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Organic acids and their salts have the potential to promote growth in weaner and grower-finisher pigs. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effects of benzoic acid, sodium butyrate and sodium butyrate coated with benzoic acid on the growth performance, total tract energy digestibility, gut morphology and meat quality in grower-finisher pigs between 30 and 90 kg live weight. Sixty-four Duroc x (Large White x Landrace) pigs were balanced for live weight within sex and allocated to 4 dietary treatment groups (8 males and 8 females per group): control diet (C), C + benzoic acid (4.95 g/kg diet), C + sodium butyrate (1.47 g/ kg diet) and C + sodium butyrate (0.9 g/kg diet) coated with benzoic acid (2.1 g/kg diet). There was no significant difference between sexes or between dietary treatments for the organic or energy digestibility or the histological measurements: mucosal depth, villi length, crypt depth, number of goblet cells in villi, and number of goblet cells in crypt. Male pigs had a higher daily feed intake (P 0.05) were found between the diets for any of the growth performances or meat quality parameters. However, when butyrate was added to the diet, L* values (P = 0.052) and percentage (%) drip losses after 24 h tended to be higher (P = 0.053). The supplementation of benzoic acid, sodium butyrate or sodium butyrate coated with benzoic acid in the diet, had no significant effect on growth performance, meat quality, digestibility or gut morphology in grower-finisher pigs kept under nutritional and environmental low-stress conditions.

The aim of this study was to compare conformation, age at puberty and subsequent milk production of Holstein–Friesian–Jersey crossbred heifers grown in a linear trajectory (Target; n = 55) between ...

The body condition score (BCS, on a 0–5 scale) for sheep was developed in the 1960s as a management tool to quickly assess body nutrient reserves. To quantify how live weight, chemical body composition and energy partitioning changes as BCS increases in mature ewes, a total of 28 mixed-age Romney-cross ewes were slaughtered at different BCS (1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5) and the whole body chemical composition (skin, head, organs and carcass) was determined. The live weight increased linearly with BCS with an extra unit of BCS requiring 7.74 kg in live weight. The concentration of protein and inorganic matter in the whole body did not differ between BCS groups (P > 0.05). The concentration of water, fat and energy in the whole body increased as the BCS increased (P

Purpose Survivors of Wilms tumor (WT) are at risk for adverse health and social outcomes but risks beyond 30 years from diagnosis remain uncertain. We investigated the risks of adverse outcomes among 5-year survivors of WT, in particular, those between 30 and 50 years from diagnosis. Patients and Methods The British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study includes 1,441 5-year survivors of WT. We investigated cause-specific mortality, risk of subsequent primary neoplasms (SPNs), and, for those who completed a questionnaire, the extent of smoking and drinking, educational achievement, health status, and health service use compared with the general population. Results Cumulative risk of death from all causes, excluding recurrence, increased substantially from 5.4% to 22.7% at 30 years and 50 years, respectively, after WT diagnosis—75% of excess deaths beyond 30 years from diagnosis were attributable to SPNs (50%) and cardiac diseases (25%). Digestive cancer, most frequently bowel, accounted for 41% of excess cancers beyond 30 years. Conclusion Between 30 and 50 years from diagnosis, survivors of WT are at a substantially increased risk of premature mortality, and 75% of excess deaths were accounted for by SPNs and cardiac diseases. Radiotherapy exposure was a risk factor for both outcomes. The proportion of patients with WT who are exposed to radiotherapy has reduced substantially in recent decades because of initiatives such as the SIOP WT 2001 clinical trial, which sought to reduce late effects; however, the majority of current survivors, who are at least 30 years from diagnosis, received radiotherapy. Surveillance of this group should focus on SPNs, in particular, bowel and breast cancers, and cardiac conditions.

Embryo transfer of large sheep breed embryos (Suffolk) into small breed ewes (Cheviot) constrains birth size, but the maternal factors influencing fetal growth restriction are unknown. We hypothesized that reciprocal embryo transfer crosses between breeds of divergent size would affect pregnancy-related development of maternal insulin resistance in midgestation, thereby influencing fetal growth. Following superovulation, embryos were surgically collected 6 d postmating and transferred to recipients on the same day. Between- and within-breed transfers were performed. Between 60 and 70 d of pregnancy overnight-fasted ewes underwent hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps for assessment of insulin sensitivity. Maternal insulin sensitivity did not vary with transferred lamb breed. Overall, Cheviot ewes tended to have higher fasting glucose (P = 0.068), fasting insulin (P = 0.052), and steady-state glucose (P = 0.065) concentrations than Suffolk ewes at the stage of pregnancy studied. As expected, transferred between-breed Suffolk lambs were born lighter (P = 0.014), and transferred between-breed Cheviot lambs tended to be heavier at birth (P = 0.056) than respective lambs transferred within breed. Midgestation insulin sensitivity does not appear to be a major factor constraining growth of large breed sheep fetus transferred into smaller breed or a factor in releasing constraint in growth of a small breed fetus within a larger breed ewe. However, as embryo size is already different between transferred groups by 19 d, factors other than maternal gestational insulin resistance may determine fetal growth in this embryo transfer paradigm.

Background: IgA nephropathy is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide and a significant cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). While most cases of IgA nephropathy are considered sporadic, familial cases have been reported. Methods: We performed a national audit of 1,809 patients attending renal clinics and dialysis units to identify a family history among patients with kidney disease. We reviewed all renal biopsies performed at our institution spanning a 30-year period. Paediatric cases were not included. Results: We identified 14 families involving 41 affected individuals with biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy and at least one other member with either biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy or ESRD. Detailed family histories were obtained, medical records reviewed and family pedigrees constructed. Retrospective application of the MESTC criteria to all familial IgA biopsies was performed. Seven families had 2 or more members with biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy, equating to 23 (1.8%) of 1,283 biopsies with IgA nephropathy over the last 30 years. A complex inheritance pattern was observed, with autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive families identified with varying penetrance. There was a male preponderance (68%), and a complex heterogeneity in the clinical and histopathological features of familial IgA patients (age range 16–60 years; creatinine range 60–350 μmol/L). We observed a high rate (66%) of progression to ESRD, with a mean time to progression of 5.13 years (SD 1.8 years; range 2–8 years). Among those patients who had undergone transplantation, recurrence of disease was reported in 5 (50%) cases. Conclusion: These data suggests familial aggregation of IgA nephropathy, confirm the clinical and histopathological heterogeneity and raise the possibility of monogenic inheritance.

Uterine restriction during gestation can result in the birth of lambs that are smaller than those born from an unrestricted environment. The objective of this study was to examine whether this effect is present during the early embryonic period. Pure-breed embryos were transferred within and reciprocally between genotypically large (Suffolk: S) and small (Cheviot: C) sheep to establish four groups; SinS (Suffolk embryos in Suffolk dams), SinC (Suffolk embryos in Cheviot dams), CinS (Cheviot embryos in Suffolk dams) and CinC (Cheviot embryos in Cheviot dams). At Day 19, SinS embryos were longer (13.4 ± 0.53 mm) than SinC embryos (11.0 ± 0.57 mm; p

Studies using sheep models indicate that the fetal mammary gland is sensitive to maternal nutrition during gestation; however, results have been inconsistent and do not identify critical feeding periods. This study aimed to clarify previous findings by partitioning the period of maternal nutritional manipulation into 2 stages: early and mid-to-late pregnancy. Sixty-six twin-born, twin-bearing ewes, born to dams that were fed either submaintenance, maintenance, or ad libitum during early pregnancy (d 21 to 50 of pregnancy; SmP21-50, MP21-50, or AdP21-50, respectively) and then either maintenance or ad libitum during mid-to-late pregnancy (d 50 to 140 of pregnancy; MP50-140 or AdP50-140, respectively) were milked once a week, starting from d 7 ± 1 postpartum, for 7 subsequent weeks to enable estimation of daily milk yield and composition. Their lambs were weighed weekly. Ewes born to dams fed MP21-50 tended to have greater accumulated milk (P = 0.10), fat (P = 0.07), and NE (P = 0.06) yields over 50 d compared with ewes born to dams fed SmP21-50 and AdP21-50. In contrast, ewes born to dams fed AdP50-140 tended to have greater accumulated milk (P = 0.10) and lactose (P = 0.09) yields compared with ewes born to dams fed MP50-140. Grandoffspring birth weights were unaffected by granddam nutrition during pregnancy. Ewes born to dams fed AdP21-50 weaned lighter lambs (P = 0.05) than ewes born to dams fed AmP21-50 and tended to wean lighter lambs (P = 0.07) than ewes born to dams fed MP21-50 whereas there were no differences between the weaning weights of lambs (P = 0.43) from ewes born to dams fed AdP50-140 and MP50-140. Maintenance nutrition of dams during early pregnancy appears to be associated with an improved lactation performance of ewe offspring. Higher levels of nutrition during mid-to-late pregnancy also appears to improve the first-lactation performance of ewe offspring. Interestingly, although grandoffspring birth weights were unaffected, weaning weight appears to be influenced by granddam early pregnancy nutrition in a manner discordant with the lactational performance of their dam. Results from this study indicate that dam nutrition during early pregnancy can influence the lactational performance of ewe offspring and the BW at weaning of their grandoffspring, which may ultimately affect farmer profits. This highlights the importance of nutritional management of breeding ewes during this period.

Objective To determine whether modern treatments for cancer are associated with a net increased or decreased risk of death from neoplastic and non-neoplastic causes among survivors of childhood cancer. Design Population based cohort study. Setting British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Participants Nationwide population based cohort of 34 489 five year survivors of childhood cancer with a diagnosis from 1940 to 2006 and followed up until 28 February 2014. Main outcome measures Cause specific standardised mortality ratios and absolute excess risks are reported. Multivariable Poisson regression models were utilised to evaluate the simultaneous effect of risk factors. Likelihood ratio tests were used to test for heterogeneity or trend. Results Overall, 4475 deaths were observed, which was 9.1 (95% confidence interval 8.9 to 9.4) times that expected in the general population, corresponding to 64.2 (95% confidence interval 62.1 to 66.3) excess deaths per 10 000 person years. The number of excess deaths from all causes declined among those treated more recently; those treated during 1990-2006 experienced 30% of the excess number of deaths experienced by those treated before 1970. The corresponding percentages for the decline in excess deaths from recurrence or progression and non-neoplastic causes were 30% and 60%, respectively. Among survivors aged 50-59 years, 41% and 22% of excess deaths were attributable to subsequent primary neoplasms and circulatory conditions, respectively, whereas the corresponding percentages among those aged 60 years or more were 31% and 37%. Conclusions The net effects of changes in cancer treatments, and surveillance and management for late effects, over the period 1940 to 2006 was to reduce the excess number of deaths from both recurrence or progression and non-neoplastic causes among those treated more recently. Among survivors aged 60 years or more, the excess number of deaths from circulatory causes exceeds the excess number of deaths from subsequent primary neoplasms. The important message for the evidence based surveillance aimed at preventing excess mortality and morbidity in survivors aged 60 years or more is that circulatory disease overtakes subsequent primary neoplasms as the leading cause of excess mortality.

It has been suggested that the quality of clinical trials should be assessed by blinded raters to limit the risk of introducing bias into meta-analyses and systematic reviews, and into the peer-review process. There is very little evidence in the literature to substantiate this. This study describes the development of an instrument to assess the quality of reports of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in pain research and its use to determine the effect of rater blinding on the assessments of quality. A multidisciplinary panel of six judges produced an initial version of the instrument. Fourteen raters from three different backgrounds assessed the quality of 36 research reports in pain research, selected from three different samples. Seven were allocated randomly to perform the assessments under blind conditions. The final version of the instrument included three items. These items were scored consistently by all the raters regardless of background and could discriminate between reports from the different samples. Blind assessments produced significantly lower and more consistent scores than open assessments. The implications of this finding for systematic reviews, meta-analytic research and the peer-review process are discussed.

Pure-bred embryos were transferred within and reciprocally between large (Suffolk) and small (Cheviot) breeds of sheep to establish 4 treatment groups: SinS (Suffolk embryos in Suffolk dams), SinC (Suffolk embryos in Cheviot dams), CinS (Cheviot embryos in Suffolk dams), and CinC (Cheviot embryos in Cheviot dams). The recipient ewes carried single fetuses to term. The maternal plasma concentrations of ovine placental lactogen (oPL), progesterone, IGF-1, FFA, and glucose were measured on d 50, 90, 120, and 140 of pregnancy. Birth weight, body dimensions, and placental characteristics of lambs were recorded at birth. There was a recipient ewe breed × lamb breed × time interaction for the concentration of oPL (P = 0.03), but no such interaction was observed for progesterone (P = 0.42), IGF-1 (P = 0.57), glucose (P = 0.36), or FFA (P = 0.72). There were no differences in oPL (P = 0.28) and progesterone (P = 0.34) concentrations between SinC and SinS ewes. The concentrations of FFA on d 140 (P = 0.008), and those of glucose on d 50 (P = 0.02) and 120 (P = 0.01), were greater in SinC ewes than in SinS ewes. The ewes in CinS had less FFA concentration (P = 0.002) at all time points than CinC ewes. The concentrations of IGF-1 on d 90 were greater (P = 0.004) in CinS ewes than CinC ewes, but did not differ (P = 0.16) on d 50, 120, and 140. The concentrations of glucose on d 50 (P = 0.001), 90 (P = 0.03), and 140 (P = 0.03) were less in CinS ewes compared with CinC ewes. The birth weight of SinC lambs (5.04 ± 0.20 kg) was lighter (P = 0.001) than SinS lambs (5.94 ± 0.19 kg), and body dimensions of SinC lambs were smaller (P = 0.01) than SinS lambs. Neither birth weight nor the body dimensions of CinS lambs differed (P = 0.24) from CinC lambs. Cotyledon number was reduced (P = 0.04) in the CinS (57.5 ± 6.3) compared with the SinS group (74.2 ± 5.9), whereas mean cotyledon weight in CinS (2.42 ± 0.20 g) was greater (P = 0.02) than SinS (1.74 ± 0.21 g). It was concluded that the large genotype lambs were lighter and smaller when born to small genotype dams; however, the birth weight or body dimensions of small genotype lambs did not differ when born to large genotype dams. This study suggests that plasma oPL, progesterone, IGF-1, FFA, and glucose concentrations at different times throughout pregnancy reflect the regulatory effect of the uterine environment on the development of the fetus.

This study set out to investigate the effects of ewe size and pregnancy nutritional level on the development of singleton-foetuses in late pregnancy and was part of a large study investigating life-time effects of maternal nutrition on the offspring. Heavy (H) and light (L) Romney ewes were allocated to ad libitum (A) or maintenance (M) nutritional regimens from day 21–day 140 of pregnancy (P21–P140). At P140, 39 singleton-bearing ewes (HA: n = 9, HM: n = 10, LA: n = 10, LM: n = 10) were euthanized and ewe and foetal organs were collected and weighed. L-ewes were lighter ( P P P P P P > 0.05) on foetal weight or dimensions, weight of kidney, perirenal fat, heart, thymus, adrenal glands or gastrointestinal tract, mammary gland, ovaries or scrotum. In conclusion, these findings indicate that singleton-bearing ewes are able to buffer their foetus against maintenance nutrition to protect foetal growth and development in late pregnancy. In addition, singleton-bearing ewes fed ad libitum, partition the excess nutrients to itself rather than further enhancing foetal development. Ewe size had no effect on size or development of singleton-foetuses at P140, indicating that maternal size is of less importance when the ewe is carrying a singleton.

This study set out to investigate the effects of ewe size and nutrition during pregnancy on the development of twin-foetuses and was part of a large study investigating life-time effect of maternal size and nutrition on the offspring. Heavy (H) and light (L) Romney ewes were allocated to ad libitum (A) or maintenance (M) nutritional regimens from day 21 to day 140 of pregnancy (P21–P140). At P65, P100 and P140, five (total of 59 ewes) twin-bearing ewes from each size-by-nutritional-treatment group were euthanized and foetal organs were collected and weighed. L-ewes were lighter and had greater changes in live weight from breeding to P65, P100 and P140 than H-ewes. M-ewes were lighter and had smaller changes in live weight than A-ewes from breeding to P65, P100 and P140. No ewe-size or nutritional effects were found on organ weights measured at P65. At P100, ewe size and nutritional level had no effect on foetal weight. Foetuses from M-ewes had 7% heavier livers after correcting for foetal weight, compared to those from A-ewes at P100. At P140, foetuses from L- and M-ewes were lighter than foetuses from H- and A-ewes. In addition, foetuses from M-ewes had lighter thyroid glands (34%) but heavier livers (14%) and kidneys (11%) than foetuses from A-ewes after correction for foetal weight. In conclusion, ewe size constrained twin foetuses in late gestation, but not in early or mid gestation. Similarly, maternal nutrition had only few effects on foetal development in early- and mid-pregnancy, however, foetal development was more affected in late gestation, suggesting that the twin-foetuses were nutrient deprived in this late period only.

This study examined the effects of dam size and plane of nutrition during pregnancy on dam udder size, lamb colostrum intake, and lamb liveweight gain (LWG). The study also attempted to quantify the effects of a number of dam and offspring parameters on lamb LWG. Two hundred and fifty-five heavy (H) (60.8 ± 0.18 kg) and 255 light (L) (42.5 ± 0.17 kg) Romney dams were allocated to ad libitum (A) or maintenance (M) nutritional regimens, under New Zealand pastoral grazing conditions – from day 21 to day 140 post-insemination. One week prior to lambing, all dams and offspring were managed as one group and provided with ad libitum feeding. Udder dimensions were measured at day 140 of pregnancy in a sub-group of 313 dams. Lambs were weighed within 24 h of birth (L0) and at L21, L45, L80 and L100 and the lamb liveweight gains calculated. From a sub-group of 167 lambs, blood was sampled at 24–36 h of age to determine the glucose and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) concentrations. During pregnancy, the M-dams gained less live weight than the A-dams and gave birth to lighter lambs – which resulted in a reduced LWG, until L21. From L21 onwards, the LWG of the lambs born to M-dams did not differ from lambs born to A-dams. Udders of the LA-dams were bigger than those of LM-dams. Lambs born to A-dams recorded a higher blood glucose concentration than lambs born to M-dams. Dam size and nutrition did not affect the GGT concentrations of the lamb. Heavy (H) dams remained heavier than the L-dams throughout pregnancy and gave birth to heavier lambs, than the L-dams. Lambs born to H-dams recorded greater LWG than lambs born to L-dams during early, mid and late lactation. Modelling of the results showed that only a small part of the variation (±35%) of LWG of the lambs could be explained by the measured variables (e.g., birth weight, dam live weight, sire, udder dimension, nutrition). The largest single variable explained less than 5% of the variation in LWG. In conclusion, this study showed that lamb liveweight gain in early lactation is affected by both dam size and plane of nutrition and could likely be explained by differences in the lactational performance of the ewes. Interestingly, modelling of the results showed that a considerable proportion of lamb liveweight gain was not explained by the variables measured.

SUMMARYThe current study investigated the effects of dam weight and nutrition during gestation on the reproductive performance of female primiparous offspring at 2 years of age. Four hundred and fifty heavy (H) (mean±s.e.m.: 60·8 kg±0·18) and 450 light (L) (42·5 kg±0·17) dams were randomly allocated to ad libitum (A) or maintenance (M) nutritional regimens from day 21 until day 140 of pregnancy, under pastoral grazing conditions. One week prior to lambing, all dams and their lambs were provided with ad libitum feeding through to weaning. After weaning, female progeny were managed and fed to requirements as one group. At 2 years of age, the oestrous cycles of the female offspring (n=207) were synchronized and the offspring were naturally mated. Ewes were scanned for pregnancy by ultrasound at day 70 of pregnancy. Within 24 h of birth, lambs were weighed and body dimensions were measured. Lambs were also weighed at day 24 (L24) and weaning. No effects of dam nutrition or dam weight were found (P>0·10) on the reproductive performance of the ewe offspring. Lambs of M-grand-dams were heavier at birth (P=0·024) and weaning (P=0·031) than lambs of A-grand-dams. Twin lambs of H-grand-dams were heavier at birth (P=0·014) than twin lambs of L-grand-dams; however, grand-dam weight had no effect (P>0·10) on lamb weaning weight. In summary, dam weight had no effect on reproductive performance of the female offspring, with only a minor effect on the weight of grand-offspring. Thus, being born to a larger dam has no advantages over being born to a smaller dam, in terms of number of lambs born and weight of lambs at birth and weaning. Grand-dam maintenance nutrition had no effect on reproductive performance although it increased lamb birth and weaning weight and lamb growth rates of the grand-offspring. Therefore, this indicates that ewes born to dams fed at maintenance during pregnancy have an advantage over A-ewes in physiological stressful situations including pregnancy or lactation.

Accurate estimates of milk production or milk intake are difficult, as all methods interfere to some degree with the natural behaviour of the dam and her young, and potentially alter milk yield itself. The present study compared milk yield obtained by the “oxytocin” method, udder dimensions (UD), the isotope dilution method, and live weight change of the lamb, in an attempt to select the most accurate and convenient way of measuring milk production in non-dairy sheep. In addition, the study investigated which of the three milk-estimation techniques was an accurate predictor of growth rates of lambs. Thirty-seven singleton-bearing and rearing ewes were milked once a week, for seven consecutive weeks, using the “oxytocin” method. Prior to each afternoon milking, the external dimensions of the ewe's udder were measured. Lambs were weighed weekly for the first seven weeks of life and live weight change was calculated. The deuterium oxide (D 2 O) dilution technique was used to estimate milk intake of the lambs and performed at approximately 7 days post-partum and finishing on approximately day 14. Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression coefficients among techniques were calculated. The UD-models at d7 ( R 2 = 0.35), d35 ( R 2 = 0.36) and d42 ( R 2 = 0.34), were the best models explaining variation in milk yield (concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) = 0.49; 0.53; 0.51; for d7, d35 and d42, respectively). The lamb live weight-change model explained the variation in milk yield best at d28 ( R 2 = 0.32; CCC = 0.49), at d35 ( R 2 = 0.22; CCC = 0.36) and at d42 ( R 2 = 0.28; CCC = 0.44). At d14, the intake of milk by lambs as measured by the D 2 O technique, did not explain the variation in milk yield. In conclusion, udder dimensions, lamb live weight change and lamb milk intake are relatively poor estimators of the milk yield of singleton-rearing ewes obtained by the “oxytocin” method. Additionally, udder dimensions, milk yield and lamb milk intake do not give an accurate prediction of growth rates of singleton lambs. These results emphasize that there is a difference between ewe milk production potential and lamb milk intake, which need to be considered when estimating milk production in non-dairy animals.

In temperate climates, the cost of providing feed is greater in winter than in other seasons, causing ewes to be fed restricted rations during some periods of pregnancy. Epidemiological information indicates that undernutrition of the fetus may affect its health and performance in later life (i.e., fetal programming), and these effects may be passed between generations. The primary focus of the results presented in this paper is to examine the effects of feeding levels during pregnancy on a variety of traits from offspring at the fetal stage to 3.5 yr of age and also traits in the grand-offspring. Two studies are reported in which ewes were fed restricted diets during pregnancy, with a variety of fetal traits, offspring traits up to 3.5 yr of age, or grand-offspring traits up to 8 mo of age being measured. Study 2 also considered differences in dam size (heavy vs. light). In study 1, several fetal mammary gland measures indicated that milking ability may be enhanced in offspring from dams fed ad libitum during pregnancy. However, study 2 showed that mammary mass was greater in fetuses from dams fed at maintenance during pregnancy and that contemporaries of these fetuses produced greater protein and lactose yields in their first lactation. In the second lactation, the advantages in protein and lactose yields did not reoccur and ewes from ad libitum-fed dams produced greater fat yield. In study 2, grand-offspring whose granddams were fed at maintenance levels during pregnancy were lighter at birth in both the first and second parturitions than those whose granddams were fed ad libitum during pregnancy. First-parity grand-offspring whose granddams were fed maintenance levels during pregnancy achieved heavier BW by 40 to 50 d of age in the first lactation, which reflected the greater protein and lactose yields; however, no BW differences were present in second-parity lambs at the same age. A smaller proportion of first-parity ewe grand-offspring from heavy granddams that were fed ad libitum during pregnancy reached puberty at approximately 8 mo of age relative to the other granddam size and feeding groups. These results indicate that dam nutrition can affect the yield and composition of milk in their offspring and the BW and reproductive capability of their grand-offspring. Molecular and physiological mechanisms for these changes are being sought.

Many environmental factors applied postnatally are known to affect milk production of the dam, but to date, the effects of different fetal environments on subsequent first lactational performance of the offspring have not been reported. Four hundred fifty heavy (H; 60.8 kg +/- 0.18) and 450 light (L; 42.5 kg +/- 0.17) dams were randomly allocated to ad libitum (A) or maintenance (M) nutritional regimens from d 21 until d 140 of pregnancy, under pastoral grazing conditions (HA, n = 151; HM, n = 153; LA, n = 155; LM, n = 153). At d 100 of pregnancy, a sub-group of twin-bearing dams was killed and fetal mammary glands collected. From 1 wk before lambing, all remaining dams were fed ad libitum until weaning. After weaning, female progeny were managed and fed under pastoral conditions as 1 group. At 2 yr of age, 72 twin-rearing ewe offspring were milked once a week for 7 wk. Fetuses from M-dams had heavier mammary glands (P = 0.03) compared with A-fetuses. Fetuses from H-dams had greater (P = 0.0008) mammary duct area compared with L-fetuses. At 2 yr of age, M-offspring had greater milk yields at d 7 (P = 0.02) and d 28 (P = 0.09) of lactation and tended to have greater accumulated milk yields (P = 0.11) compared with A-offspring. Ewes born to M-dams showed greater lactose percentage at d 14 (P = 0.002), d 21 (P = 0.06), and d 28 (P = 0.07) of lactation and greater (P = 0.049) accumulated lactose yields and CP (P = 0.06) yields compared with A-offspring. Ewes born to H-dams displayed greater milk yields at d 14 (P = 0.08) and d 21 (P = 0.02) and had greater accumulated milk yield (P = 0.08) and lactose yield (P = 0.04) compared with L-offspring. Lambs born to M-offspring were heavier at birth (P = 0.02) and grew faster until weaning (P = 0.02), matching the milk yield and composition data, compared with their ad libitum counterparts. Birth weight was not affected (P > 0.10) by grand dam size; however, lambs born to H-offspring grew faster from birth until d 49 of age (P = 0.03). In conclusion, dam nutrition during pregnancy affected the resulting milk production of the offspring and composition and growth of their lambs. In addition, dam size affected the milk production of the offspring, lactose yield, and growth of their lambs. These findings are important for furthering our understanding of how the environment to which the female fetus is exposed can affect her subsequent development and her ability to nourish the next generation.

A number of studies have shown an increase in the birth weight of lambs in response to mid pregnancy shearing. The present study sought to determine whether the birth weight effect of mid‐pregnancy shearing is mediated through changes in maternal insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) and insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐I (IGFBP‐I) concentrations. Single‐ and twin‐bearing ewes from three genetically divergent IGF‐I lines were either left unshorn or shorn at a mean day 90 of pregnancy (P90). Maternal plasma concentrations of IGF‐I and IGFBP‐I were measured at P89, P108 and P136. Lamb liveweight at birth and weaning weremeasured, andplasmaconcentrations of IGF‐I determined at weaning. Shearing increased the birth weight of twin lambs by over 350 g (P < 0.05) without having any effect on singleton birth weight. The increased birth weight of twin lambs born to shorn ewes was associated with a decline in maternal plasma IGF‐I concentration (P < 0.05) from P108 toP136. Low IGF‐I line ewes had ...

It has been suggested that selection based on insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) concentrations could be used as a mechanism to improve efficiency of growth in young animals. However, there is the strong possibility that selection on IGF‐1 levels could cause correlated changes in other traits. The present study was designed to determine if selection based on phenotypic IGF‐1 concentrations has any impact on reproductive performance of ewes. In study one, the breeding performance and ovulation rate of oestrus‐synchronised ewes selected for either “Low” or “High” phenotypic IGF‐1 concentrations, and that of a control line, were compared. In study two, ewes were also superovulated using eCG and the above parameters measured. In study one, both Low and High line ewes were less (P < 0.05) likely to be bred in the 4‐day period post‐synchronisation only, and more (P < 0.05) likely to return to service than Control ewes. These relationships were not observed in study two. In study two, but not in study...

Ewe size, pregnancy nutrition and pregnancy rank are known to affect the productive performance of ewes and their offspring. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of two nutritional regimens, from day 21 to day 140 of pregnancy, in singleton‐ and twin‐bearing ewes of two different mean weights, taken from a single flock. The study included Large ewes offered Ad lib (Large‐Ad lib, n= 151), Large ewes offered Maintenance (Large‐Maintenance, n = 153), Small ewes offered Ad lib (Small‐Ad lib, n = 155) and Small ewes offered Maintenance (Small‐Maintenance, n = 153) that were either singleton‐ or twin‐bearing. During the period day 21 to day 140 Maintenance and Ad lib feeding regimens included Large and Small ewes and singleton‐ and twin‐bearing ewes. At days 1 and 140 of pregnancy Large ewes were heavier (P < 0.05) and of greater (P < 0.05) body condition than Small ewes. Similarly, at days 1 and 140 of pregnancy twin‐bearing ewes were heavier (P < 0.05) than single‐bearing ewes. At ...

Three insulin‐like growth factor (IGF‐1) sheep genetic selection lines (Low, Control and High) based on phenotypic IGF‐1 concentrations post‐weaning have previously shown a negative relationship between IGF‐1 concentration and lamb birth‐weight. The present study was designed to determine if dam nutritional regimen in late pregnancy affected this relationship. Nineteen Low, 66 Control and 51 High IGF‐1 selection line pregnant ewes were either offered a restricted or ad‐lib nutritional regimen from day 91 of pregnancy. The ewe nutritional regimens resulted in differences (P < 0.05) in ewe liveweight and condition score in late pregnancy. IGF‐1 concentrations of High and Low line ewes differed (P < 0.05) throughout the late‐pregnancy period with Control line concentrations being intermediate. In late pregnancy, ad‐lib ewes had higher (P < 0.05) IGF‐1 concentrations than restricted ewes. Neither IGF‐1 selection line or nutrition regimen consistently affected ewe glucose, non‐esterified fatty acids (...

This study investigated the body composition and metabolic status of twin- and triplet-bearing ewes and their fetuses in late pregnancy. The aim was to identify factors that could explain the lower survival rates of triplet lambs compared with twin lambs. Ten twin- and 10 triplet-bearing ewes and their fetuses were euthanased on either day 139 or 140 of pregnancy and fetal and placental measurements recorded. The weights of the gravid uterus ( P P P P = 0.05) individual cotyledon weight, resulting in no differences in either total fetal membrane plus cotyledon or total cotyledon weights. The absolute weight of many organs were significantly ( P P P The mean weight of the lightest triplet fetus within each triplet set was 31% lighter than that of the heaviest triplet ( P P P P = 0.05) greater kidney weights and tended to have heavier heart ( P = 0.07) and lungs ( P = 0.07). It is unknown why the relative organ weight relationships between the heaviest and lightest differ between twin and triplet fetuses. In conclusion this study has identified three factors which may contribute to the lower survival rates observed in triplet-compared to twin-born lambs; low fructose concentrations, lighter fetal weights, especially in one fetus within each triplet set, and maternal mammary gland increases that are not proportional to the increase in numbers of fetuses. While these findings are not novel, there were no other factors identified that could account the lower survival rates reported in triplet-born lambs compared to twins. The other only other significant differences identified were the proportionally lighter livers and hearts in triplets although the possible effects of these on survival is unknown.

This is the final in a series of articles tracing the history of Learning Difficulties Australia since the late 1960s, and covers the decade beginning in the mid‐1990s. This decade has seen increasing professionalisation of the association through adoption and implementation of a Strategic Plan, more rigorous administrative procedures, a strengthening of nation‐wide ties through interstate conferences and election of interstate Council members, and a change of name. The regular program of professional development has been maintained, as has the Consultants’ Referral Service, with the introduction of a similar service in Queensland. Increased involvement of academic researchers in the association is reflected in greater pressure on specialist educators to employ research‐based methods in the teaching of early reading. The association has continued to lobby for greater support for students with learning difficulties.

This article is the first in a series tracing the history of Learning Difficulties Australia, an association of educators and other professionals dedicated to the support of people with learning difficulties, especially difficulties in literacy and numeracy. Part one describes the growth of the association from a small group of remedial teachers in Victoria struggling for an identity, to the beginnings of a recognised national body. During this time the association set up a referral service for remedial consultants with strict membership criteria, initiated publication of a successful journal, made submissions to government, conducted workshops and seminars for teachers, and established relationships with other professional bodies concerned with learning difficulties.

Part Two in this series of articles on the history of Learning Difficulties Australia traces efforts by the Australian Remedial Education Association (AREA) to establish a national identity, from the early 1970s to the early 1980s when significant changes in special education policy were beginning to take effect. For AREA it was a very active time, as membership grew rapidly and the association sought to provide a variety of services and support for its members through workshops, seminars, conferences and publications, established a successful referral service for qualified remedial consultants, and through lobbying and government submissions achieved recognition as the peak professional body concerned with learning difficulties.

As the Australian Remedial Educational Association (AREA) approached its silver jubilee in 1990, signifi cant changes were occurring in education. The principle, if not the practice, of integration into mainstream schools for students with disabilities had been widely adopted by education authorities, one outcome being an expectation that class teachers would provide for much greater diversity within the mainstream. Broader changes in education, including in end-of-school assessment, posed further challenges. During the decade from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, AREA was occupied in much internal discussion as Council searched for a framework that would encompass new ideas about special education while maintaining its service for remedial consultants as a priority. The association overcame fi nancial and other diffi culties, surviving with a new name, the Australian Resource Educators Association, to refl ect an expansion of membership beyond the traditional concept of remedial teacher.

Part three in this series continues the story of the Australian Journal of Remedial Education, which had by the early 1970s become one of the most important ‐ and certainly the most publicly visible ‐ activity of AREA. It concludes in the early 1980s, soon after publication of the 50th issue. During this time the journal expanded its print run to 2000, and distribution was extended to every Australian state and more than 20 overseas countries. It attracted a wide range of articles from within Australia and overseas, becoming more focused on the reading process, but still including a great variety of approaches to the remediation of learning difficulties.

Part Five in this series on the history of Learning Difficulties Australia continues the history, begun in Part Three, of the association's journal. During this time the quality of articles in the journal came under scrutiny, and refereeing, at first only of research reports, later of all contributions, came into practice. Editorial policy continued to embrace reports of new teaching methods and therapies as a means of informing readers, but contributions also reflected changes taking place in special education and in teacher training. Articles about reading continued to dominate as the debate between whole language and phonics approaches heated up. In 1996 the name of the journal was changed to reflect the broader interests of the association in learning difficulties.

The extent to which legislation and special education policy have impacted on the nature of the educational enrolment of students with a disability in Australia has not been clearly addressed. Although there are no detailed and systematic national data on the enrolment of students with a disability in inclusive settings, special classes and special schools in Australia, some broad trends are apparent. The legislative background to these trends is discussed. As might be expected, there are variations in the nature of the educational enrolment of students with a disability across the states and territories of Australia. Enrolment trends in the two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, are examined and discussed within the context of their respective special education policies, disability discrimination legislation, and educational precedent.

Adaptive behaviour is important in the assessment of eligibility for intellectual disability services. However, there is some question about which behaviours should be assessed. The purpose of the present study was to clarify which everyday behaviours are considered essential for independent functioning by young adults in the Australian community. Parents, disability workers, and young adults judged the importance of 130 everyday behaviours. Items that assessed safety, health, self-care, functional literacy and numeracy, respecting others' rights, and day-to-day decisionmaking were most frequently rated as essential for independent functioning. Our findings raise important questions about the assessment of adaptive behaviour in Australia, and point to the need for a more valid approach to the measurement of adaptive behaviour for the purpose of eligibility assessment. The research provides a first step towards providing such a scale for use in the Australian context.

It was hypothesized that exposure of the fetus to adverse conditions in utero due to either maternal constraint or nutrition may result in developmental adaptations altering metabolism and postnatal growth of the offspring. Heavy (H) and light (L) Romney dams (G0) were allocated to ad libitum (A) or maintenance (M) nutritional regimens, from day 21–day 140 of pregnancy. Female twin-born offspring (G1) born to the dams in the four treatment groups will be referred to as HA-ewes, LA-ewes, HM-ewes and LM-ewes. At 16 months of age, offspring were catheterized and given intravenous insulin tolerance test (ITT), glucose tolerance test (GTT) and epinephrine tolerance test challenges to assess their glucose and fat metabolism in relation to their birth weight and postnatal growth. In HA-ewes, the regression coefficients of growth rates prior to puberty on insulin and glucose curves in response to GTT (InsAUCGTT) and ITT (GluAUCITT), respectively, were different from 0 (P < 0.05) and were different from the regression coefficients of HM-ewes. This may indicate that HA-ewes may have showed puberty-related insulin resistance at 16 months of age with increasing growth rates prior to puberty compared to HM- or LM-ewes. In HM-ewes, the regression coefficients of growth rates after puberty on InsAUCGTT and GluAUCITT were different from 0 (P < 0.05) and were different from those of HA-ewes. These results may indicate that offspring born to heavy dams fed maintenance during pregnancy and with greater postnatal growth rates after puberty could develop glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in later life.

Attempts to include students with severe disabilities in mainstream classes are comparatively recent in the history of special education. A major motive for inclusion is recognition of the right of all individuals to community membership. However, views differ on the extent to which the goals of inclusive education should emphasise the acquisition of the skills needed to function as contributing members of the community. Inclusion of students with severe disabilities involves changes in teacher roles and responsibilities and flexible approaches to class organisation. The move from an emphasis on functional curriculum to participation in core curriculum with non‐disabled students requires creative adaptations of both curriculum and instructional strategies, including strategies that foster class membership. Challenging behaviour is a potential barrier to successful inclusion, and new approaches that enable both class and specialist teachers to minimise its occurrence need to be developed. Although barriers still exist to inclusion of students with severe disabilities, there is evidence that inclusion can work successfully.

Severe haemophilia is a chronically disabling and painful condition but treatment may modify progression of the disease and consequently health-related quality-of-life (HR-QoL). In order to assess HR-QoL in patients with severe haemophilia A and B, 99 patients received MOS Short Form 36 (SF-36) and EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaires. The relationships between responses from both questionnaires, HIV status, age, orthopaedic history and the number of bleeds patients had experienced in the previous year were examined. Scores from both questionnaires were also compared to appropriate UK normative data. The final analysis was based on 70 and 71 SF-36 and Euroqol questionnaires, respectively. Age aside, none of the clinical variables were found to be statistically significant predictors of health-related quality-of-life (HR-QoL). However, results from both questionnaires clearly showed that compared to the general population these patients with severe haemophilia are experiencing significantly lower levels of HR-Qo...

This study investigated the factors influencing parents of students with disabilities in choosing either an integrated setting or a special school for the education of their children. A questionnaire mailed to members of a parent support group in Victoria, Australia, sought responses to questions about current school setting, changes of school, parent preferences for school setting, and parent satisfaction with the current setting. Parents also rated 30 factors, including specialist resources, curriculum, socialisation, normalisation aspects, school environment, and professional consultation and advice, for their importance in selecting a school. Responses were received from 193 parents. Some differences were identified between parents of students in different settings, with mainstream parents giving high ratings to normalisation and academic aspects, and special school parents emphasising special programs, teacher‐student ratios, and the child's self‐esteem. All parents rated school climate vari...

The work preferences of students choosing a professional career in intellectual disability services are particularly important when irregular hours, isolation from the more prestigious mainstream o...