The effects of straw on the behaviour of young growing pigs were studied in two experiments. In Experiment 1, group of three pigs, aged about 7 weeks, were housed in raised decks with or without straw bedding. Time-lapse video recording showed no major differences between treatments in the amount or daily pattern of overall activity and feeding. Detailed observations showed that bedding reduced the incidence of rooting and chewing on pen-mates, but had little effect on other social activities such as mounting and aggressive biting. Experiment 2 compared groups of eight growing pigs aged about 10 weeks, housed in floor pens with or without a small amount of straw provided daily in a rack. Pigs with straw concentrated more of their daily activity into the period when straw was fresh, but the total amount of overall activity and time spent feeding were not affected. Rooting and chewing of pen-mates were the only social activities reduced by the provision of fresh straw. In these studies, where straw was not required to compensate for deficiencies such as low temperatures or hunger, the one major function of straw was to provide a stimulus and outlet for rooting and chewing, with a resulting reduction in such activities directed at pen-mates. lNTRODUCTION The provision of straw is widely considered to be beneficial for the comfort and well-being of pigs (Müller et al., 1979; van Putten, 1980). However, the actual effects of straw are complex and depend greatly on the type of pigs and the conditions under which they are raised (see e.g. Stephens, 1971; Schouten, 1986; Edwards and Furniss, 1988). For closely confined sows on a concrete floor and fed a restricted diet, straw is thought to have three distinct effects: (i) as bedding it improves the thermal comfort and perhaps the physical comfort of the floor; (ii) it is eaten in appreciable amounts and results in greater filling of the gut; (iii) it serves a "recreational'' function as a stimulus and outlet for the rooting and chewing activities that are natural to pigs (Fraser, 1975; Sambraus and Schunke, 1982). The situation is different for younger, growing-finishing pigs. Firstly, because these animals are often fed ad libitum or nearly so, any filling of the gut with straw is of questionable benefit. Secondly, the relationship of straw to floor comfort depends greatly on environmental temperatures: growing pigs prefer to lie on straw under cool conditions, but prefer bare floors at higher temperatures (Fraser, 1985; Marx and Mertz, 1989). This leaves the "recreational" effect of straw as the one major potential benefit that remains when feeding levels and environmental temperature do not create additional needs. Although several studies have reported apparent effects of straw on the behaviour of growing pigs, the research has generally involved a confounding of straw with other variables. For example, Buré (1981) reported that weaned pigs housed with straw performed less "abnormal" behaviour (tail-biting, rooting, massaging, and nibbling of pen-mates) than pigs rea...

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The study involved 82 consecutive acute admissions of female patients to a geriatric ward. A wide range of medical diagnoses was represented. The patients were assessed in relation to anthropometric measurements (grip strength, mid-arm circumference, triceps skin-fold, and arm muscle circumference), mental test score and serum albumin. The prognostic significance of these variables was considered with regard to mortality. Those who died had significantly lower grip strength (P less than 0.01), arm muscle circumference (P less than 0.05), serum albumin (P less than 0.01) and mental test score (P less than 0.01). A maximum grip strength of greater than or equal to 5 kg was the most sensitive and specific cut-off point to separate survival from death (true positive ratio 0.81, true negative ratio 0.92). Mental test score was positively correlated with grip strength and serum albumin. Grip strength was also measured in 35 healthy female controls of the same age group, and was found to be significantly greater than in the patient group (P less than 0.01). It appears that reduced grip strength, malnutrition and mental impairment are associated with increased risk of mortality in acute illness. Likely mechanisms are discussed.

There is a need for further research, especially concerning the social contexts of substance and alcohol misuse and the ways in which patterns of misuse develop among people with schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses.

A total of 59 farrowings were studied in either a conventional, narrow farrowing crate (0.43 m wide) or a much wider alternative design with sides spaced 1.2 m apart at the sow's standing height but narrowing near the floor to limit the sow's lying area. Using video recording, we monitored each "birth interval" (i.e. the period between two successive births) and noted the interval's length, the sow's posture and postural changes during the interval, and whether the interval ended with a live-born or stillborn piglet. The wide and conventional crates did not differ significantly in median interval between piglets (15.9 versus 16.0 min, respectively), incidence of stillbirth (5.8 versus 7.0%), in any measures of posture or postural change, or in piglet survival and weight gain to 3 days of age. Sows were most active during the first two birth intervals; as farrowing continued they made progressively fewer postural changes and spent more time lying. Sows differed greatly in the frequency of postural changes and the time they spent in different postures; however, these measures were largely unrelated to stillbirths, except that stillbirths were rare if the sow sat during much of the interval (P < 0.001). Birth intervals were longer, on average, before a stillbirth (median of 34 min) than before a live birth (13 min; P < 0.001). The greater incidence of stillbirths late in the farrowing was associated with a greater proportion of long birth intervals late in the farrowing, and greater likelihood of stillbirth even for shorter and medium intervals. Stillbirths were more common in longer farrowings (P = 0.01), evidently because these tended to involve larger litter sizes and more long birth intervals of over 60 min. However, the proportion stillborn in a litter was not correlated with median birth interval. The results of this and related studies suggest that greater freedom of movement in the farrowing environment does not consistently produce shorter duration of farrowing or a lower incidence of stillbirth.