Oocyst shedding patterns of Eimeria species and their association with management and performance at ten rose veal starter farms in the Netherlands.

Coccidiosis at rose veal starter farms is often diagnosed however, this was the first study performed considering this topic on this type of rearing unit. The objective of this study was to identify Eimeria species faecal shedding patterns at ten Dutch rose veal starter farms during rearing. Further objectives were to investigate associations with (gut) health, production and management decisions. Faecal samples from twelve randomly selected calves per farm were collected weekly during 9 consecutive weeks. Thereafter samples were pooled in a predetermined composition of six. These calves were clinically evaluated every sample visit and weighed at the first and last visit. Laboratory tests included a flotation test of the samples. If this yielded Eimeria oocysts, both oocysts per gram feces (OPG) and species differentiation were established using a modified McMaster method. Management parameters and technical herd results were identified after finalizing the study period using a questionnaire. Studied patterns in oocyst shedding included the pool's cumulated OPG, maximum OPG level and the number of sample days (SD) that OPG exceeded a confirmed level. Statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate analysis. Associated (p < 0.10) OPG patterns considering rumen fill, faecal consistency and average daily weight gain (ADG) were tested using a model with herd included as random effect. RESULTS: on all ten farms E. alabamensis, E.bovis and E. zuernii besides non-pathogenic species were identified, often as mixed infections. Peak OPG occurred predominately at SD 21 and 28 (E. alabamensis and E. bovis), and at SD 42 (E. zuernii). In 16 pools, OPG levels ≥500 for E. bovis or E. zuernii, were found. Significant correlation (p < 0.0001) showed between the log10 OPG of pathogenic Eimeria and of all Eimeria species. Multivariate analysis showed significant correlation between cumulative faecal consistency scores and cumulative log10 OPG of pathogenic Eimeria species (ß = 0.16; p = 0.008). Pools exceeding 750 OPG for E. bovis showed 93 g lower ADG and pools experiencing ≥2 SD with >1000 OPG for E. alabamensis 141 g lower ADG. From the questionnaire we identified lower cumulated OPG of all Eimeria species except for E. bovis at farms where the units were cleaned before arrival of the calves. CONCLUSION: As a rule, on Dutch rose veal starter farms, mixed Eimeria infections occur, but shedding patterns differ between farms. Clinical and growth performance is related to OPG patterns found. Cleaning units before arrival of calves lowers oocyst shedding during the rearing period.

Leg skin temperature with body-weight-supported treadmill and tilt-table standing training after spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized crossover. OBJECTIVES: Effects of body-weight-supported treadmill (BWST) and tilt-table standing (TTS) training on skin temperature and blood flow after spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: McMaster University, Canada. METHODS: Seven individuals with SCI participated in BWST and TTS training (3 times per week for 4 weeks, 4-week detraining between protocols). Skin temperature was measured before and after a single session of BWST or TTS, pre- and post-training. Leg blood flow was measured at rest pre- and post-training. RESULTS: Resting skin temperature decreased at four sites after 4 weeks of BWST training in comparison with the pre-training. Four weeks of TTS training resulted in resting skin temperature decreases post-training at the right thigh only. Both BWST and TTS training resulted in altered reactivity of skin temperature at all sites except the right calf in response to a single session of BWST and TTS. Post-BWST training, a single session of BWST stimulated increased temperature at all sites, whereas after TTS training a single session of TTS resulted in temperature decreases at two of the six sites. No changes were observed in resting blood flow with either BWST or TTS training. CONCLUSION: Increased resting skin temperature and decreased skin temperature reactivity have been linked to the development of pressure sores. BWST and TTS may stimulate different skin temperature responses and the impact on pressure sore development warrants further investigation.

Real-life applications of the MULVADO software package for processing DOSY NMR data.

MULVADO is a newly developed software package for DOSY NMR data processing, based on multivariate curve resolution (MCR), one of the principal multivariate methods for processing DOSY data. This paper will evaluate this software package by using real-life data of materials used in the printing industry: two data sets from the same ink sample but of different quality. Also a sample of an organic photoconductor and a toner sample are analysed. Compared with the routine DOSY output from monoexponential fitting, one of the single channel algorithms in the commercial Bruker software, MULVADO provides several advantages. The key advantage of MCR is that it overcomes the fluctuation problem (non-consistent diffusion coefficient of the same component). The combination of non-linear regression (NLR) and MCR can yield more accurate resolution of a complex mixture. In addition, the data pre-processing techniques in MULVADO minimise the negative effects of experimental artefacts on the results of the data. In this paper, the challenges for analysing polymer samples and other more complex samples will also be discussed.

Local cold acclimation of the hand impairs thermal responses of the finger without improving hand neuromuscular function.

AIM: To investigate the effects of cold acclimation on the thermal response and neuromuscular function of the hand. METHODS: Ten healthy subjects [three female, seven male, age (mean +/- SD): 27.9 +/- 7.9 years] immersed their right hand in 8 degrees C water for 30 min, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. On the first and the last day, neuromuscular function of the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) muscle was tested. RESULTS: There was no significant change in maximal voluntary contraction strength or evoked contractile characteristics of the FDI after cold acclimation. Minimum finger temperature decreased significantly from 10.6 +/- 1.2 to 9.3 +/- 0.8 degrees C after 3 weeks (P < 0.01), with most of the decrease occurring after a single exposure. Mean finger temperature dropped significantly from 14.2 +/- 1.9 to 11.7 +/- 1.4 degrees C following cold acclimation (P < 0.05), with 90% of this adaptation occurring after 5 days. Onset time of cold-induced vasodilatation increased from 446 +/- 171 to 736 +/- 384 s (P < 0.05) and the amplitude decreased from 5.3 +/- 3.2 to 2.5 +/- 2.1 degrees C (P < 0.05). This was significantly different from the control group, who immersed their right hand on the first and last days only. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that cold acclimation does not enhance hand temperature or function but may put the hands at a greater risk of cold injury when exposed to the cold.

Measurement of wheelchair rolling resistance with a handle bar push technique.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a technique of pushing a wheelchair at the level of the handle bars as a method for measuring rolling resistance of wheelchair-user systems under different field conditions. Under standardized conditions on a motor driven treadmill, rolling resistance was determined using a 2D strain gauge-based push technique at the level of the handle bars and a commonly used 1D strain gauge-based wheelchair drag test using an adapted push wheelchair and ISO dummy at several velocities and using different push handle heights. After verification of the method, rolling resistance of six different floor surfaces was measured with the experimental push wheelchair in a centre for rehabilitation. Using an analysis of variance for repeated measures, small but significant differences in rolling resistance were found between the drag and push tests on a motor driven treadmill. Belt velocity and push handle height significantly affected rolling resistance. In the field study in the rehabilitation centre, tiles and tarpaulin had the lowest rolling resistance, while high piled carpet had the highest values. It is concluded that the wheelchair pushing method described in this study is usable for the determination of (relative) differences in rolling resistance of different floor materials if performed under standardized conditions and procedures, such as a stable velocity (within a small range of variation), using an ISO-dummy and a constant pushing handle bar height.