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The prevalence of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in non-Whites is currently unknown. This study was performed to explore the prevalence of PGD in African Americans (AAs). Multivariable analysis of two studies of recently bereaved individuals found AAs to have significantly higher rates of PGD than Whites (21% [14 of 66] vs. 12% [55 of 471], respectively; p = 0.03). Experiencing a loved one's death as sudden or unexpected was also significantly associated with PGD over and above the effects of race/ethnicity. AAs may be at increased risk for the development of PGD. The development of effective interventions to treat PGD highlights the need to identify high-risk individuals and refer them to therapy and suggests the potential need for such therapies to adopt culturally sensitive approaches to care. (Contains 3 tables.)

Early life experiences can affect social behaviour in later life, but opportunities for socio-behavioural development are often overlooked in current husbandry practices. This experiment investigated the effects of rearing piglets in two-stage group lactation (GL) system from 7 or 14 days of age on piglet aggression at weaning. Three lactation housing treatments were applied to a total of 198 piglets from 30 litters of multiparous sows. All dams farrowed in standard farrowing crates (FCs). Group lactation litters were transferred with their dam at 7 (GL7) or 14 days (GL14) postpartum to GL pens (one pen of five sows at 8.4 m2/sow and one pen of seven sows at 8.1 m2/sow, per GL treatment). Farrowing crate litters remained with their dam in a single litter until weaning. At weaning, 10 to 14 piglets from two unfamiliar litters from the same housing treatment were mixed into pens (n =5 pens/treatment) and their behaviour was continuously recorded for 3.5 h. For each pen, the frequency of aggressive bouts (reciprocal and non-reciprocal aggression lasting <5 s), the frequency and duration of fights (reciprocal aggression lasting ⩾5 s) and bullying events (non-reciprocal aggression lasting ⩾5 s) were recorded, along with whether interactions involved familiar or unfamiliar piglets. Aggressive bouts delivered by FC piglets were approximately 1.5 and 3.0 times more frequent than that delivered by GL7 and GL14 piglets, respectively (40.5, 16.7 and 9.9 bouts/pig, respectively; P <0.05). Fighting was more frequent (1.6, 0.3 and 0.4 fights/pig, respectively; P <0.001) and fights were longer (83, 15 and 32 s fight/pig, respectively; P <0.001) between FC piglets than between GL7 or GL14 piglets. Bullying did not differ between housing treatments (P >0.05). GL7 and GL14 piglets engaged in a similar number of fights with unfamiliar as familiar piglets, but FC piglets had almost three times as many fights with unfamiliar than with familiar piglets (P <0.05). This experiment confirms the benefits of GL housing for pig social development. Further investigation is required to determine whether mixing before 14 days postpartum has implications for other indicators of animal welfare and productivity in a two-stage GL housing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loose farrowing pens have been considered as alternatives to crates to enhance sow welfare. A major concern with pen systems is often higher piglet pre-weaning mortality, especially due to crushing by the sow. An optimal management of light and mat surface temperature may promote greater piglet use of the creep, which has been associated with reduced piglet crushing. A total of 108 sows and their piglets were studied in sow welfare and piglet protection pens on a commercial piggery, across two replicates. Sows were randomly assigned to pens arranged within two creep treatments (bright creep: 300 lx v. dark creep: 4 lx), considering mat temperature as a covariate. Twelve sows and their litters in each treatment (24 in total) had their behaviour continuously recorded for 72-h postpartum (pp), and four focal piglets per litter were weighed on the first and third days pp. In situ behaviour observations were performed daily (from 0800 to 1700 h) on all sows and their litters, every 15 min over 72-h pp to record piglet time spent in the creep, latency to enter the creep for the first time, latency for the litter to remain in the creep for at least 10 min, and piglet and sow use of pen areas immediately in front of (A2) and farthest from the creep (A3). Piglets with access to bright creeps spent on average 7.2% more time (P< 0.01) in the creeps than piglets in pens with Dark creeps. In addition, for each degree increase in mat temperature, piglets spent on average 2.1% more time (P <0.01) in the creep. Piglets in pens with bright creeps spent less time in A2 (P =0.04) and the least time in A3 (P =0.01). Light or mat temperature did not affect sow use of pen areas or piglet weight gain. Piglets with bright creeps tended (P =0.06) to take longer to enter the creep for the first time after birth, but the latency for 30.0% of the litter to remain clustered for 10 min tended (P =0.08) to be shorter in bright compared to dark creeps. Overall, piglet use of the creep increased with warm mat temperatures and brightness, which should be further investigated as potential strategies to promote piglet safety and reduce crushing in pen farrowing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floor space is an important determinant of aggression and stress in group-housed sows, and the aim of the present experiment was to comprehensively examine the effects of floor space in the range of 1.45 to 2.90 m2/sow from mixing until 27 d after insemination on aggression, stress, and reproduction of group-housed sows. A previous experiment on the effects of floor space indicated spatial variability across and along the research facility in both sow aggression and stress. To minimize this spatial variability within the research facility, similar-sized pens but with varying groups sizes (10–20) in 4 separate blocks of 3 contiguous pens within each of 9 time replicates (180 sows/replicate) were used to examine 6 space allowances (1.45–2.9 m2/sow). Space treatments were appropriately randomized to pens. Although it may be argued that space allowance is confounded with group size in this design, there was no evidence in our previous experiment of group size effects, for pens of 10 to 80 sows, or appreciable interactions between space and group size on aggression, stress, and reproduction. In the present experiment, sows were introduced to treatments within 4 d of insemination and were floor fed 4 times per day (2.5 kg/sow per d). On both Days 2 and 26 after mixing, aggressive behavior (bites and knocks) at feeding and plasma cortisol concentrations were measured. Restricted maximum likelihood mixed model analyses were used to examine the treatment effect after accounting for replicate and random spatial location effects within replicate. There was a consistent linear effect of floor space allowance on aggression at feeding at Day 2 (P < 0.0001) and plasma cortisol concentrations at Day 2 (P = 0.0003), with aggression and stress declining with increasing space. However, there were no effects of space allowance on aggression and stress at Day 26 (P = 0.14 and P = 0.79, respectively). These results show that increased floor space in the immediate post-mixing period reduces aggression and stress and that sows may adapt to reduced floor space over time. A strategy of staged-gestation penning, with more space immediately after mixing and less space later in gestation, may address both animal welfare and economic considerations, but this clearly requires further examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationships between individual sow aggressive behavior and sow welfare, based on aggression, skin injuries, and stress, in a total of 275 pregnant domestic sows. Over 4 time replicates, sows were randomly mixed into groups of 10 (floor space of 1.8 m²/sow) within 7 d of insemination in both their first and second gestations (200 sows per gestation with 126 sows observed in both gestations). Measurements were taken on aggression (both delivered and received) at feeding, skin injuries, and plasma cortisol concentrations at d 2, 9, and 51 after mixing. Live weight gain, nonreproductive removals, litter size (born alive, total born, and stillborn piglets), and farrowing rate were also recorded. In both the first and the second gestations, sows were classified at d 2 after mixing as "submissive" (delivered little or no aggression at feeding relative to aggression received), "subdominant" (received more aggression at feeding than delivered), and "dominant" (delivered more aggression at feeding than received). In both gestations, sows classified as dominant at d 2 subsequently delivered more (gestation 1, P < 0.01; gestation 2, P < 0.01) and received less (gestation 1, P < 0.01; gestation 2, P < 0.01) aggression and gained the most weight (gestation 1, P < 0.01; gestation 2, P < 0.01). Dominant sows had the least skin injuries throughout gestation 1 (P = 0.04), and although submissive sows sustained the most skin injuries at d 9 and 51 of gestation 2, at d 2 the classifications did not differ in skin injuries (P < 0.01). Subdominant sows had the highest cortisol concentrations at d 2 of gestation 2, but there were no differences between classifications at d 9 and 51 in either gestation (gestation 1, P > 0.05; gestation 2, P = 0.02). There were no significant relationships between aggression classification and reproduction and nonreproductive removals (P > 0.05). In conclusion, sows classified as dominant at feeding at d 2 subsequently received less aggression at feeding, sustained fewer skin injuries, and had higher live weight gain. Submissive and subdominant sows in groups are likely to benefit from the provision of increased resources such as space and access to feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project compared the effects of grouping sows after weaning or within 2 d after insemination on sexual behavior, aggression, injuries, stress, and mating success. At weaning (d 0), 360 sows were housed in groups of 10 sows at 4.4 n r per sow (group weaned [GpW]) or individual stalls (stall weaned [StW]), with 18 groups per treatment. Six days after weaning (d 6), 7 inseminated GpW sows were moved to pens at 2.1 m² per sow and keeping acquainted sows, and simultaneously, groups of 7 inseminated StW sows were mixed at 2.1 m² per sow. Group-weaned sows showed greater variation in the onset of estrus (P = 0.02) but not in the length of estrus compared to StW sows (P = 0.21), with 7% fewer GpW sows inseminated within 5 d of weaning (P = 0.05). Group-weaned sows showed lower sexual receptivity scores, showing less spontaneous standing during boar exposure and partly compensating by a greater response to the back-pressure test (both P < 0.01). The GpW treatment also showed greater variability in sows inseminated twice within 6 d of weaning, with 3 out of 18 pens having only 5 mated sows out of 10. Mixing after weaning resulted in higher levels of stress than mixing after insemination, with GpW sows having higher plasma Cortisol concentration than StW sows on d 1 (P< 0.001) but no treatment differences on d 7 in Cortisol concentration or aggression at feeding (P = 0.48). Group-weaned sows experienced greater weight loss during the first week postweaning (P = 0.05). Anogenital sniffing in GpW sows was frequently observed from d 2 to 5, but mounting and flank nosing increased on d 4 and 5. Frequency of sexual behavior initiated by GpW sows tended to correlate with weight loss (P = 0.08), and sexual behavior received correlated positively with Cortisol concentration at d 1 (P= 0.005). In conclusion, sows housed in groups at weaning and regrouped after insemination experienced higher stress than sows housed in individual stalls at weaning and mixed in groups after insemination. This resulted in lower mating success within 5 d of weaning, which in tum increased between-week variability. The lower sexual receptivity in sows grouped at weaning may be due to suppressed estrus-related behaviour, with ovulation occurring, or delayed ovulation beyond d 6. Further research is needed to identify underlying mechanisms to reduce variability, manage aggression and sexual behavior, and optimize estrus detection in group-housed weaning systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of creep feed composition and piglet weaning age on apparent creep feed disappearance and post-weaning performance were examined. A total of 24 gilts and 72 multiparous sows were selected at farrowing, and their litters allocated to a 2 by 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with the factors being weaning age (22 or 29 days of age) and the composition of the creep feed [simple (diet based predominately on cereals and animal and vegetable protein sources) or complex (diet based predominately on cereals, animal protein sources and 300 g/kg whey powder)]. Creep feed was offered to all litters from 9 days of age to weaning. While creep feed disappearance did not affect pre-weaning growth performance, there was a greater disappearance of the simple creep feed than the complex creep feed from 9 days of age to weaning (776 versus 461 g/litter, respectively, P = 0.004). Apparent creep feed intake from individual piglets in a subset of litters was assessed at three time points (16 and 19 days of age and at weaning), allowing the characterisation of individual pigs as good, moderate, small or non-eaters. There was no difference between treatment groups (χ² = 6.27, P = 0.71) in the characterisation of apparent creep feed disappearance by individual piglets, however piglets offered the simple creep diet before weaning consumed more feed (P = 0.004) and gained weight faster (P = 0.007) during the first 5 days after weaning than those animals offered the complex creep diet. Feed intake from weaning to 49 days of age also tended to be greater in pigs offered the simple creep diet before weaning (P = 0.053), with this difference reflected in daily gain from weaning to 49 days of age (P = 0.051). Despite these differences, creep feed composition did not influence lifetime growth performance or carcass composition. Pigs weaned at 22 days of age were heavier midway through the weaner period (49 days of age) than pigs weaned at 29 days of age (15.2 versus 14.3 kg, respectively, P = 0.009), and tended to grow faster from birth to slaughter (616 versus 610 g/day, respectively, P = 0.079). These data suggest that the provision of a complex creep diet during lactation may not improve lifetime growth performance above that of a less expensive creep diet. Weaning age may however influence lifetime performance, with weaning at 29 days of age tending to reduce rate of gain from birth to slaughter. The provision of creep feed to piglets before weaning aims to reduce the post weaning growth check and improve lifetime performance. This study examined the interactions between creep feed composition and weaning age, with the results suggesting a complex creep diet offered during lactation may not improve performance above that of a less expensive creep diet. Weaning age appears to have a greater influence on lifetime performance of the pig. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 3,120 sows, in 4 time replicates, were used to determine the effects of group size and floor space on sow welfare using behavioral, physiological, health, and fitness variables. Within 1 to 7 d postinsemination, sows were assigned randomly to treaments of a 3 by 6 factorial arrangement, with 3 group sizes (10, 30, or 80 sows/pen) and 6 floor space allow-ances(1.4, 1.8,2.0,2.2,2.4, or 3.0 m²/sow). Sows were housed on partially slatted concrete floors, and over-head feeders delivered 4 times/day to provide a total of 2.5 kg of feed/sow. As pen space increased from 1.4 to 3.0 m²/sow, aggression at feeding decreased from about 9 to 7 bouts/sow (linear, P = 0.029) and plasma Cortisol concentrations decreased from about 28 to 21 ng/mL (linear, P = 0.0089) at 2 d. Although the results are in accord with a linear decline from 1.4 to 3 m²/sow, the results are also in accord with a decline in these measurements from 1.4 to 1.8 m²/sow and no further decline greater than 1.8 m²/sow. Farrowing rate (percentage of inseminated sows that farrowed) also increased from about 60 to 75% as space increased from 1.4 to 3.0 m²/ sow (linear, P = 0.012). Group size was related to skin injuries on d 9 (P = 0.0017), 23 (P = 0.0046), and 51 (P = 0.0006), with groups of 10 consistently having the lowest number of total injuries over this period. Based on the aggression and Cortisol results, it is credible to judge that, within the range of floor space allowances studied, sow welfare improves with increased space. However, from a sow welfare perspective, the experiment had insufficient precision to determine what is an adequate space allowance for sows. Thus, although the results definitely support a space allowance of 1.4 m²/ sow being too small, it is not possible to give guidance on an actual space allowance at mixing that is adequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in non-Whites is currently unknown. This study was performed to explore the prevalence of PGD in African Americans (AAs). Multivariable analysis of two studies of recently bereaved individuals found AAs to have significantly higher rates of PGD than Whites (21% [14 of 66] vs. 12% [55 of 471], respectively; p = 0.03). Experiencing a loved one's death as sudden or unexpected was also significantly associated with PGD over and above the effects of race/ethnicity. AAs may be at increased risk for the development of PGD. The development of effective interventions to treat PGD highlights the need to identify high-risk individuals and refer them to therapy and suggests the potential need for such therapies to adopt culturally sensitive approaches to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Hip fracture is a common clinical problem that leads to considerable mortality and disability. A need exists for a practical means to monitor and improve outcomes, including function, for patients with hip fracture.Objectives: To identify and compare the importance of significant prefracture predictors of functional status and mortality at 6 months for patients hospitalized with hip fracture and to compare risk-adjusted outcomes for hospitals providing initial care.Design: Prospective study with data obtained from medical records and through structured interviews with patients and proxies.Setting and Participants: A total of 571 adults aged 50 years or older with hip fracture who were admitted to 4 New York, NY, metropolitan hospitals between August 1997 and August 1998.Main Outcome Measures: In-hospital and 6-month mortality; locomotion at 6 months; and adverse outcomes at 6 months, defined as death or needing assistance to ambulate, compared by hospital, adjusting for patient risk factors.Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 1.6%. At 6 months, the mortality rate was 13.5%, and another 12.8% needed total assistance to ambulate. Laboratory values were strong predictors of mortality but were not significantly associated with locomotion. Age and prefracture residence at a nursing home were significant predictors of locomotion (P =.02 for both) but were not significantly associated with mortality. Adjustment for baseline characteristics either substantially augmented or diminished interhospital differences in outcomes. Two hospitals had 1 outcome (functional status or mortality) that was significantly worse than the overall mean while the other outcome was nonsignificantly better than average.Conclusions: Mortality and functional status ideally should be considered both together and individually to distinguish effects limited to one or the other outcome. Hospital performance for these 2 measures may differ substantially after adjustment, probably because different processes of care are important to each outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is a sequence-specific transcription factor that activates the expression of genes engaged in promoting growth arrest or cell death in response to genotoxic stress. A possible role for p53-related modulation of neuronal viability has been suggested by the finding that p53 expression is elevated in damaged neurons in acute models of injury such as ischemia and epilepsy and in brain tissue samples derived from patients with chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, the absence of p53 has been shown to protect neurons from a wide variety of acute toxic insults. Signal transduction pathways associated with p53induced cell death are being unraveled and suggest that intervention may prove fruitful in maintaining neuronal viability and restoring function following cytopathic insults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hip fractures are an important cause of death and functional dependence in the United States.Purpose: To review the evidence for clinical decisions that medical consultants make for patients with hip fracture and to develop recommendations for care.Data Sources: Published reports of clinical studies were found by searching MEDLINE and selected bibliographies.Study Selection: Studies were included if data were presented on clinical interventions to improve care of conditions typically encountered by medical consultants in the care of patients with hip fracture. Such conditions include timing of surgery, infection prophylaxis, thromboembolic prophylaxis, postoperative nutritional management, urinary tract management, prevention and management of delirium, application and timing of rehabilitation services, and prevention of subsequent falls. Meta-analyses; randomized, controlled trials; or other controlled studies were included if possible. If no such trials were identified, the best evidence from studies with other designs was included.Data Extraction: Interventions were selected on the basis of their efficacy or potential efficacy in improving functional outcome. Trials with positive and negative results were compared for differences in intervention and strength of study methods.Data Synthesis: Strong evidence supports medical recommendations for decisions about timing and duration of prophylactic antibiotics, selection of thromboembolic prophylaxis, urinary tract and nutritional management, and rehabilitative services. Many case series support early surgical repair, although patients who would benefit from delay and further medical work-up have not been well identified. Evidence for decisions about assessment of subsequent risk for fall and risk for and management of delirium is based largely on data from patients without hip fracture but is probably applicable. Future research should target optimal duration of thromboembolic prophylaxis, cost-effectiveness of low-molecular-weight heparin compared with that of other thromboembolic prophylactic regimens, management of delirium, rehabilitative services, and efficacy of assessment of risk for later falls.Conclusions: The data suggest that evidence-based medical care can improve hip fracture outcomes. The medical consultant has a key role in providing this care and managing the preoperative conditions and postoperative complications that may affect optimal functional recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about an experiment on sow behavior and skin injuries by mixing sows from either farrowing crates or a Piglet and Sow Alternative Farrowing Environment (PigSAFE) system sows into the group lactation (GL) in different housing treatments 13 days prior to weaning and at weaning.

This article states the minimum pen design criteria for loose farrowing systems are based on behavioral needs and basic body dimensions of sows and piglets as effective pen design requires extra floor space adding to capital cost so a two stage farrowing and group lactation system is being tested.