A study was carried out to investigate the effects of a drug-free feeding program on broiler performances. A total of 2,496 Cobb 500 chicks were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments with each group replicated 13 times. The four diets evaluated were: 1) negative control (NC): basal diet without growth promoter or coccidiostat; 2) positive control (PC): diet 1 + Lincomycin; 3) Program 1 (PG1): diet 1 + Bio-Mos®, Vegpro®, MTB-100®, Acid Pak 4-Way®, and All-Lac XCL®; 4) Program 2 (PG2): diet 1 + Bio-Mos® and All-Lac XCL®. Additives were used at commercially recommended rates. All chicks were vaccinated with a live oocyst coccidia vaccine on d 0 at the hatchery. Four phases of feeding were used during the trial with changes occurring at d 14, 28, and 35. Performance values measured were body weight, feed intake, yield, and mortality, while body weight gain and feed conversation rate (FCR) were calculated. Chicks were challenged with coccidia at d 14 to evaluate the protective effect of the feeding programs and coccidia vaccination. Segments of duodenum, ileum, and ceca were removed to measure intestinal morphology. Final body weight gains of birds on PC (2.736 kg) were greater (P < 0.05) compared to NC (2.650 kg), while birds on PG1 (2.681 kg) and PG2 (2.710 kg) were similar to positive and negative control. Overall, feed intake was similar across the treatments with the exception of period 2 (15 to 28 days) when birds consumed more (P < 0.05) of PC and PG1 compared to NC. Cumulative FCR at d 35 and 49 was improved (P < 0.05) in birds consuming PC and PG2 when compared to NC. Overall, birds consuming NC had greater mortality (P < 0.05; 12%) compared to PC (7.6 %), PG1 (4.6%) and PG2 (6.7 %) with most of the mortality occurring from d 0 to d 28. Mortality for birds consuming PG1 was also lower (P < 0.05) compared to the PC. There were no dietary effects on lesion scores or yields of processed products at d 42 (females) or d 49 (males). Interaction of dietary treatments with age and days of age alone showed effects (P < 0.0001) on the morphology of duodenum, ileum, and ceca. Lamina propria in ceca was thicker (P < 0.008) in birds consuming NC compared to PG1 and PG2. This study indicated that feeding birds without growth promoters resulted in greater mortality and decreased performance compared to using an antibiotic, while Bio-Mos® in combination with All-Lac XCL® helped to reduce the negative effects. / Master of Science

In the first experiment, 132 Jersey calves were assigned to one of three diets on three farms. Diet 20/20, 28/25, and 28/20 were milk replacers (MR) consisting of 20%, 28%, and 28% CP, and 20%, 25%, and 20% fat, respectively. Diet 20/20 was reconstituted at 10% DM solids, whereas diets 28/25 and 28/20 were reconstituted at 12.5% DM solids. Body weight, body length, hip height, wither height, heart girth, and hip width were measured weekly. An initial plasma sample was analyzed for IgG concentration to test for passive immunity. Calves remained on study for 8 wk. Body weight gain, ADG, total weight gain, and stature measurements were greatest for calves fed 28/25 and lowest for calves fed diet 20/20, whereas calves fed 28/20 were intermediate. In the second experiment, 70 calves were assigned to one of two treatments. Calves included purebred Holsteins, Jerseys, and crossbred reciprocals. Calves were assigned to diet 20/20, which was reconstituted to 10% DM solids or diet 28/20, which was reconstituted to 13% DM solids. Body weight, body length, hip and wither heights, heart girth, and hip width were measured weekly. Plasma samples were collected weekly for analysis of PUN, glucose, and total proteins. Body weight gain, ADG, and total weight gain were greatest for calves fed 28/20 and least for calves fed diet 20/20. Therefore, feeding calves a 20/20 MR at 10-15% of their BW results in lower BW gain, ADG, total weight gain, and stature measurements. / Master of Science

Coastal flooding, caused by sea level rise (SLR), storm surge, and tropical cyclones, is a growing threat. Previous studies have documented mortality associated with historical coastal flooding and developed predictions of mortality risk based on SLR and human development. This study updates those estimates and provides a new model by including new mortality data from events between 2010 and 2020 and an updated method for estimating the population exposed to coastal flooding events. Primary data sources include the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) and the Sea Level Impacts Input Dataset by Elevation, Region, and Scenario (SLIIDERS) model. We first characterize trends in exposed populations and mortality associated with coastal flooding between 1990 and 2020. A mixed effect regression model estimates mortality associated with coastal flooding and investigates the influence of variables including Human Development Index (HDI), country population, and event frequency. The frequency of coastal flooding events between 1990 and 2020 has increased, while there was an overall decrease in recorded deaths associated with coastal flooding events. The association between mortality and coastal flood exposure is reduced in countries with higher populations. This result suggests countries with larger populations may buffer risks in exposed regions. Results showed significant reduction in mortality risk, by approximately 34% (95% CI, 17-47%), associated with an increase of approximately 61 million in country-level population. Additionally, a 7% increase (95% CI, 3-11%) in mortality risk with each additional occurrence of coastal flooding events was observed. By leveraging this knowledge, decision-makers can develop targeted policies and interventions to enhance community preparedness, reduce vulnerability, and ultimately save lives in the face of increasing coastal flooding risks. / Master of Science / This study aims to explore the association between coastal flooding deaths and socio-economic variables globally. Additionally, it seeks to analyze trends in coastal flooding mortality, exposed populations, and flooding frequency across global regions, as well as income regions differentiated by the World Bank, from 1990 to 2020. Coastal flooding mortality data for every coastal flooding event were sourced from EM-DAT, a widely utilized disaster database. We utilized a climate model to retrieve the population exposed to coastal flooding for every event. Human Development Index (HDI) data and country population from 1990 to 2020 were taken from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Bank databases, respectively. A statistical model was used to estimate mortality risk associated with coastal flooding events and to investigate the influence of variables including Human Development Index (HDI), population, and event frequency. The frequency of coastal flooding events between 1990 and 2020 has increased, while there was an overall decrease in recorded deaths associated with coastal flooding events. The association between mortality and coastal flood exposure is reduced in countries with higher populations. This result suggests countries with larger populations may buffer risks in exposed regions. Results showed significant reduction in mortality risk, by approximately 34% (95% CI, 17-47%), associated with an increase of approximately 61 million in country population. Additionally, a 7% increase (95% CI, 3-11%) in mortality risk with each additional occurrence of a coastal flooding event was observed.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1984 R62 / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Surgery / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

<p>In 1995 and 2000 a total of 29 886 non surgical ED visits at Uppsala University Hospital were registered. Presenting complaint, admittance to a ward, length of stay, in-hospital mortality, discharge diagnoses, 30-day and long-term mortality were registered. The presenting complaints were sorted into 33 presenting complaint groups (PCGs). </p><p>For different PCGs there was different in-hospital fatality rate. Compared to the largest PCG, chest pain, the gender and age adjusted OR was 2.12 (95% CI 1.01 – 4.44) for the miscellaneous complaint group and 2.04 (95 % CI 1.35 – 3.08) for the stroke–like symptom group. Within a given PCG the in-hospital mortality could vary depending on discharge diagnoses. By relating PCG and long term mortality to the expected mortality in the population, the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) could be calculated. The SMR was found to be highest in seizure 2.62 (95 % CI 2.13 – 3.22), intoxication 2.51 (95% CI 2.11-2.98) and symptoms of asthma 1.8 (1.65 – 2.06). For the same discharge diagnoses the long term mortality could differ considerably depending on PCG at ED arrival (p<0.001). </p><p>Between 1995 and 2000 there was a 30 % increase in ED visits at the non surgical ED. PCGs representing lesser severe conditions had increased. Demographic changes could account for 45 % of the increment and the remaining increase could be ascribed to change in visiting pattern. </p><p>In the 2000 cohort 41.0 % of all visits were performed by re-visitors. The number of revisits and five-year mortality had an inversed u-shaped relationship were patients with three re-visits within the same year had an increased mortality compared to patients with more or less visits. </p><p>Conclusion: It is possible to define presenting complaint groups (PCGs) that are robust and consistent over time and useful as a tool for epidemiological studies in the ED.</p>

The research conducted in this thesis examines the relationship between forms of worklessness (both active unemployment and inactivity due to sickness and disability) and mortality for working age men. Previous research has shown that being out of work is associated with a greater risk of mortality relative to being in work. However, there remains debate as to whether this association is the result of a causal pathway leading from worklessness to mortality or whether it reflects the ‘selection' of individuals who are already at greater risk of mortality from pre-existing poor health or other characteristics. In the UK, many studies rely on the use of ‘wear-off' periods in which mortality events occurring within five years after the observation of employment status are ignored to allow the confounding effects of selection to diminish. Generally these studies concluded in support of a causal relationship. In contrast, more recent studies making use of innovative methodological designs such as natural experiments and linked register and health datasets have found less evidence for this explanation with many emphasising the role of confounding and selection. The thesis aims to firstly, examine the effectiveness of wear-off periods and secondly, to develop an alternative counterfactual approach to examine the relationship between worklessness (both active unemployment and health related inactivity) and mortality. These questions are addressed in three stand-alone papers. In the first paper, data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study and the England & Wales Longitudinal Study was used in logistic regression models which estimated the odds of death in a given time period after the 1991 Census for those aged 35–64 in 1991. The odds ratios for the different economic positions (in work, unemployed, retired, permanently sick and other inactive) were compared, as well as the changes in risk associated with cumulatively increasing the length of wear-off prior to follow-up. No evidence was found of health related selection for the unemployed in 1991 suggesting that the use of the five year wear-off period in many studies of mortality and unemployment may be an ineffective and unnecessary technique for mitigating the effects of health-related selection. The second paper examined men aged between 35 and 54 who were in work in 1991. Subsequent employment status in 2001 was observed (in work or unemployed) and the relative all-cause mortality risk of unemployment between 2001 and 2007 was estimated. To account for potential selection into unemployment of those in poor health, a counterfactual propensity score matching framework was used to construct unbiased and comparable samples of in work and unemployed individuals. Matching was based on a wide range of explanatory variables including health status prior to year of unemployment (hospital admissions and self-reported limiting long term illness) as well as measures of socio-economic position. The findings showed that unemployment was associated with a doubling (hazard ratio 2.1 95% CI 1.30 - 3.38) of the subsequent risk of mortality from all causes relative to employment. This scale of effect was consistent across different samples and was robust controlling for prior health and socio-demographic characteristics. These findings were interpreted as evidence that the often observed association between unemployment and mortality may contain a causal component. The second paper implemented a similar analytical design to address the lack of evidence for the independent mortality effect of inactivity due to sickness. The results showed that the mortality risk of economic inactivity due to sickness relative to active employment was significant (HR. 3.18, 95% CI 2.53-3.98) and suggest that economic inactivity due to sickness poses a mortality risk that is independent of prior health. The findings could be interpreted in two ways; either economic inactivity due to sickness is worse for health than actively seeking work or previous studies of unemployment and mortality have underestimated the true effect of being out of work generally. Across the three studies, the main contribution of the thesis is to reassert the importance of worklessness as a determinant of individual mortality. In doing so the studies also found little evidence of systematic confounding by either health or other characteristics. The thesis concludes with a comprehensive discussion of the wider implications of the findings in relation to both general methodological issues in observational epidemiology and possible policy interventions that could be implemented to tackle work-related inequalities in male mortality.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Skilled birth attendance at childbirth is vital for decreasing maternal and child mortality in Zimbabwe. Infant mortality and maternal mortality in Zimbabwe are quite high due to low- use of skilled birth attendance. Based on different study sources, home delivery with complications are high, with many socio-economic and demographic associated factors including lack or no use of skilled birth attendance at childbirth in Zimbabwe. Therefore, the study looked at "preventive" which refers to an action taken to reduce or eliminate the probability of specific undesirable events or dangers from happening in the future and the present time in Zimbabwe. The objective of the study was to highlight the significance of the crucial function within the health systems of saving both the lives of a mother and the child. Furthermore to determine the frequent use of maternal health care services (skilled birth attendant) and identify factors affecting them. The data that was used was nationally represented large scale secondary data ZDHS of Zimbabwe with sample population n = 9,171. It was a secondary data that included all the provinces of Zimbabwe, simple random sampling was used that had questionnaires of both man, women and household questionnaires, these questionnaires helped in examining the socio-economic factors and determinants that leads to low-use of skilled birth attendants at childbirth. The prosed statistics analysis that were used were univariate, bivariate and multivariate techniques. The statistical analysis showed that demographic variables such age, place of delivery and socio-economic factors such as level of education of a mother and wealth index (occupation of a parent) and region has a significant effect on the use of skilled birth attendant during birth. Women with higher level of education were found to have high use rate of maternal health care services (Skilled birth attendants), while women with primary and secondary education were found to have high use rate of less ( traditional birth attendant) or no use of skilled birth attendant. Therefore, the female age at birth, place of delivery, level of education and wealth index played a major role in decision making about the importance of having a skilled birth attendant when giving birth. The access to skilled birth attendance was found to be a significant factor in reducing maternal and child mortality in Zimbabwe. Furthermore women need to be educated about the importance of maternal health care services use and postnatal care and the department of health in Zimbabwe can implement mobile clinics for those who are residing far from health facilities.

Division of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Medicine In the Health Science Faculty University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg 2014 / Within the field of paediatric pathology dominant universal trends have emerged with child abuse related fatalities and child murders being at the forefront. However, several authors have noted that such trends have not been documented within the South African context. This is due to the lack of data collection and research within South Africa. Patterns of injury and prevalence of paediatric fatalities received at the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Service (JHB FPS) over three years were observed through a descriptive, retrospective study. Data were collected from FPS case files and Police reports (SAPS180) accompanying the body to the mortuary. The results indicated that the majority of paediatric deaths were due to blunt force injuries, natural disease processes and drowning. Subdural and subarachnoid haematomas, multiple blunt force internal injuries, hyperinflation and consolidation of the lungs and features of dehydration were the dominant patterns of injuries and disease. Additionally, results exhibited a significant difference in age range when correlated to category of death as well as a high risk of mortality within the first year of life. This study highlights the alarming figures of accidental and socio-economic paediatric death cases which are received at the JHB FPS. Keywords: Child mortality, Injury patterns, Forensic Pathology

This research primarily addresses mortality patterns and trends by main causes of death in the post-communist countries of Central Asia, Central Europe and the Baltic region together with low mortality populations such as those of France, Spain and the USA. The aim of this study is to analyze the changes in the mortality levels and its structure by the main causes of death by sex and age, and confronted with low mortality populations between the period of 1985 and 2005, respectively. The first (and main) part of the work therefore focuses on cause-specific mortality levels and its relative structure by main causes of death in the selected countries. Moreover, the different patterns of excess male mortality were also observed. The second part is concentrated at the age-standardized mortality levels by main causes of death. The research identified several important issues encasing the field of mortality, especially in the cause-specific mortality situation in Central Asian republics.