Effect of chromium source on tissue concentration of chromium in pigs.

The concentration of Cr in several tissues in response to high-level, short-term supplementation was used to determine the relative bioavailability among 4 organic Cr sources and to assess the relative safety of high levels of supplementation. Crossbred pigs (n = 40; mean BW = 48.1 +/- 0.9 kg) were allotted to 5 diets: a control diet with no added Cr, or 5,000 microg/kg of Cr from Cr tripicolinate (CrTP), Cr propionate (CrPrp), Cr methionine (CrMet), or Cr yeast (CrY). Twenty gilts were housed individually and barrows were housed in pairs. Average duration of feeding before slaughter was 75 d. For the total experiment, pigs fed the unsupplemented diet had less ADG than pigs fed CrY (P < 0.05). Serum clinical chemistry values, obtained during the final week of the experiment, demonstrated few effects with no responses that would raise concern about metabolic changes in response to the Cr sources. The effects of the forms of Cr fed on carcass measurements and meat quality were also minimal. All Cr sources reduced cooler shrink (P < 0.05) and most resulted in some meat color change on d 1 postslaughter. For tissue Cr content, 4 of 5 tissues (bone, kidney, liver, and ovary) were increased (P < 0.05) in Cr content by supplementation with CrTP and CrMet, whereas only 2 tissues (bone and kidney) were increased (P < 0.05) by CrY, and none were increased by CrPrp. In all tissues of response, CrTP exceeded CrMet and CrMet exceeded CrY. Comparing the relative increase in tissue Cr for all responsive tissues (bone, kidney, liver, and ovary) gave a range of responses, for which the mean bioavailability relative to CrTP across tissues was 13.1% for CrPrp (0.2 to 19.0%), 50.5% for CrMet (36.2 to 79.1%), and 22.8% for CrY (2.5 to 47.9%). In summation, these results show very clear Cr effects on multiple tissues, which is conclusive evidence of absorption and deposition. The lack of a negative response in growth performance, carcass measures, and clinical chemistry at the increased quantities used herein provides assurance that normal quantities of addition are extremely safe.

The impact of longissimus glycolytic potential and short-term feeding of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate prior to slaughter on carcass characteristics and pork quality.

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of longissimus glycolytic potential (GP) and of time of feeding of supplemental magnesium sulfate heptahydrate on carcass and pork quality traits. The study was carried out in a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial arrangement; the treatments were sex (castrate vs gilt), GP (Low [normal] vs High), and time of feeding of magnesium sulfate-fortified diets (0 [control] vs 2 vs 3 vs 5 d prior to slaughter). Glycolytic potential was determined on a biopsy sample of longissimus from the live animal prior to the start of the study. A total of 144 pigs were allotted to the feeding-time treatments on the basis of sex (castrate and gilt), weight, and GP. Pigs were placed in individual pens and had free access to water. Prior to the start of the study, pigs were given ad libitum access to a standard finisher diet. During the study, animals were fed at a fixed level of 2.75 kg of a standard finisher diet/day; the fortified diet contained 3.2 g/d of additional magnesium. At the end of the feeding period, animals were transported to a commercial packing facility and slaughtered within 15 min of arrival. Fresh meat quality was measured on the longissimus. There were no treatment interactions. Carcass traits were similar across time of feeding treatments. Backfat thickness at the last lumbar vertebra and 10th rib were lower (P < 0 .05) for High than for Low GP pigs. High GP pigs had lower ultimate pH (P < 0.001) and higher drip (P < 0.05) and purge loss (P < 0.01) than Low GP pigs. Drip loss was reduced (P < 0.05) for pigs fed the magnesium-fortified diet for 5 and 2 but not for 3 d compared to controls (8.98, 7.29, 7.89, and 7.41 for the 0-, 2-, 3-, and 5-d treatments, respectively, SEM 0.447). Purge loss was similar for all of the time of feeding treatments. Longissimus L* values were lower (P < 0.05) for the 2-d treatment than for the controls. Results from this study suggest an inconsistent effect of short-term feeding of magnesium sulfate on muscle color and drip loss in pigs with both Low (normal) and High GP.

Could popping air capsules affect state anxiety?

The present study examined whether popping air capsules affects students' state anxiety. One group of university students were asked to pop air capsules for 5 min. (experimental group); another group did nothing (the control group). Both groups were tested on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Analyses showed that there was a difference in mean State Anxiety scores between the two groups, with the control group having a lower mean than the experimental group, which was contrary to our expectation. The findings are discussed in relation to an earlier published study of the effects of popping air capsules on changing a person's mood.

Helicobacter pylori eradication: efficacy and side effect profile of a combination of omeprazole, amoxycillin and metronidazole compared with four alternative regimens.

We evaluated eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in 263 patients by a new 14-day regimen of omeprazole 40 mg mane (a gastric secretory inhibitor) plus two antibiotics: amoxycillin 500 mg three-times daily (tds) plus metronidazole 400 mg tds. The comparative groups included updated results of our previous work with a 14-day course of either standard triple therapy (STT, colloidal bismuth subcitrate 120 mg four times daily (qds) plus tetracycline 500 mg qds and metronidazole 400 mg tds), omeprazole 40 mg once daily plus amoxycillin 500 mg tds (OA), or two modified triple therapy: either Borody's (BTT) of all three components (colloidal bismuth subcitrate 120 mg, tetracycline 500 mg, metronidazole 200 mg) qds instead of tds, or Logan's (LTT) seven-day therapeutic regimen of colloidal bismuth subcitrate 120 mg qds, amoxycillin 500 mg qds and, for the last three days, metronidazole 400 mg five times daily. Omeprazole/amoxycillin/metronidazole (OAM) therapy was better tolerated than STT (course completion 98.1% vs. 81.4%, p < 0.001). H. pylori was eradicated by OAM therapy in 53/55 (96.4%) patients with metronidazole-sensitive organisms and in 54/72 (75.0%) with metronidazole-resistant isolates (p < 0.01). The respective corresponding rates for STT and OA therapy were 20/22 (90.9%) and 14/29 (48.3%), (metronidazole-sensitive organisms) and 7/21 (33.3%) and 15/31 (48.4%) (infections resistant to metronidazole). BTT and LTT were also better tolerated than STT. The eradication rate for BTT was 23/26 (88.5%) but that for LTT, the best tolerated of the five treatment regimens, was only 19/28 (67.9%) when pretreatment isolates were metronidazole-sensitive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Short report: omeprazole plus antibiotic combinations for the eradication of metronidazole-resistant Helicobacter pylori.

Twenty-eight Helicobacter pylori-positive patients with metronidazole-resistant isolates and 25 with metronidazole-sensitive isolates were treated for 14 days with 40 mg omeprazole nocte plus 500 mg amoxycillin t.d.s. Eradication of H. pylori, defined as absence of the organism one month after cessation of treatment, was assessed using the [14C]urea breath test. The eradication rate in patients with metronidazole-resistant isolates was 14/28 (50%) while that in patients was metronidazole-sensitive isolates was 12/25 (48%). In contrast to these encouraging eradication rates, very poor results were obtained with a 7-day course of omeprazole (40 mg nocte) in combination with erythromycin ethylsuccinate (500 mg q.d.s.) and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate tablets (120 mg q.d.s.). The latter eradication rates were 3/20 (15%) in patients taking erythromycin tablets and 3/19 (16%) in those taking a liquid formulation of erythromycin. All treatment regimens were well tolerated and all patients completed the prescribed course of therapy.

Radiocarbon dating with electrostatic accelerators: dating of milligram samples.

The recently developed direct counting technique for radiocarbon atoms has been used to measure the relative numbers of such atoms in various geological samples which had earlier been dated by the beta-ray counting method. Sample weights ranged from 3.5 to 15 milligrams. The dates determined by the two methods are consistent with each other. Further experience with the new method is also reported.

Radiocarbon dating using electrostatic accelerators: negative ions provide the key.

Mass spectrometric methods have long been suggested as ways of measuring (14)C/(12)C ratios for carbon dating. One problem has been to distinguish between (14)N and (14)C. With negative ions and a tandem electrostatic accelerator, the (14)N background is virtually absent and fewer than three (14)C atoms in 10(16) atoms of (12)C have been easily measured.