Poorer lifetime growth performance of gilt progeny compared with sow progeny is largely due to weight differences at birth and reduced growth in the preweaning period, and is not improved by progeny segregation after weaning.

Gilt progeny (GP) are born and weaned lighter than sow progeny (SP) and have higher rates of mortality. This study aimed to quantify the performance and survival differences between GP and SP throughout the entire production cycle from birth to sale. Furthermore, the study looked at the effects of segregating GP and SP compared with commingling during rearing within common pens. It was hypothesized that GP would be lighter than SP at every age and have lower rates of survival accompanied by higher rates of medication, and that segregating GP and SP would improve the growth and survival of both groups. All progeny born to 109 gilts (parity 1) and 94 sows (parities 2 to 8) were allocated to 4 postweaning treatments at birth: GP separately penned, GP mixed with SP in a common pen (GM), SP separately penned, and SP mixed with GP in a common pen (SM), with littermates split among treatments. The GM and SM pigs were penned together after weaning. Individual live weight of all progeny was recorded at birth (birth weight [BWT]), weaning (28 d; weaning weight [WWT]), 10 wk of age (10-wk weight [10WT]), and sale (22-23 wk; sale weight [SWT]). Individual HCW, backfat depth, loin depth, and dressing percentage were measured at slaughter. All postweaning mortalities and medications were recorded. The GP had a lighter BWT ( = 0.032), WWT ( < 0.001), 10WT ( < 0.001), and SWT ( < 0.001) than SP as well as a lower HCW ( < 0.001) and dressing percentage ( = 0.012). Postweaning performance differences were mostly attributable to the lighter WWT of GP compared with that of SP when WWT was fitted as a covariate. The GP had a higher mortality in the immediate postweaning period (weaning to 10 wk of age; = 0.028) and from weaning to sale ( = 0.012) than SP, which was also attributable to lower WWT. The GP exhibited a higher incidence of mortality ( = 0.011) due to respiratory tract infection in the grower-finisher period, despite similar medication rates ( = 0.83). Segregation of GP and SP between pens presented no benefit in terms of growth and survival of both groups while requiring added labor and production considerations and, therefore, is not recommended. This study confirms that GP are lighter than SP, on average, at every stage of life from birth to slaughter and that their performance before weaning is an important determinant for whole-of-life performance.

Randomized controlled trial to compare sleep and wake in preterm infants less than 32weeks of gestation receiving two different modes of non-invasive respiratory support.

AIM: To determine whether respiratory support via heated humidified high flow nasal cannulae (HHHFNC) results in infants <32weeks gestation spending a greater proportion of time in sleep compared to those receiving nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP). METHODS: A subgroup of infants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to compare HHHFNC or NCPAP post-extubation had sleep and wake activity measured by actigraphy for 72hours post-extubation. Activity diaries were completed contemporaneously to record episodes of infant handling. Actigraphy data were downloaded with known periods of handling excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: 28 infants with mean gestation of 28.3weeks (SD 2) and birth weight 1074g (SD 371) were studied. Infants receiving HHHFNC spent a lesser proportion of time in sleep 59.8% (SD 18.5) than those on NCPAP 82.2% (SD 23.8) p=0.004. Infants receiving HHHFNC had a lower sleep efficiency and higher mean activity score than those on NCPAP (p=0.003, p=0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Infants receiving HHHFNC had a higher mean activity score and spent less time in sleep than those allocated NCPAP. Further study of sleep wake activity in preterm infants receiving respiratory support is required as this may impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Dietary lecithin improves dressing percentage and decreases chewiness in the longissimus muscle in finisher gilts.

The influence of dietary lecithin at doses of 0, 4, 20 or 80 g/kg fed to finisher gilts for six weeks prior to slaughter on growth performance, carcass quality and pork quality was investigated. M. longissimus lumborum (loin) was removed from 36 pig carcasses at 24h post-mortem for Warner-Bratzler shear force, compression, collagen content and colour analyses. Dietary lecithin increased dressing percentage (P=0.009). Pork chewiness and collagen content were decreased by dietary lecithin (P<0.05, respectively), suggesting that improved chewiness may be due to decreased collagen content. However, dietary lecithin had no effect on shear force, cohesiveness or hardness (P>0.05, respectively). Dietary lecithin reduced loin muscle L* values and increased a* values (P<0.05, respectively) but no changes on b* values (P=0.56). The data showed that dietary lecithin improved dressing percentage and resulted in less chewy and less pale pork.

A comparison of nasal trauma in preterm infants extubated to either heated humidified high-flow nasal cannulae or nasal continuous positive airway pressure.

UNLABELLED: The objectives of this study were (1) to devise a nasal trauma score for preterm infants receiving non-invasive respiratory support, (2) to compare the incidence of nasal trauma in preterm infants <32 weeks gestation randomised to either nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) or heated humidified high-Flow nasal cannulae (HHHFNC), in the first 7 days post-extubation and (3) to assess the effect of two different nasal dressings in those assigned to NCPAP. We randomly assigned preterm ventilated infants to receive Vapotherm® HHHFNC or NCPAP post-extubation. Infants receiving HHHFNC were treated with Sticky Whiskers® and infants receiving NCPAP received either Sticky Whiskers® or Cannualaide® nasal dressings. Bedside nursing staff scored six sites on each infant's nose for erythema, bleeding or ulceration. Scores were recorded three times daily for the first 7 days post-extubation. The sum of these 21 scores was used as the summary measure of nasal trauma. The mean nasal trauma score for infants assigned HHHFNC was 2.8 (SD 5.7) compared to 11.7 for NCPAP (SD 10.4), p < 0.001. There was no difference in mean trauma score between infants on NCPAP assigned Sticky Whiskers® 14.4 (SD 12.5) or Cannualaide® 9.5 (SD 7.3), p = 0.06. CONCLUSION: HHHFNC resulted in significantly less nasal trauma in the first 7 days post-extubation than NCPAP and was most significant in infants <28 weeks of gestation. The use of protective dressings was not associated with decreased nasal trauma for infants on NCPAP.

Maternal low-dose porcine somatotropin treatment in late gestation increases progeny weight at birth and weaning in sows but not in gilts.

Birth weight positively predicts postnatal growth and performance in pigs and can be increased by sustained maternal porcine ST (pST) treatment from d 25 to 100 of pregnancy (term ∼115 d). The objective of this study was to test whether a shorter period of maternal pST treatment in late pregnancy (d 75 to 100) could also increase birth and weaning weights of progeny under commercial conditions. Gilts (parity 0) and sows (parities 2 and 3) were not injected (controls) or injected daily with pST (gilts: 2.5 mg•d(-1), sows: 4.0 mg•d(-1), both ∼13 to 14 µg•kg(-1)•d(-1)) from d 75 to 100 of pregnancy. Litter size and BW were recorded at birth and weaning, and dams were followed through the subsequent mating and pregnancy. Maternal pST injections from d 75 to 100 increased litter average progeny weight at birth (+96 g, P = 0.034) and weaning (+430 g, P = 0.038) in sows, but had no effect on progeny weight in gilts (each P > 0.5). Maternal pST treatment did not affect numbers of live-born piglets and increased numbers of stillborn piglets in sows only (+0.4 pigs/litter, P = 0.034). Maternal pST treatment did not affect subsequent reproduction of dams. Together with our previous data, these results suggest that sustained increases in maternal pST are required to increase fetal and postnatal growth in gilt progeny, but that increasing maternal pST in late pregnancy may only be an effective strategy to increase fetal and possibly postnatal growth in sow progeny.

Violence in youth sports: hazing, brawling and foul play.

By separating hazing, brawling, and foul play and failing to recognise that their connection to sport binds them together into a cohesive subset of sport injury and youth violence, past research has failed to show how sports-related violence is a broad example of interpersonal violence. The acceptance of violence within the sporting culture may, in part, explain why sports-related violence has not yet been widely recognised as a public health concern. This review shows that sports-related violence, including hazing, brawling and foul play, occurs among youth athletes of all ages and in a variety of different sports. The few studies to address this issue have all acknowledged the dangers of sports-related violence; however, no incident tracking method has been developed. Future research must provide accurate national estimates of the incidence of sports-related violence among youth, identify associated risk factors, evaluate preventive interventions and identify effective methods of distributing and implementing evidence-based interventions. Monitoring the magnitude and distribution of the burden of sports-related violence and building the scientific infrastructure necessary to support the development and widespread application of effective sports-related prevention interventions are essential first steps toward a reduction in the incidence of sports-related violence.

Maternal responses to daily maternal porcine somatotropin injections during early-mid pregnancy or early-late pregnancy in sows and gilts.

Piglet neonatal survival and postnatal growth and efficiency are positively related to birth weight. In gilts, daily maternal porcine ST (pST) injections from d 25 to 100 (term approximately 115 d), but not d 25 to 50, of pregnancy increase progeny birth weight. Daily maternal pST injections from d 25 to 50 increase fetal weight at d 50 in gilts and sows. We therefore hypothesized that daily pST injections from d 25 to 100, but not d 25 to 50, of pregnancy would increase birth weight similarly in both parities. Landrace x Large White gilts and sows were uninjected (controls) or were injected daily with pST (gilts: 2.5 mg/d; sows: 4.0 mg/d, each approximately 15 microg of pST/kg per day) from d 25 to 50 or 100 of pregnancy. Litter size and BW were recorded at birth, midlactation, and weaning. Dams were followed through the subsequent mating and pregnancy. Maternal pST injections from d 25 to 100, but not d 25 to 50, increased mean piglet birth weight by 11.6% in sows (P 0.1) the weaning-remating interval, conception rate, or subsequent litter size. Greater pST-induced birth weight increases in sows than in gilts may mean that underlying metabolic or placental mechanisms for pST action are constrained by maternal competition for nutrients in rapidly growing gilts.

When the rules of the game are broken: what proportion of high school sports-related injuries are related to illegal activity?

OBJECTIVES: To compare sport and gender differences in injury rates and proportions of injuries related to illegal activity and to describe the epidemiology of injuries related to illegal activity. DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. SETTING: 100 US high schools. SUBJECTS: Athletes participating in nine sports: boys' football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, and baseball plus girls' soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Illegal activity-related injuries were analyzed using data from the 2005-06 and 2006-07 National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study. RESULTS: Nationally, an estimated 98 066 injuries were directly related to an action that was ruled illegal activity by a referee/official or disciplinary committee, giving an injury rate of 0.24 injuries per 1000 athletic competition-exposures. Boys' and girls' soccer had the highest rates of injuries related to illegal activity, and girls' volleyball, girls' softball, and boys' baseball had the lowest. Overall, 6.4% of all high school sports-related injuries were related to illegal activity, with the highest proportion in girls' basketball (14.0%), girls' soccer (11.9%), and boys' soccer (11.4%). A greater proportion of injuries related to illegal activity were to the head/face (32.3%) and were concussions (25.4%) than injuries not related to illegal activity (13.8% (injury proportion ratio 2.35; 95% CI 1.82 to 3.04; p<0.001) and 10.9% (injury proportion ratio 2.35; 95% CI 1.71 to 3.22; p<0.001), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Illegal activity is an overlooked risk factor for sports-related injury. Reducing illegal activity through enhanced enforcement of sports' rules and targeted education about the dangers of illegal activity for players, coaches, and referees/officials may reduce sports-related injuries.

Immunogenicity and safety of a low-dose diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis combination vaccine with either inactivated or oral polio vaccine as a pre-school booster in UK children.

This open, randomised controlled trial studied the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of two combined low-dose diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccines (Td5aP-IPV, REPEVAX, Aventis Pasteur MSD; and Td5aP, COVAXIS, Aventis Pasteur MSD + OPV, GlaxoSmithKline) in comparison with a standard dose diphtheria pre-school booster vaccine (DT2aP-IPV, TETRAVAC, Aventis Pasteur MSD) in a population of 3.5-5-year-old children administered concomitantly with measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (M-M-R II, Aventis Pasteur MSD). A linked sub-study aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of Td5aP-IPV in a population of younger children, aged 3-3.5 years. This study demonstrated non-inferiority of seroprotection rates for diphtheria and tetanus for the study vaccines and comparable immunogenicity for pertussis and polio components of the vaccines. Reactogenicity was similar for all three vaccines. The study vaccines containing low-dose diphtheria antigen (Td5aP-IPV and Td5aP + OPV) are immunogenic and have acceptable reactogenicity for use as a pre-school booster vaccine administered concomitantly with MMR.

Laser scanning confocal microscopy for in situ monitoring of alkali-silica reaction.

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) occurs in concrete between reactive siliceous components in the aggregate and the strongly alkaline pore solution, resulting in the formation of a potentially expansive gel product. Lithium additives have been shown to reduce expansion associated with ASR, but the mechanism(s) by which lithium reduces expansion have not been understood. Therefore, development of an in situ method to observe reactions associated with ASR is highly desirable, as it will allow for non-destructive observation of the reaction product formation and damage evolution over time, as the reaction progresses. A technique to image into mortar through glass aggregate by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), producing three-dimensional representations of the sample was developed. This LSCM technique was utilized to monitor the progress of alkali-silica reaction in mortar samples prepared with alkali-reactive glass aggregate both in the presence and in the absence of lithium additives: LiNO3, LiCl or LiOH. The method proved to be effective in qualitatively monitoring crack formation and growth and product formation, within cracks and at the paste/aggregate interface. In particular, dendritic products were observed at the paste/aggregate interface only in those samples containing lithium, suggesting that these products may play a role in ASR mitigation.

Respiratory syncytial virus infections in children and adults.

Respiratory syncytial virus is the leading cause of hospital admission for lower respiratory tract infection in young children and appears to be responsible for a significant burden of disease in adults, particularly the elderly and the immunocompromised. In this review, we describe the epidemiology, diagnosis and clinical manifestations of infection attributed to this virus. We also consider current therapeutic and prophylactic options and appraise strategies for vaccination that are in clinical trials.

Older adults' multiple stereotypes of young adults.

Although the nature of younger adults' attitudes toward older adults has been researched extensively, there are long-neglected questions regarding older adults' views of young adults. In the first phase of this three phase study, community dwelling seniors generated traits they believed characterized young people. In the second phase, a subsample of the original participants sorted the traits into groups that could be found in one and the same young person. Fifteen stereotypes appeared when these results were submitted to hierarchical cluster analysis. In the final phase, a subsample of the original older adult participants rated how typical each of the stereotypes was of younger people. As well, each of the stereotypes were rated using an abbreviated version of Kogan and Wallach's (1961) semantic differential scale. Results indicate that the stereotypes older people hold of younger people are generally more positive than negative. Further, the positive stereotypes are viewed as more typical of younger adults than are the negative stereotypes.

Do proficiency test results correlate with the work performance of screeners who screen Papanicolaou smears?

We rescreened Papanicolaou smear slides from 40,245 women, which had been examined by 81 cytology screeners, scored the screeners' work performance, and compared these scores with the results of the screeners' performance on glass slide and computer-based proficiency tests. All diagnoses (i.e., from the proficiency tests, the original slides, and the rescreened slides) were classified in the 4 diagnostic categories specified in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. The rescreening scores were standardized to account for different distributions of abnormalities in the proficiency tests and rescreened slides. We compared a standardized score with the proficiency test scores. Of the cases, 91% were categorized as normal, benign, or reactive changes when rescreened, and 98% of these agreed with the original diagnosis. Sixteen percent of low-grade and 15% of high-grade intraepithelial lesions were classified as normal. The rank correlation between the rescreening scores and both proficiency tests was 0.24 using a scoring scheme for cytotechnologists. The correlation between the rescreening and proficiency testing scores indicates that performance on a 10-slide test gives some indication of the true performance of screeners. The computer-based test shows promise as an alternative to the glass slide test but needs further development and validation.

Determinants of glutamine dependence and utilization by normal and tumor-derived breast cell lines.

A continual supply of the amino acid glutamine (GLN) may be necessary for cancerous cell growth. GLN plays a central role in multiple metabolic pathways and has long been considered an essential component of tissue culture media. However, the GLN requirements of tumor cell lines and the factors that determine a cell's need for GLN have not been comprehensively studied. Also, it remains unclear how various metabolic pathways contribute to GLN consumption. In the present study, possible determinants of GLN metabolism were examined in seven breast cell lines, two derived from immortalized normal tissue and five of tumor origin. These cells exhibited different dependencies on media GLN concentration for growth and a wide range of GLN utilization rates. GLN uptake was facilitated by a single, common transporter functionally defined as System ASC. However, the affinities for GLN exhibited by this transporter differed appreciably between cell lines. Furthermore, the concentration at which media GLN became a limiting factor for cellular proliferation correlated with transporter affinity. The origin of the cell lines was not a determinant of GLN metabolism because immortalized cells of nontumor origin exhibited GLN dependence and utilization rates comparable to those of tumor-derived cells. The rates of CO2 production from GLN were similar for each cell lines. Rates of GLN disappearance and glutamate appearance in media were strongly correlated, with 32-80% of media GLN converted to glutamate. Both rates were directly affected by media cystine concentration, suggesting that a large portion of glutamate efflux was coupled with cystine import through the amino acid transport system x(c)-. These results demonstrated that cell growth is a function of GLN influx and suggest that GLN is used to supply glutamate and cystine, perhaps for glutathione synthesis.

Multiwell 14CO2-capture assay for evaluation of substrate oxidation rates of cells in culture.

14CO2 capture is commonly used to evaluate the cellular oxidation rate of respiratory substrates. A modification of the established 14CO2-capture method was developed that enables the use of cells in adherent culture and easy analysis of multiple samples under different culture conditions. The use of commercially available culture and filter plates designed for use in a multiplate scintillation spectrophotometer enabled substrate oxidation rates to be evaluated for cells in a 24-well plate format without the need to dislodge the cells from the culture substrate as is required in traditional methods. Evaluation of radioactivity captured in potassium hydroxide-saturated filters was accomplished by adding scintillation fluid to the filter plate wells and counting. Alternatively, filters could be removed and placed in vials for evaluation in a conventional scintillation counter. This method was applied to the oxidation of 14C-glutamine by human breast cell lines and demonstrated concentration-dependent linear accumulation of captured counts.

Variation in proficiency testing performance by testing site.

CONTEXT: Congress enacted the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) to promote uniform quality and standards among all testing sites in the United States. The performance indicators specified in the legislation are proficiency testing (PT) performance and periodic inspections. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate variation in PT performance by type of testing facility during the first year of compulsory participation under CLIA. DESIGN: All 1994 PT score data electronically reported to the Health Care Financing Administration as a component of compliance with the CLIA regulations were obtained. Over 1.2 million PT event scores from 17058 unique testing sites were sorted into 2 groups based on the type of testing facility: hospitals and independent laboratories (HI) and all other testing sites (AOT). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Satisfactory and unsatisfactory performance rates for HI and AOT for each analyte and/or test, according to the criteria specified by the CLIA regulations. RESULTS: The aggregate rates of satisfactory event performance for all regulated analytes, tests, and specialties were 97% and 91% for the HI and AOTgroups, respectively. The aggregate odds ratio for unsatisfactory PT event performance for the AOT group compared with the HI group was 2.89, with a range of 2.19 to 7.51 for the individual analytes. CONCLUSION: There was a consistent difference in PT performance during the first full year of compulsory PT under the CLIA regulations based on the type of testing facility performing the analysis. Traditional testing sites achieved higher rates of satisfactory performance than newly regulated, alternative testing sites.

Regulation of glutamine synthetase in human breast carcinoma cells and experimental tumors.

BACKGROUND: Acute deprivation of extracellular glutamine causes up-regulation of glutamine synthetase (GS) expression by a mechanism involving an increase in GS protein stability. This study examines GS expression in a highly glutamine-dependent and tumorigenic human breast cancer cell line, TSE cells, in response to acute and chronic glutamine deprivation in culture and during tumor formation. METHODS: TSE cells were subjected to acute glutamine deprivation, adapted to growth in low glutamine concentrations, and subcutaneously injected into nude mice. GS protein and mRNA levels were assayed by Western and Northern blotting, and intracellular glutamine levels were evaluated by using a colorimetric assay. RESULTS: GS protein levels increased, but GS mRNA levels were unchanged in response to acute glutamine deprivation. Chronic glutamine deprivation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo caused an increase in both GS protein and mRNA levels. Large tumors exhibited lower intracellular glutamine, higher GS protein, and relatively unchanged GS mRNA levels relative to small tumors. CONCLUSIONS: TSE tumors exhibit up-regulation of GS protein and mRNA levels and declines in intracellular glutamine content, suggesting that growth in vivo causes a chronic and progressive glutamine deprivation. Up-regulation of GS expression may contribute to adaptation to a nutrient-poor intratumor environment.

Glutamine as a regulator of DNA and protein biosynthesis in human solid tumor cell lines.

OBJECTIVE: The transport of glutamine by six different human solid tumor-derived cell lines (e.g., breast, colon, liver) was characterized and the impact of glutamine deprivation on rates of tumor cell proliferation and DNA and protein synthesis was assayed. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Glutamine is added routinely to cell culture media and its importance for cellular growth has been established. However, carrier-mediated glutamine transport by solid tumors has not been studied extensively, and the mechanisms by which glutamine contributes to cell growth regulation require further investigation. METHODS: In a panel of different human solid tumor-derived cells, sodium-dependent glutamine transport was characterized in vitro and rates of cell proliferation, protein and DNA synthesis, as well as thymidine transport, were correlated with glutamine concentrations in the culture media. RESULTS: In all cells, regardless of tissue origin, sodium-dependent glutamine transport was mediated almost exclusively by a single carrier. There was a range of Michaelis constants (Km) and maximal transport velocities (Vmax) for the glutamine transporter in each cell type, but the amino acid inhibition profiles were nearly identical, consistent with uptake by the System ASC family of transporters. Rates of cell growth, DNA and protein synthesis, and thymidine transport correlated with the glutamine concentration in the culture media, indicating the central role of this amino acid in regulating cellular proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that glutamine transport by all solid tumors is mediated by the System ASC family of transporters. The variation in Km values suggests that some cancers may be better suited to survive in a low glutamine environment than others. The mechanism by which glutamine supports cell proliferation and regulates cell cycle kinetics involves its modulation of DNA and protein biosynthetic rates.