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). DESIGN: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. DATA SOURCES: Seven electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Global Health, LILACS, Africa-Wide Information, IMEMR, and WPRIM) were searched from inception to 16 March 2018. REVIEW METHODS: This review included outcomes from studies that were led by or delivered primarily by nurses for individuals exhibiting risk factors of CVD in community settings. At least two independent reviewers performed study selection, data extraction and risk of bias. RESULTS: 46 studies met the eligibility criteria. Community nursing interventions were found to be effective in improving clinical outcomes of symptom control, symptom awareness, symptom management, and social outcomes. Effective interventions were found to be facilitated by a community-centric approach, participant empowerment, reinforcement strategies, a targeted approach towards underserved populations, and home visits. These resulted in positive outcomes such as significant reductions in HbA1c for diabetic patients, attainment of blood pressure targets for hypertensive patients and greater improvement in self-reported dietary intake for patients with hyperlipidaemia. CONCLUSION: Community-based nurse-led interventions can result in positive outcomes for patients with risk factors of CVD. However, the success of such interventions needs to be facilitated by appropriate funding, thoughtful intervention design and training opportunities for nurses. IMPACT: Community-based nursing interventions are largely effective in improving clinical and social outcomes for community-dwelling individuals with risk factors of CVD.

Low Breast Conserving Surgery (BCS) rates in public hospitals in Malaysia: The effect of stage and ethnicity.

INTRODUCTION: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with radiation therapy is the procedure of choice for early-stage breast cancer. Survival and locoregional recurrence is non-inferior to mastectomy, with superior cosmetic and psycho-social outcomes. Differing health systems have demonstrated a wide variation in the rate of BCS. Little is known about the rate of BCS and factors influencing its practice in middle resource countries. This study aims to examine the BCS rates in Malaysia and to identify factors influencing its uptake. METHODOLOGY: This is a multi-centre, cross-sectional study involving the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (QEH), and Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (TARH). Patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from January 2014 to December 2015 were included, excluding stromal cancers and lymphomas. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified factors influencing BCS. RESULTS: A total of 1005 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer in the allocated time frame. Excluding incomplete records and those who did not have surgery, 730 patients were analysed. Overall BCS rate was 32.9%. The BCS rate was highest at QEH (54.1%), followed by UMMC (29.5%), and TARH (17.4%). 16.9% had BCS after neoadjuvant therapy. Factors influencing BCS uptake included age, ethnic group, breast-surgeon led services, AJCC Stage, tumour size, HER-2 expression, and tumour grade. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of BCS in Malaysia is low. A wide variation of rate exists among the studied hospitals. Younger age, earlier AJCC stage, and the presence of a Breast sub-specialist surgeon, would make it more likely that the patient has her breast conserved.

Evaluation of Ge-doped silica fibre TLDs for in vivo dosimetry during intraoperative radiotherapy.

Ge-doped silica fibre (GDSF) thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) are non-hygroscopic spatially high-resolution radiation sensors with demonstrated potential for radiotherapy dosimetry applications. The INTRABEAM® system with spherical applicators, one of a number of recent electronic brachytherapy sources designed for intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), presents a representative challenging dosimetry situation, with a low keV photon beam and a desired rapid dose-rate fall-off close-up to the applicator surface. In this study, using the INTRABEAM® system, investigations were made into the potential application of GDSF TLDs for in vivo IORT dosimetry. The GDSFs were calibrated over the respective dose- and depth-range 1 to 20 Gy and 3 to 45 mm from the x-ray probe. The effect of different sizes of spherical applicator on TL response of the fibres was also investigated. The results show the GDSF TLDs to be applicable for IORT dose assessment, with the important incorporated correction for beam quality effects using different spherical applicator sizes. The total uncertainty in use of this type of GDSF for dosimetry has been found to range between 9.5% to 12.4%. Subsequent in vivo measurement of skin dose for three breast patients undergoing IORT were performed, the measured doses being below the tolerance level for acute radiation toxicity.

Breast-conserving surgery versus mastectomy in young women with breast cancer in Asian settings.

Background: Mastectomy rates among women with early breast cancer in Asia have traditionally been high. This study assessed trends in the surgical management of young women with early-stage breast cancer in Asian settings. Survival in women treated with breast-conserving surgery (BCS; lumpectomy with adjuvant radiotherapy) and those undergoing mastectomy was compared. Methods: Young women (aged less than 50 years) newly diagnosed with stage I or II (T1-2 N0-1 M0) breast cancer in four hospitals in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong in 1990-2012 were included. Overall survival (OS) was compared for patients treated by BCS and those who had a mastectomy. Propensity score analysis was used to account for differences in demographic, tumour and treatment characteristics between the groups. Results: Some 63·5 per cent of 3536 women underwent mastectomy. Over a 15-year period, only a modest increase in rates of BCS was observed. Although BCS was significantly associated with favourable prognostic features, OS was not significantly different for BCS and mastectomy; the 5-year OS rate was 94·9 (95 per cent c.i. 93·5 to 96·3) and 92·9 (91·7 to 94·1) per cent respectively. Inferences remained unchanged following propensity score analysis (hazard ratio for BCS versus mastectomy: 0·81, 95 per cent c.i. 0·64 to 1·03). Conclusion: The prevalence of young women with breast cancer treated by mastectomy remains high in Asian countries. Patients treated with BCS appear to survive as well as those undergoing mastectomy.

Low Lifetime Risk of Contralateral Breast Cancer in a Middle-Income Asian Country: Evidence to Guide Post-treatment Surveillance.

BACKGROUND: The rate of contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy (CRRM) is increasing in the West with controversial evidence of improved survival in early breast cancer patients. Although uptake of CRRM in Asia appears low, the trends may rise, and there is currently an urgent need to provide evidence for informed decision-making in clinical practice. This study aims to determine the risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) and its associated factors in an Asian setting. METHOD: A total of 2937 newly diagnosed patients with stage I and stage II breast cancer in University Malaya Medical Centre between Jan 1993 to Dec 2012 were included in the study. Multinomial logistic regression analysis allowing death to compete with CBC as a study outcome was used; patients with unilateral breast cancer who were alive were taken as reference. A stepwise backward regression analysis including age at diagnosis, ethnicity, family history of breast cancer, TNM stage, hormonal receptor status, HER2 status, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy was conducted. RESULTS: Fifty women developed CBC, over a median follow-up of 6 years. The 5- and 10-year cumulative risk of contralateral breast cancer was 1.0% (95% CI 0.6-1.4%) and 2.8% (95% CI 2.0-3.6%), respectively. Young age at diagnosis of first cancer, positive family history, and stage I disease were independent predictors of CBC. DISCUSSION: The current study suggests that the risk of CBC is very low in a Southeast Asian setting. Any recommendations or practice of CRRM should be reviewed with caution and patients must be counseled appropriately.

Breast Cancer Outcomes as Defined by the Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and Human Growth Factor Receptor-2 in a Multi-ethnic Asian Country.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer can be divided into four subtypes based on the expressions of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2). Each subtype has different clinicopathological features and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinicopathological features and survival of ER and/or PR positive HER2 negative (ER+PR+HER2-, ER+PR-HER2- or ER-PR+HER2-), ER and/or PR positive HER2 positive (ER+PR+HER2+, ER+PR-HER2+ or ER-PR+HER2+), ER negative PR negative HER2 positive (ER-PR-HER2+), and ER negative PR negative HER2 negative (ER-PR-HER2-) subtypes. METHODS: 1957 patients with Stage 1-3 breast carcinoma diagnosed between Jan 2005 and Dec 2011 were categorized into the four subtypes. The clinicopathological features between the subtypes were compared using χ (2) test. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to estimate 5-year overall survival. Multivariate Cox regression was used to determine the association between subtypes and mortality adjusted for age, ethnicity, stage, pathological features, and treatment. RESULTS: ER-PR-HER2+ and ER-PR-HER2- subtypes were associated with younger age, larger tumors, and higher grade. There was no difference in the 5-year survival of the ER-PR-HER2+ and ER-PR-HER2- subtypes (75.1 and 74.4 %, respectively) and survival was poorer than in the ER and/or PR positive HER2 negative and ER and/or PR positive HER2 positive subtypes (87.1 and 83.1 %, respectively). Only 9.5 % of women with HER2 positive breast cancer had access to trastuzumab. CONCLUSION: In a low resource setting with limited access to trastuzumab, there is no difference in survival between the ER-PR-HER2+ and ER-PR-HER2- subtypes of breast cancer.

Utility of pre-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio as prognostic factors in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral blood-derived inflammation-based scores such as the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have recently been proposed as prognostic markers in solid tumours. Although evidence to support these markers as unfavourable prognostic factors is more compelling in gastrointestinal cancers, very little is known of their impact on breast cancer. We investigated the association between the NLR and PLR, and overall survival after breast cancer. METHODS: Data from the University of Malaya Medical Centre Breast Cancer Registry was used. Of 2059 consecutive patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2008, we included 1435 patients with an available pre-treatment differential blood count (∼70%). Patients were stratified into quintiles of the NLR/PLR. Multivariable Cox regression was used to determine the independent prognostic significances of the NLR/PLR. RESULTS: Compared with the first quintile of the NLR, women in quintile 5 were younger, had bigger tumours, nodal involvement, distant metastases and higher tumour grades. Higher NLR quintiles were significantly associated with poorer survival with a 5-year relative survival ratio (RSR) of 76.4% (95% CI: 69.6-82.1%) in quintile 1, 79.4% (95% CI: 74.4-83.7%) in quintile 2, 72.1% (95% CI: 66.3-77.3%) in quintile 3, 65.6% (95% CI: 59.8-70.8%) in quintile 4 and 51.1% (95% CI: 43.3-58.5%) in quintile 5. Following adjustment for demography, tumour characteristics, treatment and the PLR, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for quintile 5 vs quintile 1 was 1.50 (95% CI: 1.08-1.63); Ptrend=0.004. Results were unchanged when the NLR was analysed as a dichotomous variable using different cutoff points. Although patients in PLR quintile 5 had lower survival than in quintile 1 (5-year RSR: 53.2% (95% CI: 46.9-59.2%) vs 77.0% (95% CI: 70.9-82.2%)), this association was not significant after multivariable adjustment. However, a PLR >185 was significantly associated with poorer survival; adjusted HR: 1.25 (95% CI: 1.04-1.52). CONCLUSIONS: Both the NLR and PLR are independently associated with an increased risk of mortality in breast cancer. Their added value in the prognostication of breast cancer in clinical practice warrants investigation.

The Will Rogers phenomenon in the staging of breast cancer - does it matter?

INTRODUCTION: Changes in the American Joint Commission on Cancer staging for breast cancer occurred when the 5th Edition was updated to the 6th Edition. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how these changes affected stage and survival. METHODS: 3127 cases of breast cancer were restaged. RESULTS: Late stages increased from 27.7% to 38.1%. The five-year survival improved in Stage 2 (82.9-86.1%) and Stage 3 (50.6-59%). DISCUSSION: Stage shift leads to an erroneous impression that women are presenting with later stages and stage-specific survival is improving. CONCLUSION: Standardizing cancer staging is important when reporting stage and survival in different time periods.

Protective effect of two yeast based feed additives on pigs chronically exposed to deoxynivalenol and zearalenone.

To evaluate the effects of the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) on pigs and the benefits of two mycotoxin mitigation strategies, gilts (n = 84, 9.1 ± 0.1 kg) were allotted to four treatments: CON (control); MT (4.8 mg/kg feed DON and 0.3 mg/kg feed ZEA); MT-YC (MT + 2 g/kg of yeast cell wall product); and MT-YF (MT + 2 g/kg of yeast fermentation product). After 42 days of feeding, pigs fed MT had reduced (p < 0.05) growth performance compared with pigs fed CON. Pigs fed MT-YF had greater (p < 0.05) average daily gain and tended to have greater (p = 0.080) average daily feed intake than MT, whereas pigs fed MT-YC did not differ from MT. Oxidative DNA damage increased (p < 0.05) in MT, whereas pigs fed MT-YF tended to have lower (p = 0.067) oxidative stress. Liver hydropic degeneration was increased (p < 0.05) in MT in contrast to CON and MT-YF, and tended to be greater (p = 0.079) than MT-YC. Collectively, feeding diets contaminated with mycotoxins significantly reduced growth performance and impacted pig health. The yeast additives had varied ability to reduce mycotoxin effects on pig growth and health, but may still play a beneficial role in reducing the overall impacts of a mycotoxin challenge on pigs.

Prediction of lymph node involvement in patients with breast tumors measuring 3-5 cm in a middle-income setting: the role of CancerMath.

BACKGROUND: In settings with limited resources, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) is only offered to breast cancer patients with small tumors and a low a priori risk of axillary metastases. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether CancerMath, a free online prediction tool for axillary lymph node involvement, is able to identify women at low risk of axillary lymph node metastases in Malaysian women with 3-5 cm tumors, with the aim to offer SNB in a targeted, cost-effective way. METHODS: Women with non-metastatic breast cancers, measuring 3-5 cm were identified within the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) breast cancer registry. We compared CancerMath-predicted probabilities of lymph node involvement between women with versus without lymph node metastases. The discriminative performance of CancerMath was tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: Out of 1,017 patients, 520 (51 %) had axillary involvement. Tumors of women with axillary involvement were more often estrogen-receptor positive, progesterone-receptor positive, and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 positive. The mean CancerMath score was higher in women with axillary involvement than in those without (53.5 vs. 51.3, p = 0.001). In terms of discrimination, CancerMath performed poorly, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.553 (95 % confidence interval CI 0.518-0.588). Attempts to optimize the CancerMath model by adding ethnicity and HER2 to the model did not improve discriminatory performance. CONCLUSION: For Malaysian women with tumors measuring 3-5 cm, CancerMath is unable to accurately predict lymph node involvement and is therefore not helpful in the identification of women at low risk of node-positive disease who could benefit from SNB.

Evaluation of FLT-PET-CT as an imaging biomarker of proliferation in primary breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: [(18)F]fluorothymidine (FLT) has been proposed as a positron emission tomography (PET)-imaging biomarker of proliferation for breast cancer. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the feasibility of FLT-PET-CT as a technique for predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in primary breast cancer and to compare baseline FLT with Ki-67. METHODS: Twenty women with primary breast cancer had a baseline FLT-PET-CT scan that was repeated before the second cycle of chemotherapy. Expression of Ki-67 in the diagnostic biopsy was quantified. From the FLT-PET-CT scans lesion maximum and mean standardised uptake values (SUVmax, SUVmean) were calculated. RESULTS: Mean baseline SUVmax was 7.3, and 4.62 post one cycle of NAC, representing a drop of 2.68 (36.3%). There was no significant association between baseline, post chemotherapy, or change in SUVmax and pathological response to NAC. There was a significant correlation between pre-chemotherapy Ki-67 and SUVmax of 0.604 (P=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline SUVmax measurements of FLT-PET-CT were significantly related to Ki-67 suggesting that it is a proliferation biomarker. However, in this series neither the baseline value nor the change in SUVmax after one cycle of NAC were able to predict response as most patients had a sizeable SUVmax reduction.

The use of feed additives to reduce the effects of aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol on pig growth, organ health and immune status during chronic exposure.

Three feed additives were tested to improve the growth and health of pigs chronically challenged with aflatoxin (AF) and deoxynivalenol (DON). Gilts (n = 225, 8.8 ± 0.4 kg) were allotted to five treatments: CON (uncontaminated control); MT (contaminated with 150 µg/kg AF and 1100 µg/kg DON); A (MT + a clay additive); B (MT + a clay and dried yeast additive); and C (MT + a clay and yeast culture additive). Average daily gain (ADG) and feed intake (ADFI) were recorded for 42 days, blood collected for immune analysis and tissue samples to measure damage. Feeding mycotoxins tended to decrease ADG and altered the immune system through a tendency to increase monocytes and immunoglobulins. Mycotoxins caused tissue damage in the form of liver bile ductule hyperplasia and karyomegaly. The additives in diets A and B reduced mycotoxin effects on the immune system and the liver and showed some ability to improve growth. The diet C additive played a role in reducing liver damage. Collectively, we conclude that AF and DON can be harmful to the growth and health of pigs consuming mycotoxins chronically. The selected feed additives improved pig health and may play a role in pig growth.

Pork preference for consumers in china, Japan and South Korea.

Competition in global pork markets has increased as trade barriers have opened as a result of free trade agreements. Japanese prefer both loin and Boston butt, while Chinese prefer pork offal. Frozen pork has increased in terms of imports into China. Japanese consumers consider pork meat origin along with pork price when making purchase decisions. While the Chinese prefer a strong tasting pork product, South Korean consumers show very strong preferences to pork that is higher in fat. Therefore, South Korean consumers have a higher demand for pork belly and Boston butt. Consequently, the supply and demand of pork in Korea is hardly met, which means that importation of high fat parts is inevitable. In Korea there is lower preference toward low fat parts such as loin, picnic shoulder, and ham. During the economic depression in South Korea there have been observable changes in consumer preferences. There remains steep competition among the pork exporting countries in terms of gaining share in the international pork market. If specific consumer preferences would be considered carefully, there is the possibility to increase the amount of pork exported to these countries.

Comparison of Growth Performance of Antibiotic-free Yorkshire Crossbreds Sired by Berkshire, Large Black, and Tamworth Breeds Raised in Hoop Structures.

The objective of this study was to compare body weight, ADG, and feed:gain ratio of antibiotic-free pigs from Yorkshire dams and sired by Yorkshire (YY), Berkshire (BY), Large Black (LBY) or Tamworth (TY) boars. All the crossbred pigs in each of three trials were raised as one group from weaning to finishing in the same deep-bedded hoop, providing a comfortable environment for the animals which allowed rooting and other natural behaviors. Birth, weaning and litter weights were measured and recorded. From approximately 50 kg to market weight (125 kg), feed intake and body weights were recorded manually (body weight) or using a FIRE (Feed Intake Recording Equipment, Osborne Industries Inc. Osborne, Kansas) system with eight individual feeding stations. Feed intake data for 106 finishing pigs between 140 and 210 d of age and the resulting weights and feed conversion ratios were analyzed by breed type. Least square means for body weights (birth, weaning and to 240 d) were estimated with Proc Mixed in SAS 9.2 for fixed effects such as crossbreed and days of age within the sire breed. The differences within fixed effects were compared using least significant differences with DIFF option. Individual birth weights and weaning weights were influenced by sire breed (p<0.05). For birth weight, BY pigs were the lightest, TY and YY pigs were the heaviest but similar to each other and LBY pigs were intermediate. For weaning weights, BY and LBY pigs were heavier than TY and YY pigs. However, litter birth and weaning weights were not influenced by sire breed, and average daily gain was also not significantly different among breed types. Tamworth sired pigs had lower overall body weight gain, and feed conversion was lower in TY and YY groups than BY and LBY groups (p<0.05), however, number of observations was somewhat limited for feed conversion and for Tamworth pigs. Overall, no convincing differences among breed types were noted for this study, but growth performance in the outdoor environment was satisfactory.

Comparison of pork quality and sensory characteristics for antibiotic free yorkshire crossbreds raised in hoop houses.

The objective of this study was to compare pork characteristics and to determine consumer acceptability of pork chops from antibiotic free Yorkshire crossbreds sired by Berkshire (BY), Large Black (LBY), Tamworth (TY) or Yorkshire (YY) boars and reared in hoop houses. The experiments were conducted at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&TSU) Farm in Greensboro, NC and the Cherry Research Station Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Alternative Swine Unit in Goldsboro, NC (source of antibiotic free Yorkshire sows used at both places). Twenty-four sows were artificially inseminated at each location in each of three trials. Litters were weaned at 4 wks old, and reared within deep-bedded outdoor hoop houses. To compare pork characteristics, 104 randomly selected animals were harvested at a USDA-inspected abattoir at approximately 200 d of age. Variables measured included pH, color score, L*, a*, b*, marbling score, drip loss, hot carcass weight, backfat thickness (BF), loin muscle area (LMA), and slice shear force. Sensory panel tests were also conducted at two time periods. The data was analyzed with GLM in SAS 9.01 including location, trial, and sire breed as fixed effects. Backfat thickness, LMA, color score and a* were different among breeding groups (p<0.05). The LBY pigs had thicker backfat and smaller LMA than the other breed types. The TY and YY had less backfat than all other breed groups. Color score was lower for YY than BY and LBY but intermediate for TY. The a* was lower for TY than other breeds except LBY which was intermediate. For one sensory panel test, YY pork was more preferred overall as well as for juiciness and texture compared to BY and LBY (p<0.05), but no impact of breed type was noted for the other test, with values similar for BY, LBY, TY and YY pork. This information may help small farmers make decisions about breed types to use for outdoor production.

Phenotypic and genetic correlations between gilt estrus, puberty, growth, composition, and structural conformation traits with first-litter reproductive measures.

The objective was to estimate correlations of gilt estrus, puberty, growth, composition, and structural conformation traits with first-litter reproductive measures. Four groups of gilts (n = 1,225; Genetic Improvement Services of NC, Newton Grove, NC) entered the NC Swine Evaluation Station (Clayton, NC) averaging 162 d of age and were observed daily for symptoms of estrus. Once symptoms of first estrus were observed in 70% of gilts, recording of symptoms of estrus in all gilts occurred every 12 h for 30 d, utilizing fence-line boar contact. Subjective estrous traits were maximum and total strength of standing reflex, as observed with and without the presence of a boar, and strength of vulva reddening and swelling. Objective estrous traits consisted of vulva redness, vulva width, length of estrus, and age at puberty. Growth and composition traits included BW at puberty, days to 114 kg, and 10th rib backfat and LM area at 114 kg and at puberty. Subjective structural conformation traits were muscle mass, rib width, front leg side view, rear leg side view, front legs front view, rear legs rear view, and locomotion. First-litter sow traits included if gilt farrowed (Stay), age at first farrowing (AFF), total number of piglets born (TNB), and weaning to conception interval (WCI). Variance components were estimated using an animal model with AIREMLF90 for linear traits and THRGIBBS1F90 for categorical traits. Heritability estimates for Stay, AFF, and TNB were 0.14, 0.22, and 0.02, respectively. Genetic correlations between length of estrus, the standing reflex traits, and age at puberty with Stay were 0.34, 0.34 to 0.74, and -0.27, respectively, and with AFF were -0.11, -0.04 to -0.41, and 0.76, respectively. Days to 114 kg had genetic associations with Stay, AFF, and TNB of 0.52, -0.25, and -0.08, respectively. Backfat at 114 kg had genetic correlations with Stay, AFF, and TNB of -0.29, 0.14, and 0.47, respectively. Vulva redness and TNB were negatively correlated phenotypically (r = -0.14) and genetically (r = -0.53). Associations between structural conformation traits with Stay, AFF, TNB, and WCI were generally low to moderate and favorable. Selection for longer length of estrus, stronger standing reflex, or younger age at puberty would increase the proportion of gilts that farrow and reduce age at first farrowing.

Effects of chronic exposure of diets with reduced concentrations of aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol on growth and immune status of pigs.

This study investigated the growth and immune responses of pigs fed diets containing reduced concentrations of aflatoxin (AF) and deoxynivalenol (DON) from naturally contaminated corn. Sixty gilts (13.9 ± 0.2 kg of BW) were randomly assigned to 4 treatments (5 replicate pens per treatment and 3 pigs per pen): A (a control diet without detectable AF and DON); B (a diet with 60 µg of AF/kg and 300 µg of DON/kg); C (a diet with 120 µg of AF/kg and 600 µg of DON/kg); and D (a diet with 180 µg of AF/kg and 900 µg of DON/kg). Pigs were allowed ad libitum access to feed and water for 33 d. Feed intake and BW were measured weekly and pigs were bled (8 mL) on d 33 to measure the numbers of blood cells, to conduct liver function tests, and to measure immunological variables including IgG, IgM, interferon γ, IL4, IL6, and tumor necrosis factor α. One pig representing the average BW of each pen was killed to obtain the liver, kidneys, and spleen for weight, tissue color measurement, and histological evaluation of tissue damage. When compared with A, pigs in C and D tended to have reduced ADG (0.52 vs. 0.43 and 0.41 kg/d, respectively; P = 0.058) and ADFI (1.04 vs. 0.92 and 0.88 kg/d, respectively; P = 0.061). White blood cell count of pigs in D (23.4 × 10(3) cells/µL) was greater (P < 0.05) than those in A, B, and C (18.4, 18.5, and 16.8 × 10(3) cells/µL, respectively. Serum tumor necrosis factor α concentration of pigs in D (335 pg/mL) differed (P < 0.05) from those in A and C (299 and 290 pg/mL, respectively). Pigs in B and D had greater (P < 0.05) fibrosis in liver tissues than those in A. Collectively, this study shows that diets containing both AF and DON greater than 60 and 300 µg/kg, respectively, may reduce growth and decrease feed intake, whereas diets containing 120 µg of AF/kg and 600 µg of DON/kg may result in altered immune health, systemic inflammation, and partial liver damage, causing further reduction in growth of pigs.