Step-up Program Research Articles

The Epithelial Na+ Channel Is a Zn2+ Sensitive Renal Na+ Reabsorption Pathway that Mediates Zn2+ Deficiency-induced Hypertension

Background: Zinc (Zn2+) deficiency (ZnD) is comorbid with many chronic diseases including kidney disease and diabetes. Individuals in these vulnerable populations have a higher prevalence of hypertension. Recently, we reported that ZnD induces hypertension by promoting renal Na+ reabsorption. However, the renal Na+ reabsorption mechanisms involved continue to be identified. The renal epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) plays an essential role in regulating whole-body Na+ and water balance and is involved in hypertension. We hypothesize that ENaC is a Zn2+-sensitive channel that mediates ZnD-induced hypertension. Experimental Design: To establish the role of ENaC in ZnD-induced hypertension, WT C57Bl/6 mice were switched from a Zn2+ adequate to a Zn2+ deficient diet for 10 weeks. During weeks 9 and 10, mice were treated with benzamil, an ENaC inhibitor. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was monitored by tail-cuff plethysmography; Renal ENaC expression was examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. To authenticate the Zn2+ sensitivity of ENaC, mouse distal convoluted tubule cells (mDCT) were treated with a Zn2+ chelator (TPEN) or vehicle (ethanol) for 24 hours. A subset of TPEN-treated cellular monolayers were supplemented with Zn2+ for 24 hours to replete intracellular Zn2+. Cellular ENaC expression was examined by Western blot analysis. Results: 1) Blood pressure: Compared to Zn2+ adequate mice (101.4 mm Hg ± 4.225), Zn2+ deficient mice had increased BP (154.6 mm Hg ± 2.422). However, benzamil treatment lowered BP (115.0 mm Hg ± 4.626) of Zn2+ deficient mice. 2)Immunohistochemistry: Next, Zn2+ effects on ENaC expression were examined. In Zn2+ deficient mice, αENaC protein abundance significantly increased compared with Zn2+ adequate mice. 3) Western blot analysis: To directly investigate Zn2+effects on ENaC expression, in vitro studies were performed using mDCT cells. Western blot analysis showed that TPEN-induced ZnD stimulated both αENaC and βENaC protein expression. Conclusion: Collectively, our findings reveal that (1) ENaC is a Zn2+ sensitive renal Na+ reabsorption pathway and (2) ENaC mediates ZnD-induced hypertension. Significance: Understanding the renal mechanisms by which Zn2+ regulates blood pressure may have an important therapeutic impact on hypertension. Funding: R21 DK119879, R01 DK-133698 (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases); R25DK078381 (NIH NIDDK STEP-UP program);1742339 (National Science Foundation ASK Program). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Australia’s Pacific Step-Up Foreign Policy as a Response to the Increase of China’s Influence in the Pacific

Abstract
 The Pacific region has become highly geopolitical due to its economic, strategic, and military significance. Pacific Island countries face several challenges that they are striving to address because many Pacific Island nations have limited resources in terms of finances and skilled human resources, lack of access to technology, capacity building, and economic development, on the other side is prone to natural disasters such as cyclones, tsunamis, and earthquakes, also face challenges in providing adequate healthcare and education services, and are especially vulnerable to climate change whose impact may vary. The issue then becomes the reason for regional and global powers like Australia and China to exercise their capability and aim to fulfill their respective national interests to extent their influence in the region through their foreign policy. Influence pertains to a country’s ability to affect other nations' or international entities' decisions, actions, and behaviors. This research uses qualitative methods and foreign policy theory to address the issue further. In this research, Australia emphasizes its foreign policy to the Pacific using The Pacific Step-Up programme to pursue their interest as a long-standing partner and its neighborhood’s guardians and counter China’s growing presence and influence in the region.
 Keywords: Australia, China, Foreign Policy, Pacific

Pacific Step-Up: Exploring Geopolitical Accountability for Aid in Solomon Islands

ABSTRACT Pacific Island Countries (PICs) commonly rely on intergovernmental Official Development Aid (ODA) to assist with social and environmental challenges. Therefore, how national governments are accountable for these commitments is an important issue for donors and recipients. This study investigates the donor side of this relationship by exploring Australia’s ODA relationship with Solomon Islands through its recent Pacific Step-up programme. Given the geographic closeness and history between Australia and Solomon Islands, we adopt critical geopolitics as a framework to inform the analysis. We find that the two common metaphors, family and step-up, are evidence of Australia’s accountability relationship with Solomon Islands; while the concept of tug-of-war explains the background and rising geopolitical anxiety between two regional powers, Australia and China. This study extends our understanding of aid accountability within a novel intergovernmental environment and offers an alternative explanation rooted in a politics of power.

Reforming solitary confinement: the development, implementation, and processes of a restrictive housing step down reentry program in Oregon

BackgroundOver the past decade there have been numerous and impassioned calls to reform the practice of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons. This article examines the development, implementation, and processes of a restrictive housing reentry program in the Oregon Department of Corrections. It draws on data from official documents, site observations, and interviews with 12 prison officials and 38 prisoners. The Step Up Program (SUP) seeks to improve the living conditions in restrictive housing over business-as-usual, alleviate physiological and psychological harms of solitary confinement, and use rehabilitative programming to increase success upon returning to the general prison population or community.ResultsThe impetus to change the culture and structure of restrictive housing was primarily the result of internal administrative reform. Prisoners assigned at random to housing assignments offered accounts of their daily activities suggesting that the SUP provides more time out-of-cell and greater access to other services and activities. Program participants preferred the living conditions in the SUP because they had more opportunities for social interaction and incentives for compliant behavior. However, views on the value of programming among respondents were mixed.ConclusionsThe launch of the SUP occurred in early 2020, which was soon followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the program was never fully implemented as intended. As Oregon returns to more normal operations, it is possible that the SUP will be able to include even more out-of-cell time, greater socialization opportunities, and increased access to programming and other beneficial activities. As we await the opportunity to conduct prospective psychological and behavioral analyses, this study provides tentative support for the use of step down reentry programs in restrictive housing units.Trial registrationOpen Science Framework, Preparing adults in custody for successful reentry: An experimental study of a restrictive housing exit program in Oregon. Registered 4 October 2019, https://osf.io/t6qpx/

Effects of feeding milk replacer at a moderate rate, ad libitum, or with a step-up program on Holstein calf growth performance to 4 months of age

The objective of this study was to evaluate 3 milk replacer (MR) feeding programs on calf performance to 4 mo of age. Male Holstein calves (n = 48; 2-3 d old) were randomly assigned to either a moderate rate of MR (MOD; 0.66 kg/d for 39 d, then 0.33 kg/d for 3 d), an ad libitum rate of MR (ADLIB; offered twice daily between 0630 and 0830 h and between 1430 and 1630 h for 35 d, 0.66 kg/d for 4 d, and 0.33 kg/d for 3 d), or a step-up rate of MR (STEPUP; increased from 0.32 to 0.62 kg/d in first 12 d, 0.66 kg/d for 27 d, and 0.33 kg/d for 3 d). The MR (25% CP, 18% fat) was fed twice daily to d 39 and once daily thereafter. During the nursery phase (0-56 d), calves were housed in individual pens and offered textured starter (40% starch, 21% CP on a DM basis) and water ad libitum. Calf body weight (BW) was measured initially and weekly thereafter. Hip widths (HW) were measured initially and every 2 wk thereafter. In the grower phase, (57-112 d), calves were grouped by previous treatment and moved to group pens (4 calves/pen). The same starter used in the nursery phase was blended with 5% chopped grass hay and offered ad libitum. Calf BW and HW were measured on d 56, 84, and 112. Total MR intake per calf averaged 27, 51, and 25 kg for MOD, ADLIB, and STEPUP programs, respectively, with a range of 42 to 63 kg for ADLIB. In the nursery phase, starter intake and feed efficiency were less for ADLIB versus MOD, whereas fecal scores and abnormal fecal score days were greater for calves fed ADLIB versus MOD. Calves fed STEPUP had lesser average daily gain than calves fed MOD. During the grower phase, initial BW was greater for ADLIB versus MOD, though final BW was not different between MOD and ADLIB or STEPUP. Calves previously fed MOD had greater average daily gain, feed efficiency, and HW change than calves fed ADLIB. In this study, feed efficiency was lower when MR was fed ad libitum, and growth advantages observed at 2 mo were lost by 4 mo of age.

Effects of ruminally-protected lysine and Megasphaera elsdenii on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing cattle

Ractopamine hydrochloride is a β-adrenergic agonist (BAA) commonly added to cattle finishing diets that redirects nutrients from fat deposition to protein synthesis and muscle growth. Physiological conditions established by BAA suggests that cattle fed diets containing BAA would have greater requirements for dietary protein to sustain BAA-induced accretion of lean tissue. Three hundred and eighty-four crossbred steers (413 ± 29.2 kg initial body weight) were used in a finishing trial to evaluate effects of ruminally-protected lysine (RPL) supplementation on performance and carcass characteristics of beef steers. Treatments were (2 × 4 factorial) 0, 20, 40, or 60 g/animal daily of SafeGain (i.e., approximately 0, 0.6, 1.2, or 1.8 g of lysine/kg diet dry matter based on an assumed daily feed intake of 10 kg per animal) in conjunction with a BAA (33 mg/kg diet dry matter basis) during the last 42 days on feed (112 days finishing period); and two step-up regimens: traditional 21-day step-up or an accelerated 12-day step-up with an oral dose of Megasphaera elsdenii probiotic (M.e.). Steers were blocked by weight; randomly assigned to treatments; implanted with 200 mg trenbolone acetate, 20 mg estradiol USP, and 29 mg tylosin; and allocated within blocks to 64 concrete-surfaced pens containing 6 steers per pen. A basal diet (dry matter basis) of 688.7 g/kg steam-flaked corn, 200 g/kg corn gluten feed, 70 g/kg alfalfa hay, and 19.1 g/kg vitamin and mineral supplement was fed ad libitum once daily. Ruminally-protected lysine was supplemented only during the BAA administration period, which comprised the last 42 days on feed. At the end of the finishing period, pens of cattle were weighed and then transported to a commercial abattoir. Harvest order, hot carcass weight, and liver abscess incidence and severity were evaluated the day of harvest. Longissimus muscle area, back fat, marbling score, USDA Yield Grade and USDA Quality Grade data were collected following a 36-hour refrigeration period. There were no effects of RPL supplementation or M.e. on average daily gain (P > 0.63), dry matter intake (P > 0.45), or feed efficiency (P > 0.81) of finishing steers; but liver abscess incidence was increased with RPL supplementation (P < 0.05; 28.3, 39.0, 46.9 and 39.4 % for cattle fed 0, 20, 40 and 60 g/animal daily of RPL, respectively). An interaction between RPL and M.e. was observed for hot carcass weight (P = 0.01). Dosing cattle with M.e. with an accelerated transition period decreased marbling score (P = 0.03) and yielded a lower percentage of carcasses grading Choice (P = 0.03) than those traditionally adapted. No other effects of M.e. or RPL were observed for carcass characteristics (P> 0.10). Thus, supplementation of RPL in conjunction with ractopamine hydrochloride yielded no benefits during feedlot finishing; however, an accelerated step-up program with M.e. yielded finishing performance comparable to that of traditionally-adapted cattle.

PSIX-3 Feedlot performance and rumen morphometrics of Nellore cattle differing in phenotypic residual feed intake

Abstract This study, conducted at São Paulo State University feedlot, Dracena campus, Brazil, had the objective to evaluate the effect of ranking Nellore bulls according to residual feed intake (RFI) on feedlot performance and rumen morphometric variables. Twenty-seven 18-mo-old Nellore bulls (425.5 ± 20.1 kg) were randomly allocated in 27 pens (one animal per pen) and fed for 107 days. The multiple step-up diets program consisted of ad libitum feeding of diets with the concentrate level increasing from 70% to 86% concentrate. At harvest, rumen epithelium samples were collected from cranial for rumen morphometric measurements. The RFI was calculated by the difference between the predicted DMI values [DMI = (0.0544*BW0.75) + (2.9659*ADG)] and observed DMI. Then, Nellore bulls were distributed into RFI groups: High (0.5 SD above the mean; n = 8), Medium (±0.5 SD of the mean; n=9) and Low (0.5 SD below the mean; n = 10). Low-RFI Nellore bulls improved (P = 0.04) G:F when compared to High- and Medium-RFI animals (0.142 vs. 0.125 and 0.130; respectively); however, no significant RFI grouping effect was observed for ADG (P = 0.54), final BW (P = 0.54), HCW (P = 0.27), dressing percentage (P = 0.24), final LM area (P = 0.87), final 12th rib fat (P = 0.82), final P8 fat thickness (P = 0.67) and final marbling (P = 0.82). Regarding rumen morphometrics, High-RFI Nellore bulls had larger (P = 0.09) rumen absorptive surface area than Low- and Medium-RFI animals (43.31 vs. 32.95 and 31.27; respectively), which was associated to the greater (P = 0.01) DMI presented by High-RFI animals (10.2 vs. 9.1 and 9.0 for Medium- and Low-RFI Nellore bulls; respectively). Nevertheless, no significant RFI grouping effect was observed for number of papillae (P = 0.28) or mean papillae area (P = 0.61). Thus, Low-RFI Nellore bulls improved feed efficiency without promoting any positive effects on carcass traits and rumen morphometrics.

Health and growth of veal calves provided a fatty acid supplement and a dry teat

Veal calves are at a high risk of disease early in life, which can lead to poor growth. Research is needed to determine interventions that can reduce disease and promote the growth of veal calves. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of fatty acid supplementation and the provision of a dry teat on the incidence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD), navel inflammation, and diarrhea, as well as calf growth. Upon arrival to a commercial veal facility (d 0), 240 Holstein bull calves from 2 cohorts were randomly assigned to 4 treatments using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (n = 60/treatment): (1) milk replacer (MR) without fatty acid supplementation and without access to a dry teat (control), (2) MR with fatty acid supplementation (NeoTec5g, Provimi, Brookville, OH) and without access to a dry teat (FAS), (3) MR without fatty acid supplementation and with access to a dry teat (TT), or (4) MR with fatty acid supplementation and with access to a dry teat (FAS+TT). Calves were housed in individual pens from 0 to 9 wk and then paired by treatment at wk 9. Milk replacer was fed twice daily using a step-up program. Fatty acid supplement was added to milk replacer at a feeding rate of 0.5 g/kg of body weight per head per day for the FAS and FAS+TT groups. Health exams were conducted twice weekly for 6 wk to diagnose BRD, navel inflammation, and diarrhea. Body weight, body condition score (BCS), and structural measurements were recorded at wk 0, 5, and 10. Average daily gain (ADG) was calculated for wk 1 to 5, wk 5 to 10, and wk 1 to 10. Health data were analyzed using logistic regression and are reported as relative risk. Body weight, BCS, and structural measurements were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, and ADG was analyzed using a generalized linear model. There was no effect of FAS, TT, or their interaction on body weight or BCS. There was no effect of FAS on ADG wk 1 to 5, wk 5 to 10, or wk 1 to 10. There was a tendency for TT to decrease ADG from wk 1 to 5 but not from wk 5 to 10 or wk 1 to 10. There was a tendency for the interaction of FAS and TT to decrease ADG for wk 1 to 5 but not for wk 5 to 10 and wk 1 to 10. There was no effect of FAS, TT, or their interaction on the risk of BRD, diarrhea, or navel inflammation. We saw no effect of our interventions on calf health or growth. More research is needed to determine whether other factors, such as failure of passive transfer, poor ventilation, barren housing, and low milk allowance in the first few weeks after arrival, may have affected the efficacy of our interventions.

Growing North Minneapolis: Connecting Youth and Community through Garden-based Experiential Learning

Growing North Minneapolis (GNM) is an urban agriculture and youth development summer program sited in the North Minneapolis, MN, neighborhood. The program is a university–community partnership between faculty at the University of Minnesota (UMN) and North Minneapolis community partners. We leverage resources from the city of Minneapolis Step-Up program to recruit, train, and employ youth (14–15 years old) who face barriers to employment—particularly youth from low-income families, youth of color, youth from immigrant families, and youth with disabilities. Youth interns are placed in a 10-week-long summer program and are matched with undergraduate student mentors from the UMN and North Minneapolis gardener mentors. The undergraduate students and garden mentors work together to lead teams of youth and work in multiple urban garden sites located in North Minneapolis, a designated low-resource community in the metro area. One of our goals is to develop leadership experience for UMN undergraduate students and improve food and horticultural skills among urban youth through garden-based education. Learning is experiential and contextualized in the various community garden sites through activities focused on food justice and accessibility, food production systems, and horticultural science. Youth learning and development outcomes are reported based on written postprogram qualitative survey questions prompting youth to identify what they learned throughout the program, what they enjoyed the most, and what challenged them after the summer program in 2018. Our results show that youth participants learned across multiple domains of knowledge and valued the social interaction offered by the intergenerational mentorship structure. The GNM program can serve as a model for garden-based experiential learning with early high school youth.

333 Effects of ruminally-protected lysine and Megasphaera elsdenii on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing cattle

Abstract Crossbred steers (n = 448; 352 ± 25 kginitial body weight) were used to evaluate impact of Megasphaera elsdenii (ME; Lactipro advance, MS Biotec, Wamego, KS), alone or in combination with ruminally-protected lysine (RPL; USA Lysine, Kemin Industries, Inc., USA), on performance and carcass traits of finishing steers in a randomized complete block design. Steers were blocked by initial body weight and randomly assigned within block to one of 64 pens (7 steers/pen) in a 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement. Factors consisted of RPL (0 or 40 g/steer daily) and two step-up regimens (21-d without ME or 10-d with ME). Four step-up diets were used to transition cattle to finishing diets containing (dry basis) 60% steam flaked corn, 7% wheat straw, 30% sweet bran, and supplement. Diets were fed once daily ad libitum. Freeze-dried ME was re-hydrated and dosed orally (1x1010 CFU/steer) on d 1, and top-dressed (1x107 CFU/steer daily) onto diets daily thereafter. Data were analyzed using a mixed model with ME, RPL and the interaction as fixed effects, and block as the random effect. There were no interactions between ME and RPL (P &gt; 0.05). Steers given ME consumed 16% less roughage compared to their counterparts without (P &lt; 0.05), but gain, dry matter intake, and gain:feed were similar (P &gt; 0.10). Administering ME tended to increase percentage of USDA Prime carcasses (0.5 vs 2.7%; P &lt; 0.06). Feeding RPL did not affect feedlot performance, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, marbling score, 12th-rib fat thickness, or liver abscess incidence (P &gt; 0.10), but tended to increase yield grade (P &lt; 0.07). In conclusion, use of Megasphaera elsdenii with an accelerated step-up program yielded feedlot performance and carcass traits comparable to those of cattle adapted with a conventional, 21-d step-up program, but supplemental lysine was without effect.

학사경고 대학생의 학습지원 프로그램 운영 사례 연구 : K대학 STEP- UP 프로그램을 중심으로

학사경고 대학생의 학습지원 프로그램 운영 사례 연구 : K대학 STEP- UP 프로그램을 중심으로

The STEP-up programme: Engaging all staff in patient safety

We discuss how Aspen Healthcare measurably reduced patient harm by engaging staff in ‘STEP-up’, a programme to improve the culture of patient safety. This focused on helping staff to understand their role in the reduction of preventable harm. The organisation admits 45,000 inpatients and has 300,000 outpatient contacts per year. We describe how we worked with all our 1500 staff, across nine sites, during a 12-month period. We used a short film and a four-level programme of training and development, which included elements specifically aimed at sustaining cultural changes. The results have been substantial: 95% reduction in never events, 77% reduction in serious incidents, 38% fewer falls with harm and 19% fewer falls overall. We have seen a 24% increase in incident reporting, on a background of an 11% increase in activity. Overall, the number of incidents with harm has fallen by 5%. Staff perception of our organisation as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ safe has increased from 73% to 77%. The financial cost of this has been modest and has, we estimate, been recouped in reduced cost of serious incidents. We make the case that a programme such as this is possible, at minimal cost, in any healthcare organisation. Given the results, we argue that all healthcare leaders have a duty to implement something similar.

567 Ruminal characteristics and feedlot performance of feedlot steers during accelerated step-up to high-concentrate diets using Lactipro Advance®

Megasphaera elsdenii(ME) is the principal lactate-utilizing bacterium in cattle adapted to concentrates, and is marketed commercially as a probiotic (Lactipro Advance, MS Biotec) to facilitate transition to high-grain diets. In this study, ruminal characteristics and feedlot performance were measured for steers adapted to a high-grain diet using a traditional 22-d step-up program (C), and for steers adapted over 10 d with the aid of ME fresh culture administered as an oral gavage (F), an oral gavage of rehydrated lyophilized culture (R), or R combined with lyophilized culture powder administered daily as a ration top-dress (D). Yearling steers (n = 435; initial BW = 408 ± 5 kg) were blocked by weight and randomly allocated to 64 concrete surfaced pens with 7 steers/pen and 16 pens/treatment. Step-up diets contained 40, 30, and 20% corn silage, and were followed by a finishing diet containing 10% corn silage and 90% concentrate. Ruminal fluid was obtained by rumenocentesis 26 h after steers received their first step-up diet, and inoculated into culture tubes containing lactate medium to determine differences in capacity for lactate metabolism over 24 h. Steers were fed once daily ad libitum for 156 d, then weighed, and transported 450 km to a commercial abattoir for harvest. Hot carcass weight and incidence of liver abscesses were determined at harvest and carcass traits were evaluated after 36 h of refrigeration. No differences were detected for feedlot performance (P>0.20), liver abscesses (P= 0.45), or carcass traits (P>0.20). Capacity for lactate utilization was increased with all forms of ME, as evidenced by increases in optical density (absorbance) of ME cultures, disappearance of lactate, and increase in butyrate production (P 0.01). In conclusion, steers dosed with ME can be stepped up to finishing diets in 10 d with no adverse effects on performance. a,b Means within a row without a common superscript letter are different, P < 0.05 a,b Means within a row without a common superscript letter are different, P < 0.05

Parent Perceptions of Participating in a Program for Adolescents Who Are Violent at Home

Child-to-parent abuse (CPA) is an under-addressed form of family violence and relatively few resources are available for families experiencing CPA. The Step-Up program is a CPA-specific, family-level, group format intervention program in King County, Washington. Qualitative and long-term research on CPA intervention programs is lacking, and it is unknown how parents perceive the effects of participating in Step-Up after program completion. Fifteen parents who completed Step-Up with their adolescent child participated in individual semi-structured telephone or in-person interviews. Participants were asked about their perceptions of the effects of Step-Up participation, how they and their child have used skills taught in the program, and which program features were most and least effective. Participants expressed largely positive effects of participating in Step-Up, including decreased violent behavior by their adolescents and improved parent-child relationships. Recommendations for improving Step-Up included the inclusion of follow-up sessions to further reinforce behavior change and increased program accessibility.

Ractopamine with dietary lysine concentrations above basal requirements of finishing barrows improves growth performance, carcass traits and modifies the mTor signalling pathway

A 28-day study was conducted to evaluate the effects of three step-up levels of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) together with two additional levels of standardised ileal digestible lysine (Lys) above the basal requirements on growth performance, carcass characteristics and the mechanism of action on adipose and muscle tissue. In all, 108 finishing pigs (initial bodyweight 75.37 kg ± 2.88) were used for growth data and 54 pigs for carcass data. Samples from 18 pigs were used for the molecular study. Pigs were blocked by initial bodyweight and allotted to one of the following nine treatments: negative control (NC) without addition of RAC or Lys supplementation, constant 7.5 mg/kg RAC, 5 mg/kg RAC for 14 days, followed by 10 mg/kg for 14 days (Step-up 1), 5 mg/kg RAC for 21 days, followed by 10 mg/kg for 7 days (Step-up 2) and 5 mg/kg RAC for 7 days followed by 10 mg/kg for 21 days (Step up 3); on constant and step-up treatments were added 15% or 30% Lys above the basal level, giving a 4 × 2 + 1 factorial with six replicates. Loin muscle and fat tissue were collected for carcass-characteristic analysis and western blotting for p-AKT, p-P70S6K and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I. Feeding RAC increased gain to feed ratio and efficiency of energy utilisation (EF) from Day 0 to Day 13 (P &amp;lt; 0.05) compared with NC. From Day 14 to Day 27, greater average daily gain (ADG) was observed in RAC-treated animals (P &amp;lt; 0.05), except in the Step-up 2 with 30% additional Lys. During the second half of the trial, RAC positively affected ADG, gain to feed ratio and EF (P &amp;lt; 0.01), while a Step-1 versus Step-2 effect was observed for ADG (P &amp;lt; 0.03). For the overall period, RAC-treated pigs had greater ADG than did NC pigs (P &amp;lt; 0.05). An average of 8.1% improvement on feed efficiency and 30% improvement on EF were observed for RAC-fed pigs in comparison to NC pigs (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Chilled carcass weight and loin eye area were increased in pigs fed RAC (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Western blotting showed greater p-P70S6K in muscle samples from pigs fed RAC with 15% additional Lys than in those from NC pigs (P &amp;lt; 0.10). RAC was effective at improving efficiency of production. Lys supplementation of 15% was enough for optimal performance of the pigs in the present study; however, step-up programs did not outperform RAC-constant programs. Results of the present study suggest that RAC stimulates protein synthesis through the mTOR signalling pathway.

214. STEP UP: Students Teaching Empowering and Preparing Underserved Populations

Advances in HIV treatment have dramatically increased the survival rate and quality of life for those living with HIV, leading to the reclassification of HIV as a chronic illness. However, with these improvements come a host of new psychosocial problems that can be particularly difficult for HIV-positive adolescents. The purpose of the STEP UP program is to create a reliable and sustainable resource for these patients to help them manage the stresses of growing up with HIV. Ultimately, the goal is for patients to successfully transition both medically and socially into their adult roles with the support and tools provided by STEP UP.

A pedometer based physical activity self-management program for children and adolescents with physical disability – design and methods of the StepUp study

BackgroundPhysical activity affords a wide range of physiological and psychological benefits for children and adolescents, yet many children with physical disabilities are insufficiently active to achieve these benefits. The StepUp program is a newly developed 6-week pedometer-based self-management program for children and adolescents with physical disability. Participants use a pedometer to undertake a 6-week physical activity challenge, with personalised daily step count goals set in consultation with a physiotherapist. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the StepUp program, using a randomised control trial design.Methods/designA target sample of 70 young people with physical disabilities (aged 8–17 years, ambulant with or without aid, residing in Adelaide) will be recruited. Participants will be randomly allocated to either intervention or control following completion of baseline assessments. Assessments are repeated at 8 weeks (immediately post intervention) and 20 weeks (12 weeks post intervention). The primary outcome is objective physical activity determined from 7 day accelerometry, and the secondary outcomes are exercise intention, physical self-worth, quality of life and fatigue. Analyses will be undertaken on an intention-to-treat basis using random effects mixed modelling.DiscussionThis study will provide information about the potential of a low-touch and low-cost physical activity intervention for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12613000023752.

Making a Difference: Steps to Develop a Research Pipeline in Puerto Rico

Making a Difference: Steps to Develop a Research Pipeline in Puerto Rico

The effect of a low sodium curing solution on further processed hams from purebred berkshire pigs fed a step-up ractopamine feeding program

The effect of a low sodium curing solution on further processed hams from purebred berkshire pigs fed a step-up ractopamine feeding program

The effects of dietary ractopamine on the performance and carcass characteristics of late-finishing market pigs with a previous history of porcine circovirus type 2 associated disease (PCVAD)

ABSTRACT Porcine circovirus type 2 associated disease (PCVAD) is a costly disease to the commercial pig industry. Clinically significant PCVAD decreases growth rate and increases mortality in growing pigs. Porcine circovirus type 2 can costs the US swine industry 3 to 4 dollars per pig and in extreme cases as much as $20 per pig because of increased mortality rates and reduced growth performance of infected pigs relative to pigs of higher health. A total of 1,635 barrows and gilts with a known history of PCVAD were used in a randomized complete block design with a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement of the following treatments: no ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC), 5.0 mg/kg of RAC for 21 d, 7.4 mg/kg of RAC for 21 d, 5.0/7.4 mg/kg step-up, or 5.0/10.0 mg/kg step-up feeding program in barrows and gilts. Pigs assigned to the step-up program were fed the initial dose of 5 mg/kg of RAC for the first 14 d of the trial and then stepped-up to the increased dose of 7.4 or 10.0 mg/kg for the final 7 d of the feeding period. Growth performance traits were measured weekly during the 21-d test period, and carcass traits were measured on d 21 at the slaughter facility. Growth advantages of RAC-fed pigs over controls were observed as early as 7 d on trial and persisted throughout the entire live phase of the experiment. Pigs fed RAC gained 18.6% more weight per day than did control-fed pigs (1.02 vs. 0.86 kg/d, P