Efficacy of 5-day parenteral versus intramammary benzylpenicillin for treatment of clinical mastitis caused by gram-positive bacteria susceptible to penicillin in vitro

The efficacy of parenteral (intramuscular) or intramammary (IMM) benzylpenicillin treatment for clinical mastitis caused by gram-positive bacteria susceptible to penicillin in vitro was investigated. Cows with clinical mastitis in 1 udder quarter were randomly placed into 2 treatment groups. The preliminary bacteriological diagnosis of intramammary infection (IMI) was based on on-farm culturing, and the bacteriological diagnoses were later confirmed by a quantitative PCR assay. Clinical mastitis caused by gram-positive bacteria susceptible to benzylpenicillin was treated with penicillin via either the parenteral route (20 mg/kg) or IMM route (600 mg) once per day for 5 d. The outcome of the treatment was evaluated 3 to 4 wk after the onset of the treatment. The affected quarter was examined to assess the clinical cure, and milk samples were collected from the affected quarter to determine the bacteriological cure and milk N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity. The survival and the composite milk somatic cell counts of the treated cows were followed up for 6 and 3 mo after treatment, respectively. A total of 140 cows with clinical mastitis were included in the study, 61 being treated with benzylpenicillin parenterally and 79 via the IMM route. From all quarters treated, 108 of 140 (77.1%) were cured clinically and 77 of 140 (55.0%) were cured bacteriologically. The route of treatment did not significantly affect the outcome of the treatment; 80.3% of the quarters with parenteral treatment and 74.7% of the quarters with IMM treatment showed a clinical cure, and 54.1 and 55.7% a bacteriological cure, respectively. The milk N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity was significantly lower in the quarters with a clinical or bacteriological cure than in the quarters with no cure. The 6-mo survival and the proportion of cows with composite milk somatic cell counts <200,000/mL among the treated cows during the 3-mo follow-up period did not significantly differ between the treatment groups. In conclusion, the outcome of either parenteral or IMM benzylpenicillin treatment of clinical mastitis caused by penicillin-susceptible bacteria was similar.     

Guest Editor's Foreword: Engineering of Recon Figurable Systems

The Journal of Supercomputing -     

Engineering of Reconfigurable Hardware/Software Objects

The Journal of Supercomputing -     

Photochemical ECE and DISP processes. The self-inhibiting disproportionation (SID) mechanisms. Theory and experiment

Channel electrodes are used to characterize the photochemical DISP2 mechanism in respect of the photoelectro-reductions of

1. (i) 9,10-diphenylanthracene,

2. (ii) benzophenone and

3. (iii) 4-fluorobenzophenone.

Quantitative measurements show that the simple DISP2 mechanism requires extension to allow for the possibilities of first a conproportionation step acting as a back-reaction to the disproportionation, and of second quenching of the excited state which leads to reaction. Both these steps, if present, serve to inhibit the overall DISP2 process. Accordingly a general scheme of Self-Inhibiting Disproportionation (SID) Mechanisms is introduced and characterized in the channel electrode geometry by computer simulations. A general protocol is established for identifying the various possible sub-cases of the general SID mechanism and illustrated with reference to the three experimental systems of interest, in all of which both conproportionation and quenching are shown to be mechanistically significant.     

Predictors and correlates of taste preferences in European children: The IDEFICS study

The present study investigated taste preferences in a sample of 1705 children aged 6 to 9 years from survey centres in Italy, Estonia, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, and Spain and aimed to identify factors correlated with taste preference. Children’s preferences for varying levels of sucrose (sweet) in apple juice and fat, sodium chloride (salt) and monosodium glutamate (umami) in crackers were assessed using paired-comparison tests. Socio-demographics (age, sex, parental education), early feeding practises (breastfeeding, introduction of fruits), parenting behaviour (TV viewing, using food as a reward) and taste threshold sensitivity for sucrose (sweet), sodium chloride (salt), caffeine (bitter) and monosodium glutamate (umami) were investigated as possible correlates of taste preferences. Parents reported on socio-demographics, early feeding and parenting behaviour. Taste thresholds were determined via a paired-comparison staircase method. Country of residence was the strongest factor related to preferences for all four tastes. Taste preferences also differed by age. Preference for sugar and salt increased between 6 and 9 years of age while preference for monosodium glutamate decreased. The age differences remained significant even after adjustment for sex, country of residence, parental education and early feeding habits. Sex, parental education, early feeding habits, TV viewing, using food as a reward and taste thresholds were not consistently related to taste preferences among the survey centres. In summary, the results highlight the importance of culture and age in taste preferences in children younger than 10 years of age.     

Computer aided examination of I2L structures

A structure-oriented physico-topological; model of the I²L gate is described. The mode parameters (saturation currents, base resistance, current gains) have been calculated from doping levels, geometrical and electronic parameters. The turn-over level of the transfer characteristic and the propagation delay time dependence on main technological parameters, temperature and neutron irradiation have been investigated. The temperature and neutron irradiation dependence of the transfer surface and of the dynamic behaviour of the 1²L flip-flop has also been examined. The calculations have been done with the non-linear circuit analysis program TRANZ-TBAN.     

Study of Cheese Associated Lactic Acid Bacteria Under Carbohydrate-Limited Conditions Using D-Stat Cultivation

The metabolic pathways alternative to glycolytic energy (ATP) during growth of starter and nonstarter lactic acid bacteria were studied simulating the depletion of carbohydrates during cheese ripening. D-stat cultivation strategy with the gradual decrease of galactose concentration in tryptone-arginine feeding medium was used. With the decrease of galactose feeding, the biomass yield calculated on carbohydrate consumption (Y_X/HEX) and acetate/lactate production ratio of all strains increased. We assume that ATP and biomass yields improved by directing the pyruvate flow from lactate to acetate and that metabolic energy could be obtained either by producing acetate from carbohydrates or from arginine metabolism in ADI-positive strains. Four LAB strains out of eight produced ornithine from arginine indicating active arginine-deiminase (ADI) pathway. These ADI-positive strains achieved 3-10 times higher Y_X/HEX than ADI-negative strains in tryptone-arginine medium. Lactobacillus plantarum also used serine as an energy source. Starters and NSLAB strains using the amino acids arginine and serine or limited amounts of carbohydrates therefore have the potential to influence flavor production in cheese more efficiently.     

How light conditions influence theoretical pelagic to benthic primary production ratios in small lakes

Theoretical pelagic primary production of phytoplankton and benthic primary production of periphyton were modelled for two small lakes in Estonia (Northeast Europe). Although located only 500 m apart, the water colour and light attenuation of these two lakes differed markedly. The Secchi depth (SD) in the clear‐water lake was 4.5 m and only 0.47 m in the dark‐water lake. The total phosphorus (TP) concentrations were, respectively, 15 μg/l and 28 μg/l. An empirical model whose inputs were morphometric, light conditions and dissolved organic carbon parameters obtained from in situ measurements was employed for the present study. The model calculated primary production with a time‐step of 10 min, and a spatial resolution of 10 cm, from sunrise to sunset and from lake surface to lake bottom. The primary production of periphyton and phytoplankton was almost equal in the clear lake, whereas only phytoplankton contributed to whole‐lake primary production in the dark lake because of the stronger light attenuation in the water column. The results of the present study indicated the depth‐distribution profiles differed dramatically between the two lakes. The clear lake had a deep, U‐shaped curve, with the productive layer reaching considerable depth soon after sunrise and maintaining a similar profile throughout the light hours. In contrast, the dark lake production declined rapidly with increasing depth, whereas the profile changed over the day reaching the greatest depth at noon.     

Simultaneous utilization of ammonia,free amino acids and peptides during fermentative growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The efficiency of nitrogen use by yeast is one of the key determinants of the successful completion of alcoholic fermentations. In this work the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288c in a synthetic medium containing ammonia and free amino acids, supplemented with yeast hydrolysate, was studied. Experiments with ¹⁵NH₄Cl and ¹⁵N‐labelled yeast hydrolysate were carried out to gain insight into which of these three classes of assimilable nitrogen sources yeast cells prefer. Co‐consumption of all three sources was observed; approximately 40% of the total nitrogen in the yeast protein fraction originated from yeast hydrolysate, while free amino acids and ammonia contributed 40 and 20%, respectively. The results indicate that several amino acids are more readily obtained from peptides, most likely when the uptake of their free forms is competitively inhibited and/or repressed. During the second half of each fermentation, a decrease in the incorporation of yeast hydrolysate‐derived nitrogen was observed. These results highlight the nutritional role of peptides in various yeast fermentations. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling