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This thesis investigates breastfeeding and weaning patterns in an Iron Age (7th – 4th century BCE) sample of subadults (n=12) and adults (n=9) buried at the sites of Botromagno, Parco San Stefano and Padreterno in southern Italy. Stable isotope analysis of both human tooth dentine and bone collagen for each subadult, and tooth dentine for adults, was undertaken to create early-life feeding histories. The dentine serial sections were used to determine the onset and completion of weaning for each individual, as well as distinguish general trends in early feeding practices at these Iron Age sites. Results indicate that the average onset of weaning in subadults occurred at 8 ± 3.4 months and weaning was completed by 4 years of age at the latest for all individuals; however, the patterns of breastfeeding and weaning were variable in this sample. This study also explores variation in early childhood diet between survivors and non-survivors (i.e., < 4 years of age). Non-survivors were weaned more rapidly than survivors – possibly contributing to their earlier death – and some non-survivors demonstrated elevated δ15N values that may have been a result of physiological stress. It is, however, difficult to distinguish signals of breastfeeding versus stress in young children who were still likely consuming breast milk. Finally, differences in isotope data between dentine serial sampling and bulk-bone sampling of rib and femoral collagen from the same individuals were investigated. The results show that the combined use of dentine and bone data contribute to more nuanced interpretations of weaning. Further, rib samples represent diet closer to the time of death than femoral samples, as faster bone turnover rate in ribs allow for the incorporation of more recent dietary changes. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Yes / In this age of ‘intensive motherhood’, new mothers are flooded with information on the best ways in which to raise their children. One of the key issues is infant feeding, in particular, the timing and method of weaning their children onto solid food. This paper examines a new approach called ‘baby-led weaning’ (BLW) in which the child feeds themselves instead of being spoon-fed, that came into popular parenting culture in recent years, considering the ways in which it is represented in National and International newspapers. The media search database Proquest International Newsstand, was searched for ‘baby-led weaning’, producing an eventual sample of 78 articles from a number of countries. The articles were subjected to a critical discursive psychological analysis. The key themes that emerged from the newspapers focused around two main areas; the infant as agentive in their eating behaviours; and, constructions of maternal identities and resisting ‘good motherhood’.

Metabolic redox status may have important implications to cattle health and production. Antioxidants and biomarkers of oxidative stress were evaluated in cattle under three phases of management. Each phase stood alone as a treatment model, and managerial aspects during the phase were evaluated as potential moderators of redox balance. Yearling heifers were used to assess the impact of fescue toxicosis and heat stress on selected markers in study 1. Intravaginal temperatures, ADG, serum prolactin, plasma malondialdehyde, and whole blood Se, along with peripheral blood mononuclear cell glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and reduced:oxidized glutathione were determined during summer grazing. Results suggested that endophyte consumption does not promote oxidative stress in cattle. Heat stress may alter glutathione redox of white blood cells. In study 2, effects of gradual weaning strategies (anti-suckle nose clip and fenceline wean) and transport were evaluated in calves. Calf weights, Se and malondialdehyde in plasma, along with glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in leukocytes were measured at -7, 0, 1, and 7 days surrounding weaning and transport. Little benefit of gradual weaning was detected, and oxidative stress may have been negligible. In study 3, the influences of grain- and forage-based diets were compared in finishing steers pre- and post-harvest. Total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde concentration of plasma, along with serum alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and gamma-tocopherol were measured. Antioxidants and lipid oxidation were assessed in beef. Forages promoting plasma antioxidant capacity may protect cattle against oxidative stress. Antioxidants derived from forages inhibit lipid oxidation in pasture-finished beef. / Master of Science

Yes / Objectives Isotope ratio analyses of dentine collagen were used to characterize short-term changes in physiological status (both dietary status and biological stress) across the life course of children afforded special funerary treatment. Materials and Methods Temporal sequences of δ15N and δ13C isotope profiles for incrementally-forming dentine collagen were obtained from deciduous teeth of 86 children from four early-medieval English cemeteries. Thirty-one were interred in child-specific burial clusters, and the remainder alongside adults in other areas of the cemetery. Isotope profiles were categorized into four distinct patterns of dietary and health status between the final prenatal months and death. Results Isotope profiles from individuals from the burial clusters were significantly less likely to reflect weaning curves, suggesting distinctive breastfeeding and weaning experiences. This relationship was not simply a factor of differential age at death between cohorts. There was no association of burial location with stage of weaning at death, nor with isotopic evidence of physiological stress at the end of life. Discussion This study is the first to identify a relationship between the extent of breastfeeding and the provision of child-specific funerary rites. Limited breastfeeding may indicate the mother had died during or soon after birth, or that either mother or child was unable to feed due to illness. Children who were not breastfed will have experienced a significantly higher risk of malnutrition, undernutrition and infection. These sickly and perhaps motherless children received care to nourish them during early life, and were similarly provided with special treatment in death. / University of Sheffield Early Career Researcher Scheme by a grant awarded to ECA in 2014-15.

A major challenge for the pig industry is to formulate starter diets that primarily fit the digestive capacity, maintain GIT health and promote growth without recourse to in-feed antimicrobials. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of carbohydrase enzymes (CE) targeting non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in enhancing gut health and function in piglets. First, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding CE in piglet diets on growth performance, GIT bacterial activity and nutrient digestibility. Pigs fed diets containing CE had a higher ileal lactobacilli count, total organic acids concentrations, NSP digestibility and low ammonia compared with control. The effectiveness of CE targeting NSP was further evaluated using enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) in a challenge model to evaluate the impact on gut health and function. Two approaches for the ETEC challenge were adopted; an in situ small intestine segments perfusion model and an in vivo model. Initially, a pilot study was conducted to establish and validate the in situ model. In the pilot study, conventional anti-diarrhea agents; fumaric acid, ZnO, egg yolk antibodies against ETEC K88 fimbriae and carbadox, attenuated fluid losses in ETEC-infected jejunal segments. Following the establishment of the in situ model, four experiments were conducted to study the effects NSP hydrolysis products (HP) from various feedstuffs (i.e. wheat, soybean meal, canola meal and flaxseed) on ETEC-induced secretory diarrhea. The results demonstrated that HP protected against ETEC-induced fluid and electrolyte losses. A further study was conducted to investigate the response of piglets fed diets containing HP and EYA singly or in combination upon oral challenge with ETEC. Feeding HP and EYA alone or in combination attenuated ETEC-enteritis symptoms such that piglets fed additives showed less pronounced acute phase responses and superior performance. Piglets fed diets containing additives had lower gastric pH, fewer ETEC adhered to ileal mucosa and lower incidence of diarrhea. Overall, reduction of intestinal pathogens or toxic bacterial metabolites contributes to enhanced GIT health and function. These novel results expand the scope of enzyme technology in animal nutrition within the new paradigm of dietary approaches to gut health and function.

A major challenge for the pig industry is to formulate starter diets that primarily fit the digestive capacity, maintain GIT health and promote growth without recourse to in-feed antimicrobials. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of carbohydrase enzymes (CE) targeting non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in enhancing gut health and function in piglets. First, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding CE in piglet diets on growth performance, GIT bacterial activity and nutrient digestibility. Pigs fed diets containing CE had a higher ileal lactobacilli count, total organic acids concentrations, NSP digestibility and low ammonia compared with control. The effectiveness of CE targeting NSP was further evaluated using enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) in a challenge model to evaluate the impact on gut health and function. Two approaches for the ETEC challenge were adopted; an in situ small intestine segments perfusion model and an in vivo model. Initially, a pilot study was conducted to establish and validate the in situ model. In the pilot study, conventional anti-diarrhea agents; fumaric acid, ZnO, egg yolk antibodies against ETEC K88 fimbriae and carbadox, attenuated fluid losses in ETEC-infected jejunal segments. Following the establishment of the in situ model, four experiments were conducted to study the effects NSP hydrolysis products (HP) from various feedstuffs (i.e. wheat, soybean meal, canola meal and flaxseed) on ETEC-induced secretory diarrhea. The results demonstrated that HP protected against ETEC-induced fluid and electrolyte losses. A further study was conducted to investigate the response of piglets fed diets containing HP and EYA singly or in combination upon oral challenge with ETEC. Feeding HP and EYA alone or in combination attenuated ETEC-enteritis symptoms such that piglets fed additives showed less pronounced acute phase responses and superior performance. Piglets fed diets containing additives had lower gastric pH, fewer ETEC adhered to ileal mucosa and lower incidence of diarrhea. Overall, reduction of intestinal pathogens or toxic bacterial metabolites contributes to enhanced GIT health and function. These novel results expand the scope of enzyme technology in animal nutrition within the new paradigm of dietary approaches to gut health and function.

Orientador: Sandra Aidar de Queiroz / Banca: João Ademir de Oliveira / Banca: William Koury Fillho / Resumo: O objetivo foi estudar a influência da idade da vaca ao parto (IVP), da idade do animal ao sobreano (IS) e do peso ao sobreano (PS) sobre os escores de conformação (C), precocidade (P), musculatura (M) e temperamento (T) ao sobreano de animais Nelore; estimar a herdabilidade (h²) destas características, empregando-se diferentes modelos estatísticos e estimar as co-variâncias e correlações entre T e as características reprodutivas perímetro escrotal (PE), idade ao primeiro parto (IPP) e idade ao segundo parto (ISP), de bovinos Nelore. A base de dados utilizada pertence ao PAINT®, CRV Lagoa LTDA. Foram realizadas análises de regressão após a absorção do efeito de grupo de contemporâneos (GC). As estimativas de h² foram obtidas por máximaverossimilhança restrita sob um modelo animal, considerando-se o efeito genético aditivo de animal como aleatório, incluindo diferentes efeitos fixos. IVP apresentou efeito quadrático sobre P e M, segmentado quadrático-quadrático sobre C e linear sobre T. A característica C comportou-se de modo similar ao PS e P e M foram semelhantes ao ganho de peso neste período. IS e PS apresentaram efeitos quadráticos sobre C, P e M e efeito cúbico e linear, respectivamente, sobre T. Estimativas de h² foram encontradas entre 0,13 á 0,38 (C, P e M) de acordo com o modelo utilizado, enquanto para PE, IPP e ISP, as estimativas foram iguais a 0,52; 0,13 e 0,03. As correlações genéticas entre T e PE, T e IPP e T e ISP foram de 0,16; -0,04 e -0,32. As correlações estimadas entre T e as características reprodutivas foram de pequena magnitude. A seleção para os escores visuais pode trazer ganhos genéticos moderados nas características de carcaça / Abstract: The aims of this study were to study the effect of age at calving (IVP), age of yearling (IS) and yearling weight (PS) on the scores of conformation (C), precocity (P), muscle (M) and temperament (T) of yearling Nellore, to estimate heritability (h ²) of these traits, using different statistical models and to estimate the covariance and correlation between T and the reproductive traits scrotal circumference (SC), age at first calf (IPP) and age at second calf (ISP). The database used belongs to the breeding program PAINT ® of CRV Lagoa LTDA. Regression analysis were performed after the absorption of the effect of contemporary group (CG). Estimates of h² were obtained by restricted maximum likelihood method under an animal model, considering the genetic effect of animal as random, with different fixed effects. IVP showed a quadratic effect on P and M, segmented quadratic-quadratic and linear on C on T, respectively. C showed similar patter as PS while P and M were similar to weight gain in this period. IS and PS showed a quadratic effect on C, P and M and cubic and linear effects, respectively, on T. The estimates of h ² ranged from 0.13 to 0.38 (C, P and M) according to the model used, whereas for PE, IPP and ISP, the estimates were equal to 0.52, 0.13 and 0, 03. Genetic correlations between T and PE, T and IPP and T and ISP were 0.16, -0.04 and -0.32. The estimated correlations between T and the reproductive traits were small. Selection applied on visual scores could bring moderate genetic gains to the carcass traits / Mestre

<p>The objective of this thesis was to investigate the effect of dietary enzymatically treated yeast (ETY) in weanling pigs and evaluate the effect of ETY in broiler chickens during a coccidia challenge. Two studies were carried out to investigate this objective.</p> <p>The first experiment examined the effect of ETY on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, immune response, and gut health of weanling pigs. A total of 192 weanling pigs (6.0 ± 1.04 kg) were allocated to 4 corn, soybean-based diets with increasing concentrations of ETY (0, 1, 2, or 4 g/kg) for a 43-d trial. There were 8 replicate pens (4 replicate pens per sex) and 6 pigs per replicate for each dietary treatment. The experiment was set up as a randomized complete block design. Dietary ETY supplementation did not affect the growth performance of weanling pigs. The ATTD of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) linearly increased (P < 0.05) at d 28. The concentrations of serum antioxidant and antibody markers increased (P < 0.05) from d 14 to d 43; a linear increase (P < 0.05) in catalase was observed on d 14 with increasing ETY supplementation in the diets. The inclusion of ETY in the diet did not affect the mRNA abundance of anti-inflammatory markers in the ileal mucosa of pigs but increased (P < 0.01) glutathione peroxidase 4. Ileal villus height (VH) and villus height to crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio were greater (P < 0.05) in pigs fed ETY supplemented diets relative to control pigs. However, jejunal VH and the VH:CD ratio was not affected by ETY inclusion in the diet. Pigs fed diets with increasing ETY levels had higher (P < 0.05) ileal digesta butyrate concentration relative to control pigs, but not propionate or acetate. </p> <p>The second experiment examined the effect of ETY on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal health of broiler chickens during a coccidia challenge. From d 1 to 14 post hatching, 480 broiler chickens (49.9 ± 3.95 g) were allocated to 3 corn-soybean meal-based diets with increasing concentrations of ETY (0, 1, or 2 g/kg). There were 16 replicate cages and 10 birds per cage. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block design with body weight (BW) used as a blocking factor. On d 14 post hatching, the birds were combined and re-randomized within each of the 0, 1, or 2 ETY g/kg experimental diets. Following this, the number of birds was reduced to 8 birds per cage with 8 replicate cages. Each of the 3 diet groups was split into a challenge or no-challenge group. This resulted in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 3 experimental diets and 2 challenge states. The BW ratio before re-randomization was maintained across all treatments during the reallotment. On d 15 post hatching, the birds in the challenge group were orally gavaged with 1 mL solution containing 25,000, 25,000, and 125,000 oocysts of E. maxima, E. tenella, and E. acervulina, respectively. The birds belonging to the no-challenge group were orally gavaged with 1 mL phosphate buffered saline. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, and polynomial contrasts were used to estimate the linear and quadratic effects of ETY. The coccidia challenge (CC) decreased (P < 0.01) the BW gain, feed intake, and G:F of broiler chickens from d 14 to 21. Increasing supplementation of dietary ETY improved (P < 0.05) the G:F of birds. Also, the CC reduced (P < 0.01) the apparent total tract utilization of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and gross energy (GE). The CC reduced (P < 0.01) the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and the nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) of diets fed to broiler chickens. On d 21, dietary ETY linearly increased (P < 0.01) the apparent ileal digestibility of DM, N, and GE in broiler chickens. The CC increased (P < 0.01) the mRNA gene expression of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-6. There was a tendency (P < 0.1) for ETY to reduce IL-1β expression in broiler chickens on d 21. Additionally, ETY supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the gene expression of occludin in the ceca of broiler chickens but not claudin 1. Serum catalase increased (P < 0.05) with increasing supplementation of dietary ETY in broiler chickens on d 21. Dietary ETY linearly increased (P < 0.05) the ileal villus height to crypt depth ratio and ileal goblet cell count and density in broiler chickens. The ileal and excreta oocyst counts decreased (P < 0.01) with increasing supplementation of dietary ETY in coccidia-challenged broiler chickens on d 21. </p> <p>In summary, ETY inclusion in diets of weanling pigs partially reduced reactive oxygen species damage and enhanced intestinal health without negatively affecting growth performance. Hence, ETY could be favorable in attenuating some of the deleterious effects of post-weaning stress in weanling pigs. Dietary ETY also reduced oxidative damage, improved growth performance, enhanced nutrient utilization, and augmented intestinal development in broiler chickens. However, the inclusion of ETY did not mitigate the adverse effects of a coccidia challenge in broiler chickens. Therefore, further studies may be necessary to investigate the prospect of ETY as a dietary strategy for combating coccidiosis.</p> <p><br></p>

OBJETIVOS: Estimar a taxa de falência de desmame, identificar fatores de risco para a falência, estimar a taxa de mortalidade na unidade de terapia intensiva e hospitalar em um grupo heterogêneo de pacientes com ventilação mecânica prolongada. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo de coorte prospectivo de pacientes adultos consecutivamente internados em 11 unidades de terapia intensiva e que receberam ventilação mecânica por 3 dias ou mais. As variáveis de desfecho incluíram o resultado do desmame (falência ou sucesso) e o desfecho da UTI (alta ou óbito).RESULTADOS: Dos 189 pacientes incluídos, 149 (79%) foram desmamados com sucesso e 40 (21%) necessitaram de reintubação dentro de 48 horas, constituindo o grupo falência.Através da análise de regressão logística, o sexo feminino foi identificado como fator independentemente associado com a falência do desmame. Os pacientes com falência permaneceram por mais tempo na UTI (p < 0,01). A freqüência de traqueostomia foi maior no grupo com falência (p < 0,01). A taxa de mortalidade na UTI foi de 21%; IC de 95%: 15-27%. O modelo de regressão de Cox ajustado para a gravidade à admissão na UTI identificou que a falência do desmame aumentou o risco de morte na UTI (RR: 3,08; p < 0,01). CONCLUSÔES: Após o controle para variáveis clínicas e gravidade à internação na UTI, o sexo feminino apresentou associação independente com a falência do desmame. Pacientes com falência apresentaram maior tempo de internação na UTI, maior taxa de traqueostomia e maior risco de morte na UTI / OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of weaning failure, risk factors, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital outcomes in a number of heterogeneous patients with prolonged MV. DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS: Prospective cohort of consecutive adult patients admitted to 11 ICU who received MV (³ 72 hours). Study endpoints included weaning failure vs success and ICU death vs survival. RESULTS: Of 189 intubated patients, 149 (79%) were succesfully extubated, and 40 (21%) required reintubation within 48 hours.Using multiple logistic regression, female gender was an independent predictor of weaning failure. The mean ICU length of stay was significantly longer in weaning failure group (p < 0.01). The rate of tracheostomy was higher in the failure group (p < 0.01). The ICU mortality rate was 21%; 95% CI, 15 - 27%. In a Cox model adjusting on severity at ICU admission, weaning failure increased the risk of death in the ICU (RR: 3.08; p < 0,01). CONCLUSION: After adjusting for severity of ilness and medical conditions, female gender had a significant independent association with increased risk of weaning failure (WF). WF had association with prolonged ICU stay and higher rate of tracheostomy. Patients with weaning failure were 3 times more likely to die in the ICU