The Social Life of Pigs: Changes in Affiliative and Agonistic Behaviors following Mixing

This study investigated potentially affiliative behaviors in grow-finish pigs, how these behaviors changed over time and their relationship to agonistic behaviors. A total of 257 Yorkshire barrows were observed for agonistic (reciprocal fights, attacks) and affiliative (nosing, play, non-agonistic contact) behaviors after mixing (at 10 weeks of age), and weeks 3, 6, and 9 after mix. The least square means of affiliative behaviors were compared across time points. Relationships among affiliative and agonistic behaviors were assessed using generalized linear mixed models. Non-agonistic contact with conspecifics increased until week 6 then remained stable between weeks 6 and 9. Nosing was highest at mix, then decreased in the following weeks. Play was lowest at mix and highest at week 3. Affiliative behaviors were negatively related with aggression at mix (p < 0.001). Pigs who engaged in play and nosing behaviors were more likely to be involved in agonistic interactions in the weeks after mixing (p < 0.05), while pigs engaging in non-agonistic contact were less likely to be involved in agonistic interactions (p < 0.001). There appear to be relationships between affiliative and agonistic behaviors in pigs, with contact being the most predictive of less aggression. Future studies could focus on promoting positive non-agonistic contact in unfamiliar pigs as a way to mitigate aggressive interactions.

Estimation of excess all-cause mortality due to COVID-19 in Thailand

Background: Thailand has recently experienced the most prominent COVID-19 outbreak, resulting in a new record for COVID-19 cases and deaths. To assess the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on mortality, we aimed to estimate excess mortality in Thailand. Methods: We estimated the baseline number of deaths in the absence of COVID-19 using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). The models were adjusted for seasonality and demographics. We evaluated the excess mortality from April to October 2021 in Thailand. Results: We found that the estimated cumulative excess death from April to October 2021 was 14.3% (95% CI: 8.6%-18.8%) higher than the baseline. The results also showed that the excess deaths in males were higher than in females by approximately 26.3%. The excess deaths directly caused by the COVID-19 infections accounted for approximately 75.0% of the all-cause excess deaths. Furthermore, the cumulative COVID-19 cases were found to be correlated with the cumulative excess deaths with a correlation coefficient of 0.9912 (95% CI, 0.9392-0.9987). Conclusions: The recent COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand significantly impacts mortality and affects people for specific ages and sex. During the outbreak in 2021, there was a significant rise in excess fatalities, especially in the older age groups. The increase in mortality was higher in men than in women.

Shift of radiotherapy use during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic? An analysis of German inpatient data

Objective To assess the change in inpatient radiotherapy related to COVID-19 lockdown measures during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Methods We included cases hospitalized between January 1 and August 31, 2018–2020, with a primary ICD-10 diagnosis of C00–C13, C32 (head and neck cancer, HNC) and C53 (cervical cancer, CC). Data collection was conducted within the Medical Informatics Initiative. Outcomes were fractions and admissions. Controlling for decreasing hospital admissions during holidays, calendar weeks of 2018/2019 were aligned to Easter 2020. A lockdown period (LP; 16/03/2020–02/08/2020) and a return-to-normal period (RNP; 04/05/2020–02/08/2020) were defined. The study sample comprised a control (admission 2018/19) and study cohort (admission 2020). We computed weekly incidence and IR ratios from generalized linear mixed models. Results We included 9365 (CC: 2040, HNC: 7325) inpatient hospital admissions from 14 German university hospitals. For CC, fractions decreased by 19.97% in 2020 compared to 2018/19 in the LP. In the RNP the reduction was 28.57% (p < 0.001 for both periods). LP fractions for HNC increased by 10.38% (RNP: 9.27%; p < 0.001 for both periods). Admissions for CC decreased in both periods (LP: 10.2%, RNP: 22.14%), whereas for HNC, admissions increased (LP: 2.25%, RNP: 1.96%) in 2020. Within LP, for CC, radiotherapy admissions without brachytherapy were reduced by 23.92%, whereas surgery-related admissions increased by 20.48%. For HNC, admissions with radiotherapy increased by 13.84%, while surgery-related admissions decreased by 11.28% in the same period. Conclusion Related to the COVID-19 lockdown in an inpatient setting, radiotherapy for HNC treatment became a more frequently applied modality, while admissions of CC cases decreased.

Association between COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects and Body Mass Index in Spain

COVID-19 vaccines have shown high efficacy, with most side effects being mild–moderate and more frequently reported by females and people at younger ages. Since no studies have assessed the impact that weight status could have on the reported adverse reactions, we aim to study the association between weight status and reported side effects. We included data on 2136 adults from an online survey conducted from 6 May to 9 June 2021. The questionnaire was filled in by participants over Google forms. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used. A higher risk of presenting fever ≥38°, vomiting, diarrhea and chills was found in those with a non-overweight status compared to those overweight after adjusting for age, sex, education, medication to prevent/relieve post-vaccination effects and vaccine administered. When adjusting, most of the significant effects, in the association between side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine and weight status, did not remain significant. In conclusion, a non-overweight status was associated with a higher risk of presenting fever ≥38°, vomiting, diarrhea and chills compared to those overweight. Nevertheless, most of the reported side effects to COVID-19 vaccine were not associated with a higher risk of presenting more adverse effects, and individual differences were determined by sex and age.

An analysis of research biopsy core variability from over 5000 prospectively collected core samples

Factors correlated with biopsy tissue adequacy and the prevalence of within-biopsy variability were evaluated. Totally, 1149 research biopsies were performed on 686 patients from which 5090 cores were assessed. Biopsy cores were reviewed for malignant percentage (estimated percentage of cells in the core that were malignant) and malignant area (estimated area occupied by malignant cells). Linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models were used for the analysis. A total of 641 (55.8%) biopsies contained a core with <10% malignant percentage (inadequate core). The chance of an inadequate core was not influenced by core order, though the malignant area decreased with each consecutive core (p < 0.001). Younger age, bone biopsy location, appendiceal tumor pathology, and responding/stable disease prior to biopsy increased the odds of a biopsy containing zero adequate cores. Within-biopsy variability in core adequacy is prevalent and suggests the need for histological tumor quality assessment of each core in order to optimize translational analyses.

Do hotter temperatures increase the incidence of self-harm hospitalisations?

A relationship between air temperature and the incidence of suicide has been established in a number of previous studies. Interestingly, the relationship between geographical variation in temperature and suicide incidence has generally been found to be negative, while the relationship between temporal variation in temperature and suicide incidence has generally been found to be positive. It is less clear, however, how temperature relates to the incidence of self-harm. This topic is of particular importance given the presence of ongoing global warming. This study investigated the relationship between temperature and the incidence of self-harm resulting in hospitalisation in New Zealand. Self-harm hospitalisations by date and district for 1993–2009 were obtained from the Ministry of Health. Meteorological data was obtained from NIWA. Generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate the effects of three different components of variation in temperature: Geographical, seasonal, and irregular. Irregular (random) daily variation in temperature had a modest positive relationship with the incidence of acts of self-harm resulting in hospitalisation, with about 0.7% extra incidents for every 1°C increase in temperature. However, there was no strong evidence for a positive effect of either seasonal or geographical variation in temperature. We conclude that temperature does appear to bear some relation to the incidence of self-harm, with irregular daily variation in temperature having a positive effect. However, inconsistencies in the effects of different components of variation in temperature make it challenging to accurately predict how global warming will influence the incidence of self-harm.

Artificial Termite-Fishing Tasks as Enrichment for Sanctuary-Housed Chimpanzees: Behavioral Effects and Impact on Welfare

Artificial termite-fishing tasks are a common enrichment for captive great apes, promoting species-typical behaviors. Nonetheless, whether these activities are linked to changes in other behaviors and whether these changes persist over time has seldom been investigated. We assessed whether the use of an artificial termite-fishing task was linked to changes in the solitary behavior and social dynamics in two groups of sanctuary-housed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Specifically, we compared chimpanzee behavior during eight enrichment sessions distributed over a two-month period, with similar periods before and after the introduction of the enrichment. Data were collected from combined interval and continuous sampling methods and were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. We found that participation increased across sessions and that both enrichment and participation predicted an increase in tool use and feeding and a decrease in inactivity, which were all maintained throughout the sessions. Furthermore, participation was positively associated with social proximity, revealing a gathering effect of the task. However, neither enrichment nor participation were linked to changes in abnormal, self-directed, affiliation-related or aggression-related behaviors. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that artificial termite-fishing is a suitable enrichment for captive chimpanzees, maintaining the subjects’ interest and promoting species-typical behaviors, with no negative effects on social activities.

Handwashing Results in Incomplete Nicotine Removal from Fingers of Individuals who Smoke: A Randomized Controlled Experiment

Objective: Tobacco residue, also known as third-hand smoke (THS), contains toxicants and lingers in dust and on surfaces and clothes. THS also remains on hands of individuals who smoke, with potential transfer to infants during visitation while infants are hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), raising concerns (e.g., hindered respiratory development) for vulnerable infants. Previously unexplored, this study tested handwashing (HW) and sanitization efficacy for finger-nicotine removal in a sample of adults who smoked and were visiting infants in an NICU. Study Design: A cross-sectional sample was recruited to complete an interview, carbon monoxide breath samples, and three nicotine wipes of separate fingers (thumb, index, and middle). Eligible participants (n = 14) reported current smoking (verified with breath samples) and were randomly assigned to 30 seconds of HW (n = 7) or alcohol-based sanitization (n = 7), with the order of finger wipes both counterbalanced and randomly assigned. After randomization, the first finger was wiped for nicotine. Participants then washed or sanitized their hands and finger two was wiped 5 minutes later. An interview assessing tobacco/nicotine use and exposure was then administered, followed by a second breath sample and the final finger wipe (40–60 minutes after washing/sanitizing). Results: Generalized linear mixed models found that HW was more effective than sanitizer for nicotine removal but failed to completely remove nicotine. Conclusions: Without proper protections (e.g., wearing gloves and gowns), NICU visitors who smoke may inadvertently expose infants to THS. Research on cleaning protocols are needed to protect vulnerable medical populations from THS and associated risks. Key Points

PSIII-6 Relationship of geographical location, cattle type, sex, and pen size to rates of liver abnormalities

Bovine liver abscess outcomes of individual animals (n = 989,296) were observed from 2013 to 2021 on a pen (n = 6,420) basis to quantify liver abscess prevalence and severity, as well as other liver abnormalities such as liver flukes. Cattle originated from 122 feedlots located in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Livers were audited at eighteen different beef abattoirs. Observational categories included sex (heifer, steer), cattle type (Holstein, beef-type), and pen count. Pen counts were grouped (&lt; 40, 41–80, 81–160, 161–320, and &gt;320) to quantify the association of pen size on liver abscess outcomes. Data were analyzed as a series of binomial proportions using generalized linear mixed models with fixed effects of observational categories (cattle type, feedyard location, pen size and sex). Cattle fed in Oklahoma or Texas exhibited greater (P &lt; 0.01) frequency of liver flukes (3.2% vs 0.5%) than cattle fed in Colorado or Nebraska. Cattle fed in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arizona, and Oklahoma exhibited fewer (P &lt; 0.01) total abscesses (23.5%, 26.0%, 23.6%, 19.3%, 16.9%, and 18.1%) than cattle fed in Idaho, Minnesota, and Texas (36.4%, 36.4%, and 33.2%). Beef-type cattle were observed to exhibit fewer (P &lt; 0.01) total abscesses (22.0% vs 41.1%) and fewer (P &lt; 0.01) severe abscesses (10.2% vs 26.4%) than Holstein cattle. Likewise, native heifers exhibited fewer (P &lt; 0.01) total abscesses (20.6% vs 23.3%) and fewer (P &lt; 0.01) severe abscesses (9.3% vs 11.1%) than native steers. Abscess prevalence differed as a function of pen size. Both total abscess and severe abscess rates decreased (P &lt; 0.01) as animal count within a pen increased (32.66%, 27.47%, 27.86%, 23.17%, and 20.33%; 17.20%, 14.48%, 14.80%, 11.45%, and 9.14%). These results suggest liver abscess prevalence and severity is affected by a wide range of factors.