The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships among birth weight, birth order, or litter size on growth performance, carcass quality, and eating quality of the ultimate pork ...product. Data were collected from 98 pig litters and, with the addition of recording birth weight and birth order, farrowing and piglet management were according to normal barn practices. In the nursery and during growout, the pigs received the normal feeding program for the barn and, with the addition of individual tattooing, were marketed as per standard procedure. From 24 litters, selected because they had at least 12 pigs born alive and represented a range of birth weights, 4 piglets were chosen (for a total of 96 piglets) and sent to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-Lacombe Research Centre (Lacombe, Alberta, Canada) when they reached 120 kg for extensive meat quality and sensory analysis. Individual BW was measured at birth, on the day of weaning, 5 wk after weaning, at nursery exit, at first pull, and at the time of marketing. Litter sizes were divided into 3 categories: small (3 to 10 piglets), medium (11 to 13 piglets), and large (14 to 19 piglets). There were 4 birth-weight quartiles: 0.80 to 1.20, 1.25 to 1.45, 1.50 to 1.70, and 1.75 to 2.50 kg. Increased litter size resulted in reduced mean birth weight (P < 0.05), but had no effect on within litter variability or carcass quality (P > 0.05) when slaughtered at the same endpoint. Lighter birth-weight pigs had reduced BW at weaning, 5 and 7 wk postweaning, and at first pull and had increased days to market (P < 0.05). Birth weight had limited effects on carcass quality, weight of primal cuts, objective quality, and overall palatability of the meat at the same slaughter weight (P > 0.05). In conclusion, increased litter size resulted in decreased mean birth weight but no change in days to market. Lighter birth-weight pigs took longer to reach market. Despite some differences in histological properties, birth weight had limited effects on carcass composition or final eating quality of the pork when slaughtered at the same BW and large litter size resulted in more pigs weaned and marketed compared with the smaller litters. We concluded that based on the conditions of this study, other than increased days to market, there is no reason based on pig performance or pork quality to slow down the goal of the pork industry to increase sow productivity as a means to increase efficiency.
Hepatocytes from 4 wethers were used to study the effects of carnitine and increasing concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine on palmitate oxidation and esterification. Liver cells were ...isolated from the wethers and incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer with 1 mM 14C-palmitate. Radiolabel incorporation was measured in CO2, acid-soluble products, and esterified products, including triglyceride, diglyceride, and cholesterol esters. Carnitine increased production of CO2 and acid-soluble products from palmitate by 41% and 216%, respectively, but had no effect on conversion of palmitate to esterified products. Epinephrine had a quadratic-increasing effect on palmitate oxidation to CO2, but norepinephrine did not increase palmitate oxidation to CO2. Neither epinephrine nor norepinephrine affected the production of acid-soluble products from palmitate. Increasing concentrations of norepinephrine and epinephrine linearly increased rates of triglyceride formation from palmitate. Increasing norepinephrine concentrations linearly increased diglyceride and cholesterol ester formation from palmitate in the presence of carnitine; epinephrine did not affect diglyceride or cholesterol ester formation. In general, catecholamine treatment had the greatest effect on the formation of esterified products from palmitate, and effects of norepinephrine were more pronounced than epinephrine. Conditions that result in catecholamine release might lead to fat accumulation in the liver.
Given the paucity of research examining relationships between mindfulness and specific facets of personality, we conducted detailed analyses to explore associations between personality facets, ...dispositional mindfulness, and health. Overall, 781 participants completed the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) to measure personality factors and facets, and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 (RAND-36). As expected, BFI-2 factors and facets and FFMQ subscales, except Observing, were consistently correlated. Canonical correlations of BFI-2 facets and FFMQ subscales provided two statistically significant functions. Function 1, Self-Regulation, included FFMQ Acting with Awareness, Non-Judging, and Non-Reacting, as well as BFI-2 Negative Emotionality (Anxiety, Depression, Emotional Volatility), Conscientiousness (Productiveness, Responsibility), and Extraversion (Assertiveness, Energy). Function 2, Self-Awareness, comprised of FFMQ Describing and Observing, and all facets of Open-Mindedness. A latent profile analysis produced three latent profiles: Self-Regulation was defined by higher FFMQ subscales as well as higher Extraversion (all facets), Agreeableness (all facets), Conscientiousness (all facets), and lower Negative Emotionality (all facets); Self-Dysregulation was defined by lower scores on most FFMQ subscales, BFI-2 Extraversion facet scores, Agreeableness (Trust), Conscientiousness (Productiveness), and higher Negative Emotionality facets; and, an Average profile included midrange levels of mindfulness and personality facets. Further, there were statistically significant differences in RAND-36 physical and psychological health based on the latent profiles. The novel findings examining the facet-level relationship between personality and mindfulness contribute to prior inconclusive literature. These results presenting a nuanced understanding of the association between dispositional mindfulness and personality provide preliminary information suggesting that self-regulation can affect health.
•Despite the association between factors of mindfulness and personality, few researchers have conducted facet level analyses•The Big Five Inventory-2, the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire to measure mindfulness, and the RAND-36 were used.•Correlational analyses supported factor level associations between facets of personality and mindfulness subscales.•Canonical correlations partially replicated Hanley (2016) and produced a Self-regulation and Self-awareness function.•LPA produced a Self-regulation, Self-dysregulation, and Average class which differentiated RAND-36 health subscales.•Aspects of mindfulness such as describing, being aware, non-reactive, and accepting may mitigate emotional dysregulation.
Modulatory effects of l-carnitine, acetate, propionate, and 5-tetradecyloxy-2-furoic acid (TOFA; an inhibitor of acetyl-CoA carboxylase) on oxidation and esterification of 1-14C-palmitate were ...studied in hepatocytes isolated from phlorizin-treated and control wethers. Our hypotheses were that (1) palmitate oxidation would be greater in hepatocytes from sheep injected with phlorizin; (2) l-carnitine would increase palmitate oxidation more in hepatocytes from sheep injected with phlorizin; and (3) acetate and propionate would decrease oxidation in sheep hepatocytes partly through action of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Palmitate metabolism did not differ between cells from control and those from phlorizin-treated wethers. Carnitine increased oxidation of palmitate to CO2 and acid-soluble products (ASP; mainly ketone bodies) and decreased esterification of palmitate in isolated hepatocytes from both groups of wethers, but the increase in oxidation to ASP was greater in cells from phlorizin-treated wethers. Propionate increased palmitate oxidation to CO2 in phlorizin-treated wethers. Propionate increased oxidation of palmitate to ASP in control wethers but decreased oxidation to ASP in phlorizin-treated wethers. Propionate increased esterification of palmitate to total esterified products and triglyceride, and the effect was larger in phlorizin-treated wethers. Acetate decreased palmitate esterification to total esterified products in control wethers, but the effect was blunted in phlorizin-treated wethers. Acetate did not affect palmitate oxidation. Addition of TOFA increased production of triglyceride from palmitate in the presence of propionate. The lack of interaction between TOFA and propionate indicates that propionate does not inhibit carnitine palmitoyltransferase I via cytosolic generation of methylmalonyl-CoA by acetyl-CoA carboxylase. In conclusion, although in vivo phlorizin treatment did not affect in vitro metabolism of palmitate by isolated ovine hepatocytes, phlorizin increased the stimulatory effect of carnitine on oxidation of palmitate to ASP and the inhibitory effect of propionate on oxidation of palmitate to ASP. Metabolism of acetate and propionate by acetyl-CoA carboxylase did not affect palmitate oxidation or esterification. Results provide additional insight into control of fatty acid metabolism in hepatocytes.
We intended to assess how exposure of piglets to deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated feed impacted their growth, immune response and gut development. Piglets were fed traditional Phase I, Phase II and ...Phase III diets with the control group receiving 0.20-0.40 ppm DON (referred to as the Control group) and treatment group receiving much higher level of DON-contaminated wheat (3.30-3.80 ppm; referred to as DON-contaminated group). Feeding a DON-contaminated diet had no impact on average daily feed intake (ADFI) (
< 0.08) or average daily gain (ADG) (
> 0.10) but it did significantly reduce body weight over time relative to the control piglets (
< 0.05). Cytokine analysis after initial exposure to the DON-contaminated feed did not result in significant differences in serum interleukin (IL) IL1β, IL-8, IL-13, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α or interferon (IFN)-γ. After day 24, no obvious changes in jejunum or ileum gut morphology, histology or changes in gene expression for IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNFα, or Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 genes. IL-8 showed a trend towards increased expression in the ileum in DON-fed piglets. A significant increase in gene expression for claudin (CLDN) 7 gene expression and a trend towards increased CLDN 2-expression was observed in the ileum in piglets fed the highly DON-contaminated wheat. Because CLDN localization was not negatively affected, we believe that it is unlikely that gut permeability was affected. Exposure to DON-contaminated feed did not significantly impact weaner piglet performance or gut physiology.
Despite the lack of research examining the relation between religiosity and disordered eating, at various points during the year, religious practices requiring changes in eating habits are typical. ...Few studies have identified how aspects of religiosity are associated with disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. Thus, we explored the interconnectedness of religiosity and gender on disordered eating attitudes and behaviours.
In total, 749 religious and non-religious participants completed online questionnaires assessing components of disordered eating and associated appearance-related pressures and internalizations (pressure from family, peers, and media, and internalization of the thin and muscular ideals).
Among the 317 participants who identified as religious, 12.30% reported that their religious practice required a change in their eating habits, and 10.68% reported that they changed their eating habits for both religious purposes and as a method of weight loss/control. Overall, religious participants who indicated changing their eating habits for religious purposes experienced greater disordered eating and appearance-related pressures than theists who reported no change in their diet and non-religious respondents. Further, there was a significant interaction between gender and religiosity across the disordered eating variables. Results indicated that, compared to males who were not religious, those who were religious had higher scores on scales measuring disordered eating. Religious and non-religious women scored similarly on scales measuring other aspects of disordered eating (including Purging, Restricting, and Binge Eating). Further, compared to non-religious men, religious men, reported greater pressure from their family and peers; there was no difference in women.
Future research should further explore gender differences across types and specific aspects of religiosity such as motivation to practice.
This experiment tested the hypothesis that reducing the omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid (FA) ratio in sow diets will improve performance, characterized by increased litter size, decreased ...preweaning mortality, and improved growth performance. Second, we determined if the FA profile in sow and piglet blood, colostrum, and milk are altered when sows are fed diets with varied n-6:n-3 ratios and if the dietary FA ratio impacts circulating concentrations of IgG, IgA, eicosapentaenoic (EPA), or docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid. Sows (n=150) were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments (each divided into gestation and lactation diets) on d 80 of gestation. Period 1 (P1) is defined as d 80 of gestation to weaning and Period 2 (P2) refers to the subsequent breeding to weaning. Diets were wheat and barley based (5% crude fat) and treatments consisted of a control (tallow), 3 diets with plant oil-based n-6:n-3 ratios (9:1P, 5:1P, and 1:1P), and a 5:1 fish oil diet (5:1F). Litter size was unaffected by treatment during P1 and P2 (P>0.10). In P1, birth weight was unaffected by diet (P>0.10); however, weaning weight (P=0.019) and ADG from birth to weaning (P=0.011) were greatest for piglets born to 9:1P and 5:1P sows. During P2, 5:1F sows consumed 10% less feed during lactation (P=0.036), tended to have reduced piglet birth weights (P=0.052), and piglet weaning weight was reduced by 0.8 kg (P=0.040) relative to the other diets. Colostrum and piglet serum IgA and IgG concentrations were unaffected by diet (P>0.10). Serum n-3 FA were greatest in sows (P<0.01) consuming 1:1P and 5:1F diets and in their offspring (P=0.014). Serum α-linolenic acid (ALA) was greatest in 1:1P sows and EPA and DHA were greatest in 5:1F sows (P<0.01). In pre-suckle piglet serum, ALA did not differ among treatment groups (P>0.10). Relative to piglets of sows consuming the control diet, EPA was 2.5-fold greater in the 1:1P group and 4-fold greater in 5:1F group (P<0.01) before suckling. In post-suckle samples, ALA was greatest in piglets from the 1:1P sows (P<0.01) and EPA and DHA were greatest in piglets from the 5:1F sows (P<0.01). Feeding diets with plant-based n-6:n-3 ratios of 5:1 or 1:1 did not impact performance relative to a control group but improved the conversion of ALA into EPA and increased the transfer of n-3 to piglets through milk. When a fish-based 5:1 ratio diet was fed, pre-weaning mortality was increased, and piglet birth and weaning weights decreased.
Understanding how energy is utilized by the pig, and how the pig responds to changes in dietary energy concentration, is essential information in determining the optimal concentration of dietary ...energy under farm conditions, which are often highly diverse. The objective of these experiments was to determine how changes in dietary DE concentration, achieved through graded changes in diet composition, would affect the performance and carcass composition of growing pigs. In Exp. 1, which was conducted in a research facility, 300 pigs (31.1 ± 2.6 kg) were assigned to diets containing 3.09, 3.24, 3.34, 3.42, or 3.57 Mcal of DE/kg. Experiment 2, which was conducted at a commercial swine farm, involved 720 pigs (36.8 ± 5.9 kg) assigned to diets containing 3.12, 3.30, or 3.43 Mcal of DE/kg. Increased DE concentration was attained by using more wheat, soybean meal, and fat and less barley; true ileal lysine was adjusted as DE increased, and minimal AA:lysine ratios were maintained. In Exp. 1, ADG improved linearly as the energy content of the diet increased (P = 0.03). Feed intake decreased (P < 0.001) and feed efficiency and daily caloric intake improved (P = 0.005) with increased DE content. Variability in growth was not affected by treatment. Carcass index and LM thickness were not affected by increasing dietary DE content; backfat thickness, however, was increased (P < 0.001). In Exp. 2, overall ADG was unaffected by dietary energy content, although an improvement in growth was observed until the pigs reached approximately 80 kg of BW. Overall feed intake decreased with increasing energy content (P = 0.01), although this was not observed during the initial 6 wk of the experiment. Carcass index, lean yield, and backfat were not affected by increasing dietary energy content, whereas LM thickness tended to increase (P = 0.08). The value per pig was unaffected by increasing dietary energy content in both experiments, and returns above feed costs were reduced. Increasing the energy density of the diet for growing pigs through incremental changes in dietary composition had a variable impact on overall growth performance and carcass quality. Increasing the dietary DE had no effect on variations in BW at the time of marketing.
Objective
To evaluate the clinical response, safety, and tolerability of a single intraarticular injection of anakinra in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
Methods
Patients ...with OA of the knee were enrolled in a multicenter, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study and randomized 2:1:2 to receive a single intraarticular injection of placebo, anakinra 50 mg, or anakinra 150 mg in their symptomatic knee. Patients were evaluated for 12 weeks postinjection. The primary end point was the change in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score from baseline to week 4. Safety assessments included the evaluation of adverse events (AEs), laboratory tests, and vital signs. Pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed in a subset of patients.
Results
Of 170 patients who enrolled, 160 (94%) completed the study. The mean improvements from baseline to week 4 in the WOMAC score were not statistically different between the placebo group and the patients who received 50 mg of anakinra (P = 0.67) or 150 mg of anakinra (P = 0.77). Anakinra was well tolerated. No withdrawals due to AEs or serious AEs, and no serious infections or deaths were reported. No clinically significant trends were noted in laboratory values or vital signs. Pharmacokinetic parameters demonstrated that the mean terminal half‐life of anakinra in serum after intraarticular injection was ∼4 hours.
Conclusion
Anakinra was well tolerated as a single 50‐mg or 150‐mg intraarticular injection in patients with OA of the knee. However, anakinra was not associated with improvements in OA symptoms compared with placebo.
The weight-based definition of anorexia nervosa (AN) can result in heavier individuals being excluded from evidence-based interventions and erroneously included in practices with negative physical ...and psychological consequences. Our purpose was to address the AN weight criteria limitation by expanding upon the components of disordered eating underlying membership in weight categories that are considered unhealthy. In this cross-sectional study, 733 male and female participants completed online questionnaires assessing age, gender, BMI (height and weight), and disordered eating behaviours and attitudes. Participants were grouped according to their weight status (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese). Results indicated that BMI was positively associated with many aspects of disordered eating but was inversely associated with restricting eating, excessive exercise, and muscle building in women. Underweight men and women reported similar levels of body dissatisfaction, but compared to men, the effect was much more pronounced in women as weight increased. Taken together, lighter-weight individuals reported higher levels of AN-
specific
behaviour (restricting eating) compared to heavier-weight participants. In contrast, heavier-weight individuals had higher AN-
related
attitudes, cognitions, and behaviours, such as body dissatisfaction, cognitive restraint, and binge eating. These results support that AN attitudes, cognitions, and behaviours can be found in individuals regardless of whether they are underweight or obese. Future research is needed to develop interventions addressing anorexic symptoms in people considered overweight or obese to meet their specific needs.
Plain English Summary
Heavier-weight individuals who experience anorexic cognitions, attitudes, and behaviours are often excluded from beneficial interventions. They have commonly directed treatment goals with negative physical and psychological consequences, such as losing weight. Our purpose was to address this limitation by expanding upon the disordered eating factors associated with being underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. Participants were administered online questionnaires. Overall, underweight participants had higher levels of anorexic-
specific
behaviour (restricting eating). In contrast, obese respondents had greater anorexic-
related
attitudes, cognitions, and behaviours, such as body dissatisfaction, cognitive restraint, and binge eating. These results support that AN attitudes, cognitions, and behaviours can be found in individuals regardless of whether they are underweight or obese. Future research is needed to develop interventions addressing anorexic symptoms in people considered overweight or obese to meet their specific needs.
PDF
