Impact of supplement withdrawal and wheat middling inclusion on bone metabolism, bone strength, and the incidence of bone fractures occurring at slaughter in pigs.

The objective of this study was to determine if supplement withdrawal (omission of dietary vitamin and trace mineral premixes and 2/3 of inorganic P) 28-d preslaughter and the feeding of wheat middlings (dietary concentrations of 5, 15, or 30% from weaning to 16 kg, 16 to 28 kg, and 28 kg to slaughter, respectively) affect bone metabolism, bone strength, bone density, and the incidence of bone fractures at slaughter in pigs. Crossbred barrows (n = 64) were assigned to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (with or without supplement withdrawal, and with or without wheat middlings). Serum was collected on d 0, 14, and 27 of the preslaughter withdrawal period to determine changes in the concentrations of osteocalcin, an indicator of bone formation, and pyridinoline, an indicator of bone resorption. The serum osteocalcin and pyridinoline concentrations on d 14 and 27 were analyzed as change from the d-0 concentration. At slaughter, radiographs of the lumbar vertebrae and of the right and left femurs were taken to determine the incidence of bone fractures. Third metacarpal bones were analyzed for bone mineral density, peak load, ultimate shear stress, and percent ash. Supplement withdrawal increased (P < 0.05) serum osteocalcin and pyridinoline concentrations, indicating an increase in osteoblast activity and bone resorption. Supplement withdrawal decreased (P < 0.01) bone mineral density, peak load, ultimate shear stress, and percent ash of the metacarpal bones. Dietary wheat middling inclusion did not alter bone quality. Neither supplement withdrawal nor wheat middling inclusion affected the incidence of bone fractures at slaughter. The results of this study indicate that removing inorganic P, vitamin premix, and trace mineral premix for 28 d preslaughter increases bone turnover and decreases bone quality.

Effects of mannan oligosaccharide and an antimicrobial product in nursery diets on performance of pigs reared on three different farms.

The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) and a feed-grade antimicrobial (AM) on growth performance of nursery pigs reared on three different farms (A and B were large-scale commercial farms, and C was located at Michigan State University). On all farms, production was continuous flow by building, but all-in/all-out by room. Within each nursery facility, all pigs on the experiment were in one room. Pigs (Farm A, n = 771, weaning age = 18.4 d; Farm B, n = 576, weaning age = 19.0 d; Farm C, n = 96, weaning age = 20.6 d) were blocked (within farm) by BW and sex and allotted randomly to dietary treatments arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial. The two factors were 1) with and without MOS (0.3% in Phase I, 0.2% in Phases II, III, and IV; as-fed basis) and 2) with and without AM (110 mg of tylosin and 110 mg of sulfamethazine/kg of diet in all phases; as-fed basis). The four nursery phases were 4, 7, 14, and 17 d, respectively. With 35, 20, and 4 pigs per pen on Farms A, B, and C, respectively, space allowances per pig were 0.29, 0.26, and 0.56 m2. Across all farms, the addition of AM and MOS plus AM increased (P < 0.05) ADG (368, 406, and 410 g/d for control, AM, and MOS plus AM, respectively and increased ADFI (661, 703, and 710 g/d for control, AM, and MOS plus AM, respectively) for the entire 42-d experiment. The addition of MOS also increased ADG (P < 0.05) from d 0 to 42 of the experiment (394 g/d). Performance differed depending on farm (P < 0.01). Antimicrobial did not affect growth performance on Farm B, but it increased (P < 0.05) ADG on Farms A and C, ADFI on Farm A, and G:F on Farm C. Growth improvements with MOS on Farms A and B were not significant; however, pigs on Farm C fed MOS had greater (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and G:F than controls. The results of this study suggest that MOS may be an alternative to tylosin and sulfa-methazine as a growth promotant in nursery diets.

Impact of vitamin and mineral supplement withdrawal and wheat middling inclusion on finishing pig growth performance, fecal mineral concentration, carcass characteristics, and the nutrient content and oxidative stability of pork.

A study was conducted to determine if supplement withdrawal (omission of dietary vitamin and trace mineral premixes and a two-thirds reduction in dietary inorganic phosphorus) for 28 d preslaughter and the feeding of wheat middlings (dietary concentrations of 5, 15, and 30% from weaning to 16, 16 to 28, and 28 kg to slaughter, respectively) affect growth performance, carcass characteristics, and fecal mineral concentrations ofthe pig, as well as the nutrient content and oxidative stability of the longissimus dorsi muscle. Crossbred pigs (n = 64) were blocked by weight and assigned to one of four dietary treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial design (with or without supplement withdrawal, and with or without wheat middlings). Supplement withdrawal and wheat middling inclusion did not influence average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake, gain/feed, or carcass traits, except for a decrease (P < 0.01) in the ADG of pigs from 28 to 65 kg when fed wheat middlings. Supplement withdrawal decreased (P < 0.01) fecal Ca, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations. In diets containing full vitamin and mineral supplementation, wheat middling inclusion decreased (P < 0.01) fecal Ca, Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations and increased (P < 0.01) fecal Mn. Supplement withdrawal decreased (P < 0.05) concentrations of riboflavin, niacin, and P in the longissimus dorsi muscle, but did not affect longissimus dorsi thiamin, vitamin E, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Ca concentrations. Inclusion of wheat middlings increased (P < 0.04) longissimus dorsi thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and vitamin E concentrations and decreased (P < 0.04) Cu concentrations. However, wheat middling inclusion did not affect (P > 0.05) longissimus dorsi Ca, P, Fe, and Zn concentrations. Dietary treatment did not affect either Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase or glutathione peroxidase activity in the longissimus dorsi. The results from this study indicate that supplement withdrawal and dietary wheat middling inclusion alter pork nutrient content and fecal mineral concentration, but not the oxidative stability of pork.

Optical technique for particle measurement.

A novel overlapping optical field technique that transforms an optical field of Gaussian intensity into one with uniform intensity is described. Comparison of calculated and measured results demonstrates that a highly uniform optical field in one transverse dimension with efficient utilization of optical energy can be obtained by using the overlapping optical field technique. This technique can be used for particle sizing and velocimetry.

Enhanced transmission in CO(2)-laser-aerosol interactions.

The transmission characteristics of a high-power CO(2)-laser beam through a single water aerosol particle are studied. It is found that before the onset of plasma formation there is a sizable range of laser intensity where the medium becomes almost totally transparent. A plausible argument for this induced transparency is given in terms of particle disintegration. This effect may have applications in laser atmospheric propagation.

In vitro contact stress distribution on the femoral condyles.

Contact stress distributions were measured across the tibiofemoral joints of 11 fresh-frozen normal cadaver specimens. Local stress magnitudes were sensed by arrays of miniature piezoresistive transducers inset superficially in the cartilage of the femoral condyles. Knee joints were tested at 0, 10, 20, and 30 degrees of flexion and later retested at 0 degrees following medial and dual meniscectomies. For the intact joint, both the spatial mean and peak local contact stresses rose approximately linearly with the joint resultant, reaching levels of 2.6 and 8.0 MPa, respectively, at 3 kN of applied loading. Flexion angle variations in the range studied failed to cause significant changes in the major contact parameters. Although meniscectomies involved contact area reductions and consequent stress increases, such effects were more moderate than results previously seen for static loading of the tibial plateau.

In vitro contact stress distributions in the natural human hip.

Time variant distributions of intra-articular contact stress were assembled from direct measurement in seventeen grossly normal fresh cadaveric hips. Local stresses were sensed by arrays of 24 compliant miniature transducers inset superficially in the femoral head cartilage. Local contact stress magnitude was usually found to rise nearly linearly with applied joint loads in excess of about 1000 N. The sites of maximum local stress were found to underlie the general region of the acetabular dome. For a resultant joint load of 2700 N, the spatial mean contact stress and peak local contact stress averaged 2.92 MN m-2 and 8.80 MN m-2, respectively, for the 68 loading cycles analyzed. The full contact stress patterns were irregular and complex, but most commonly the general feature was a central band or 'ridge' of pressure elevation, oriented in an approximately anterior-to-posterior direction.

Controlled formation of chain aggregates from very small metal oxide particles.

Described are performance characteristics of a flame aerosol generator that produces aggregates of metal oxide particles in high concentration. Operating modes can be selected to generate predominantly cluster-shaped or linear chain aggregates from iron pentacarbonyl, consisting of up to 200 spherical primary particles of constant density. Primary particle diameters are log-normally distributed with medians between 0.02 and 0.08 micrometer and sigma g congruent to 1.5, depending on flame's temperature, length, turbidity and carbonyl vapor concentration.

Multiple Y-V plasty.

Webs and contracture, whether congenital or the result of trauma or surgical excision, have been resurfaced with local tissue utilizing the principle of multiple Y-V advancement flaps. Initially the procedure was used in releasing broad scar contracture following a burn wound of the torso, and for congenital soft tissue shortening of the dorsum of the foot, both with gratifying results. The procedure was later used to obtain adjacent soft tissue for resurfacing defects of the nasal tip or ala, resulting from trauma and following the excision of a tumor. (For example, it enabled us to compensate for a rotation flap defect.) It is also useful for additional release of scar contractures of the digits and extremities after transposition of Z-plasty flaps, which can be further advanced using the Y-V advancement principle.

Alar base-wedge excisions: partial excision of the alae nasi-base of the nostrils.

Alar base-wedge excisions are an integral part of the rhinoplastic procedure. They tend to reduce the nostril floor, the alar height, or both. Some geometrical forms are presented relating to the individual abnormalities. Emphasis is put on the usefulness of this procedure.

Adult onset nemaline myopathy.

A 47-year-old man had symptoms of nemaline myopathy for approximately 1 year. There were marked elevations of creatine kinase, a feature not previously described. Examination of the nervous system at autopsy failed to reveal any abnormalities.

Theoretical modeling of fine-particle deposition in 3-dimensional bronchial bifurcations.

A theoretical model is developed for the prediction of the peak to average particle deposition flux in the human bronchial airways. The model involves the determination of the peak flux by a round-nose 2-dimensional bifurcation channel and the average deposition flux by a curved-tube model. The "hot-spot" effect for all generations in the human respiratory system is estimated. It is found that the peak deposition flux is higher than the average deposition flux by a factor ranging between 5 and 30, depending on the generation number. The importance of this peak to average deposition flux ratio on consideration of environmental safety studies is discussed.

Acute supine respiratory failure due to bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis.

This report documents the first known case of bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis following blunt trauma to the chest. The important role of diaphragmatic function in maintaining ventilation, particularly with the patient in the supine position, is illustrated by the reduced total lung capacity, functional residual capacity, and vital capacity. Severe hypoxemia with the patient in the supine position, was markedly improved by elevation of the patient to 30 degree and was further improved by sitting the patient upright. Following an initial period of acute respiratory failure, the patient was managed acceptably by maintaining an elevated position for sleeping until diaphragmatic function returned, about nine months after the injury.

Liver transplantation in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma and ulcerative colitis.

A 39 year-old patient with cholangiocarcinoma and pre-existing ulcerative colitis was successfully treated by orthotopic liver transplantation. He was given low doses of prednisone and azathioprine and survived for more than 9 months, dying with tumour metastases, thrombosis of the inferior vena cava and an intra-abdominal abscess. At autopsy the homograft showed little evidence of rejection. Preoperatively the patient had septicemia. Removal of his liver was difficult. The discrepancy between donor and recipient in size of blood vessels and the presence of two hepatic arteries in the donor caused problems during the vascular anastomoses. During the operation cardiac arrest occurred. Postoperatively there were several medical and surgical problems, including intraperitoneal and gastrointestinal hemorrhage, paralysis of the right dome of the diaphragm, sinus bradycardia, massive diuresis, peroneal nerve palsy, and one major and three minor episodes of rejection, which were reversed by giving pulse doses of methylprednisolone intravenously.