Effect of method of delivery of sodium butyrate on rumen development in newborn calves

The effect of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation in milk replacer (MR) or in starter mixture (SM) or in both MR and SM on performance, selected blood parameters, and rumen development in newborn calves was determined. Twenty-eight male calves with a mean age of 5 (±1) d were randomly allocated into 1 of 4 groups (7 animals per group) and fed (1) MR and SM, both without SB (MR⁻ and SM⁻, respectively); (2) MR⁻ and SM supplemented with SB encapsulated within a triglyceride matrix (SM⁺, 0.6% as fed; 30:70 butyrate-to-triglyceride matrix); (3) MR supplemented with crystalline SB (MR⁺, 0.3% as fed) and SM⁻; or (4) MR⁺ and SM⁺. The MR was offered in an amount equal to 10% of the initial body weight (BW) of each calf. The SM was blended with whole corn grain (50/50; wt/wt) and offered ad libitum as a starter diet (0.3% encapsulated-within-triglyceride matrix SB when SM⁺ was fed) from the first day of the trial. Calves were slaughtered at d 21 of a trial (mean age 26 ± 1 d). Addition of SB into MR (MR⁺) positively affected BW and average daily gain, tended to decrease the number of days with electrolyte therapies from d 0 to 7, and tended to positively affect fecal consistency from d 8 to 14 of the trial. Inclusion of SB into SM (SM⁺) increased starter diet intake from d 15 to 21, decreased the number of days with scours, and tended to decrease the number of days with electrolyte therapies in the whole trial period. Both MR⁺ and SM⁺ increased plasma glucose in the whole trial period and MR⁺ increased total serum protein at d 14. The SM⁺ increased plasma glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) concentration at d 7 of the trial when compared with the concentration at d 0. Both MR⁺ and SM⁺ increased reticulorumen weight and papillae length and width. Based on these results, it can be concluded that addition of SB in MR positively affected BW gain, health, and some metabolic intermediates of calves and it stimulated rumen development indirectly, whereas SB supplementation in SM stimulated rumen development directly. Addition of SB both in MR and SM could be recommended for rearing calves.     

Survival of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and preservation of immunoglobulin G in bovine colostrum under experimental conditions simulating pasteurization

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Mycobacterium paratuberculosis could survive in colostrum after pasteurization. Additionally, this study investigated the effect pasteurization had on IgG concentration in colostrum. ANIMALS: Colostrum samples were collected from cattle (beef and dairy) owned by the state of Ohio. PROCEDURE: Colostrum was divided into aliquots and inoculated with variable concentrations of M paratuberculosis (ATCC No. 19698: 10(4), 10(3), and 10(2) colony-forming units/ml). Half the samples at each concentration were subjected to pasteurization temperatures (63 C) for 30 minutes and the remainder were kept at approximately 20 to 23 C. All samples were incubated (Herrold's egg yolk medium with and without mycobactin J) and observed for growth during the next 16 weeks. Additionally, the IgG concentration of colostrum was determined by radioimmunoassay before and after pasteurization. Samples that coagulated at pasteurization temperatures were mechanically resuspended before measurement of IgG concentration. RESULTS: Growth of M paratuberculosis was retarded but not eliminated by pasteurization. Growth was observed in all unpasteurized samples incubated on Herrold's egg yolk medium with mycobactin J but in only 2 of 18 pasteurized samples similarly cultured. Growth from pasteurized samples appeared 5 to 9 weeks after growth was observed from nonpasteurized samples. Mean colostral IgG concentration was 44.4 g/L in nonpasteurized samples and 37.2 g/L in pasteurized samples, a decrease of 12.3%. High-quality colostrum (> 48 g of IgG/L) had a significantly greater loss of IgG concentration than did colostrum of lesser quality (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Pasteurization lessened, but did not eliminate, growth of M paratuberculosis from experimentally inoculated colostrum samples. Pasteurization resulted in a significant decrease in colostral IgG concentration but not to an unmanageable level that would preclude the colostrum's use for passive transfer of immunity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Colostrum is macrophage rich and may serve as a source of M paratuberculosis infection to calves. Pasteurization of colostrum may lessen the risk of infection, but will not totally eliminate M paratuberculosis.     

Electrochemical acetoxylation of 2-methylnaphthalene

The oxidation of 2-methylnaphthalene in the solution of lithium acetate in glacial acetic acid has been investigated. It has been found that, within the range of potentials 1.10–1.25 V vs saturated mercury acetate electrode in glacial acetic acid, the oxidation process results in mono- and diacetates of 2-methylnaphthalene formation. The values of E_τ/4 for 2-methylnaphthalene, 1-acetate-2-methylnaphthyl and 1,4-diacetate-2-methylnaphthyl oxidation have been determined as 1.09, 1.05 and 1.13 V, respectively. The degree of 2-methylnaphthalene conversion to monoacetate reaches its maximum value at 1.25 V which is 32.8%.     

Rapid-staged strategy for concomitant critical carotid and left main coronary disease with left ventricular dysfunction: IABP use

Fascicle length, pennation angle, and tendon elongation of the human tibialis anterior were measured in vivo by ultrasonography. Subjects (n = 9) were requested to develop isometric dorsiflexion torque gradually up to maximal at the ankle joint angle of 20 degrees plantarflexion from the anatomic position. Fascicle length shortened from 90 +/- 7 to 76 +/- 7 (SE) mm, pennation angle increased from 10 +/- 1 to 12 +/- 1 degrees, and tendon elongation increased up to 15 +/- 2 mm with graded force development up to maximum. The tendon stiffness increased with increasing tendon force from 10 N/mm at 0-20 N to 32 N/mm at 240-260 N. Young's modulus increased from 157 MPa at 0-20 N to 530 MPa at 240-260 N. It can be concluded that, in isometric contractions of a human muscle, mechanical work, some of which is absorbed by the tendinous tissue, is generated by the shortening of muscle fibers and that ultrasonography can be used to determine the stiffness and Young's modulus for human tendons.     

Preoperative irradiation therapy and radical hysterectomy: prognostic value of tumor regression after initial irradiation of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of tumor persistence in patients submitted to irradiation therapy and radical hysterectomy. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of prognostic factors. LOCATION: Hospital A.C. Camargo, S?o Paulo, Brazil, a private non-profitmaking foundation and tertiary referral centre. PATIENTS: A total of 629 cases of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix were studied. Criteria for inclusion in the study were: confirmed histological diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma and no previous treatment (except for preoperative radiotherapy carried out at the Hospital A.C. Camargo itself). At the end of the follow-up period, 410 patients (65%) had no evidence of disease and 219 (34.8%) had died because of the tumor. INTERVENTION: The patients were submitted to radical surgery and radiation therapy, separately or in combination between 1953 and 1982. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Multivariate analysis of the different variables was performed according to the Cox regression method. RESULTS: The variables of prognostic value were, in decreasing order of importance: the decade of patient admission (p = 0.0001), the modality of therapy employed (p = 0.0005), the presence of residual tumor in the surgical specimens (p = 0.0055) and the clinical stage of the disease (p = 0.0575). CONCLUSION: Radiation therapy controlled a considerable number of local tumors and pelvic lymph nodes but not all of them in every patient. There is a specific group of patients for whom radical surgery is necessary to achieve control of the disease.     

Mechanical Effects in Saturated Capillary-Porous Materials during Convective and Microwave Drying

The differences are analyzed in distribution and time evolution of the temperature, moisture content, and drying-induced stresses generated by convective and microwave drying. The theoretical analysis of the drying induced stresses and the deformations of dried materials is based on the elastic and viscoelastic constitutive models. The theoretical predictions are confronted with the experimental data obtained by the acoustic emission (AE) method, which enable monitoring on line the development of the drying induced stresses. The system of double coupled differential equations of the thermomechanical drying model is solved numerically using the finite element (FEM) and the finite difference (FDM) methods. A cylindrical sample made of kaolin was chosen to compare experimental data with the model solution. Essential differences were identified in the analyzed items for convective and microwave drying as well as a significant difference in stress distribution was noted for elastic and viscoelastic constitutive models.     

Werkstoff-Datenbank

Material database This paper describes a new materials database named SWDB. SWDB is the German abbreviation for „Sollwert-Werkstoff-Datenbank”︁ and should be read as „Specified-Materials-Database”︁. SWDB is a state of the art user friendly materials database which provides adequate information on standardized and not standardized materials characteristics of solid materials from ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other metallic alloys currently used in engineering practice. Apart from the chemical composition and mechanical-technological properties of metallic materials based on various standards and specifications, the database includes reference to a large number of possible alternative materials in a concise and pregnant form which is transparent and easily accessible for application engineers. The material data are composed on the basis of an absolutely new structured model and are shown as a function of the specified material, product shape, dimension, delivery condition and sampling. SWDB includes additional information on physical properties as well as exhaustive information on heat treatment, hot and cold forming, weldability and hints for application. The SWDB has a dual character: on the one hand it can be operated as an individual and independent database, on the other hand as a satellite database to support the corrosion database within the information system on corrosion and protection, „CORIS”︁.