Exploring National Veterinary Information Outreach

The Medical Sciences Library at Texas A&M University (MSL) participates in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region (NN/LM) Regional Resource Library outreach initiative. This program generally funds regional outreach activities promoting NLM information resources. The MSL and veterinary library community recognized practicing clinical veterinarians as an underserved population. The 2013–2014 MSL outreach proposal combined traditional activities with the development of materials to assist veterinarians with NLM resources, and exhibit to a national audience. This article provides an overview of the NN/LM SCR Resource Library Outreach Awards, an overview of MSL outreach activities for the year, and lessons learned.     

放射性示踪技术在兽药代谢及残留消除研究中的应用

研究兽药的代谢和残留消除对于指导临床安全用药,保证动物和人的健康具有重要意义。放射性示踪技术在兽药的代谢和残留消除中药物及代谢物定性、定量分析具有准确、可信度高等特点,因此得到广泛应用。本文对近年来放射性示踪技术在兽药代谢、残留消除中的应用进行了综述,概括了放射性示踪技术在研究兽药药动学、代谢以及物料平衡规律的优势,总结了放射性示踪技术在兽药残留靶组织及标示残留物确定等方面的广泛应用及重要意义,旨在为我国未来放射性示踪技术在兽药安全性评估等方面的应用提供理论支持。     

Saving the Elusive Past for the Future: A Case Study in Collaboration of Veterinary Libraries

ABSTRACT

This article presents a collaborative project undertaken by a group of veterinary librarians as an attempt to deal with the problematic nature of grey literature. It provides the historical context of grey literature in veterinary medicine, noting its importance in preserving the history of the veterinary profession in the United States. It also surveys veterinary grey literature and discusses the challenges of dealing with this type of material. Emphasizing the common problems presented to the veterinary library community, the paper then reports on the cooperative efforts of the group, describing the development of a mission, core values, and an action plan.     

Information Literacy Across the Disciplines: Using the Science Information Literacy Wiki as a Collaborative Tool in Agriculture,Natural Resources,and Science Librarianship

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) wiki was launched in 2008. This article discusses the STS wiki development, content, publicity, and its application across the science disciplines. Information about assessment and future plans for the wiki is also provided. Some of the information included in this article was presented in a panel for the 2010 United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) Conference.     

兽药抗生素的残留状况与环境行为

随着畜牧养殖业的迅速发展,抗生素作为人工投入的生产要素得到广泛应用,在带来增产效应的同时,也造成了抗生素的残留,不仅直接影响动物产品的安全与卫生,而且极大的威胁着环境质量安全、人类的身体健康以及生存环境。本文介绍了兽药抗生素的应用及残留状况,概述了兽药抗生素在环境中的迁移、降解及其对动物、植物、微生物的影响等环境行为,并结合国内外研究现状提出了近期兽药抗生素残留研究的重点内容。     

Veterinary Guides for Livestock and Poultry Owners

ABSTRACT

Most of the veterinary literature pertaining to livestock and poultry, including books, is written for researchers, clinicians, educators, students, and practitioners. This literature is of limited use to the owner or keeper of cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, or other farm animals, due to its academic level and specialized vocabulary. There are far fewer veterinary guides written for livestock owners than for dog, cat, and horse owners, but such guides do exist. This article attempts to characterize, list, and briefly describe the best of the veterinary guides intended specifically for owners rather than professionals. Guidebooks and manuals cannot replace the veterinary practitioner, but ideally they can work in combination with practitioner and animal owner to promote health and to identify, treat, control, and prevent disease.     

兽药污染土壤对小麦和白菜根伸长抑制的毒性效应

含有残留兽药的粪便作为有机肥施入农田,可造成农业土壤污染,对人类健康和生态系统产生潜在危害。为评价兽药污染的潜在生态影响,本试验采用室内生长箱培养的方法,测定了黄潮土在2种常用兽药土霉素、伊维菌素污染条件下,对2种作物（小麦和白菜）根伸长、芽伸长的抑制率,以及复合污染毒性效应。结果表明,土壤中土霉素、伊维菌素浓度与作物根伸长及芽伸长抑制率呈显著线性相关（P〈0．01）。2种兽药对植物根、芽伸长抑制强度为：伊维菌素〉〉土霉素;在药物的胁迫下,作物的根伸长较芽伸长敏感,2种作物的敏感性为：小麦〉白菜,小麦为兽药污染的敏感植物。土霉素和伊维菌素的复合污染产生明显的协同作用。     

兽医学实验教学内容和方法的改革与实践

实践能力是大学生应具有的基本素质。实验教学能培养学生理论与实践相结合、掌握实验技能、提高科学思维能力、独立工作能力及分析问题、解决问题的能力。为了进一步提高教学质量,根据兽医学的特点及学科发展的需要对兽医学实验内容、方法和教学方式进行了一些改革和尝试,使学生的实验操作技能、实验理论的掌握及综合能力都有了较明显的提高。     

我国畜牧兽医科技文献数字化出版现状及其重要性

利用新兴网络技术促进我国畜牧兽医科技文献数字化出版工作的发展是一项极其重要的四化建设项目,它是我国农业信息化进程中的重要环节,直接关系到我国农业现代化的进程。笔者就当前我国畜牧兽医科技文献数字化出版现状做了详细分析,并从四个方面阐述开展这项工作对我国畜牧兽医事业的重要性,同时提出了在建设过程中所需要注意的一些关键环节。     

Evaluation of a lower tier exposure assessment model for veterinary medicines

Veterinary antibiotics are used in large quantities in the European Union, and one of the key environmental exposure routes is via the application of manure containing excreted antibiotics to arable land as fertilizer. It is a legal requirement to assess the environmental risk of veterinary medicines, and this is done in two stages. A key decision parameter in phase I of these assessments is the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) in soil, and if a trigger value of 100 microg/kg is exceeded, then further phase II studies on the fate, behavior, and effects are carried out. A widely used model to calculate manure and soil PECs is the Uniform Approach. This study evaluated the Uniform Approach in two ways: first, by reviewing existing data, addressing data gaps by performing degradation studies, and then calculating soil and manure PECs for the veterinary antibiotics sulfachloropyridazine, oxytetracycline, and tylosin applied to arable land via liquid pig manure and comparing these data with the results from two field-scale fate studies; second, by collating monitoring data and making a comparison with modeled data. The data comparisons indicated that the Uniform Approach model performed conservatively, with initial PECs being up to 2 orders of magnitude greater than measured environmental concentrations, providing confidence in the use of the model in the risk assessment process, although the assumption of first-order degradation kinetics in the model may underestimate the environmental persistence of veterinary antibiotics.     

Veterinary antibiotics influence trigonelline biosynthesis and plant growth in Arachis hypogaea L.

Antibiotics from various sources such as livestock waste are being accumulated in the soil. The excessive uptake of antimicrobial agents by plants has been a major concern as it is currently unknown how plants respond to the presence of antibiotics in agricultural lands. The objectives were to analyze the alteration of trigonelline (TRG) biosynthesized by plants in response to various antibiotic stresses and to evaluate the ability of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plants to resist the deleterious impacts of antibiotic uptake. Three veterinary antibiotics used in this study were tetracycline, streptomycin sulfate, and chloramphenicol in the concentrations of 2.5 and 5 mg L^?1. Mean TRG amounts were 53.4 ± 1.6 and 59.9 ± 1.1 μg·g^?1 dry weight (DW) in Spanish as treated with growth chloramphenicol and streptomycin at 2.5 mg·L^?1, respectively, and were significantly (p ≤ .05) different compared to the control (40.4 ± 1.6 μg·g^?1 DW) of Spanish. Spanish genotype treated with chloramphenicol at 5 mg·L^?1 had a mean TRG amount of 41.0 ± 1.0 μg·g^?1 DW and improved yield, with the average pod number of 29.6 ± 7.6 and pod weight of 20.1 ± 6.1 g. TRG was continuously biosynthesized and increased under antibiotic stress up to 12.7% at full pod (R4 growth stage) and 139.1% at beginning maturity (R7), but declined 20.2% at the harvest stage (R8) in all combined genotypes when compared with TRG amounts (21.7 ± 0.6 μg·g^?1 DW) at the flowering R1 stage.     

U.S. EPA regulation of plant-incorporated protectants: assessment of impacts of gene flow from pest-resistant plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency licenses pesticide-expressing plants under the authority of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Transgenes and their pesticidal products represent pesticides under FIFRA and are referred to as plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs). When sexually compatible wild relatives (SCWR) are sympatric with PIP crops, there is a need to assess the potential for adverse effects to man and the environment resulting from transgene introgression in accord with FIFRA requirements. Genetic compatibility, introgression, weediness of SCWR × PIP hybrids, seed dispersal, and dormancy, among other parameters, as well as effects on other species (herbivores and beneficial insects), all need to be considered as part of the risk assessment for experimental use under Section 5 or registration under Section 3 of FIFRA. EPA is currently developing data requirements and guidance toward addressing potential gene flow impacts from PIPs.     

Russian Libraries in the Time of Transition

ABSTRACT

Russian librarianship is going through an exciting period of change from the world of tight party control and service to the official propaganda to the world of free access to information. However, the new initiatives are not necessarily always supported financially. Issues facing Russian librarianship at present are analyzed by an ALA/USIA Library Fellow.     

Subject Matrices: An Innovative,Collaborative Approach to Serving the Agricultural Sciences

In 2009, Kansas State University Libraries (K-State Libraries) moved from subject-based departments to user-based departments. From this change, subject matrices, including the Agriculture and Biological Science Matrix, were developed to address subject-related issues. This matrix is comprised of librarians from many K-State Libraries’ departments and is a conduit for sharing information interdepartmentally and developing collaborative opportunities. Libraries wishing to maintain a traditional subject-liaison model can adapt key principles underlying the matrix. Subject liaisons can go beyond siloed perspectives by soliciting advice from individuals outside the library. Another approach is to disturb established structures and introduce selective pressure to inspire innovation.     

Rapid wetland functional assessment: Its role and utility in the regulatory arena

Section 404 of the dean Water Act (CWA) regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material, which is defined as a pollutant, into waters of the United States by requiring potential dischargers to obtain a permit for such activities. The Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines provide the substantive environmental criteria by which all dredge and fill permit applications are reviewed. The Guidelines consist of 4 basic steps: 1) evaluation of practicable alternatives; 2) evaluation of relation of discharge to other environmental standards; 3) assessment of significant degradation to waters of the U.S.; and 4) assessment of appropriate steps to minimize impacts. Wetland functional assessment is important in steps 1, 3, and 4. The use of wetland functional assessment techniques has typically been hindered by lack of time and resources, among other technical concerns, by the resource agencies implementing the Section 404 program. Functional assessment is critical to the Section 404 program since most decisions revolve around an assessment of wetland functions. The Hydrogeomorphic Classification for Wetlands (Brinson, 1993) and the developing functional assessment procedure shows potential for being rapid and inexpensive, scientifically-based and replicable. It is based upon functional indicators which can be recognized in the field and can form the basis for functional indices. The utility of the HGM procedure is illustrated using an example from West Kentucky.     

Veterinary antibiotics at environmentally relevant concentrations inhibit soil iron reduction and nitrification

Veterinary antibiotics used in food animal production, subsequently entering the agroecosystem through land application of animal manure, constitute a growing concern. Previous studies have reported inhibitory effects of antibiotics on soil microbial activities, however, treatment concentrations in these studies were often many times greater than the ranges typically found in the environment. When spiked into manure and mixed with soil at environmentally relevant concentrations in a laboratory study, sulfadimethoxine and monensin blocked soil iron reduction over periods extending from a few days to the entire 50-Day experiment. Sulfadimethoxine also had an inhibitory effect on soil nitrification periodically over the course of the study. Respiration and community-level physiological profile parameters were not inhibited by sulfadimethoxine, monensin, or chlortetracycline. We conclude that antibiotics at environmentally relevant concentrations can disrupt soil microbial processes, although the detection of such impact may be antibiotic and/or process specific.     

Veterinary antibiotics at environmentally relevant concentrations inhibit soil iron reduction and nitrification

Veterinary antibiotics used in food animal production, subsequently entering the agroecosystem through land application of animal manure, constitute a growing concern. Previous studies have reported inhibitory effects of antibiotics on soil microbial activities, however, treatment concentrations in these studies were often many times greater than the ranges typically found in the environment. When spiked into manure and mixed with soil at environmentally relevant concentrations in a laboratory study, sulfadimethoxine and monensin blocked soil iron reduction over periods extending from a few days to the entire 50-Day experiment. Sulfadimethoxine also had an inhibitory effect on soil nitrification periodically over the course of the study. Respiration and community-level physiological profile parameters were not inhibited by sulfadimethoxine, monensin, or chlortetracycline. We conclude that antibiotics at environmentally relevant concentrations can disrupt soil microbial processes, although the detection of such impact may be antibiotic and/or process specific.     

Pet Food Information: Resources for Making Healthy Choices for Our Best Friends

Many of us who are guardians for companion animals were struck with fear when we heard about the massive recall of cat and dog foods during the spring of 2007. Even premium brands were being added to the recall list. Dogs and cats were becoming ill and many died from what appeared to be some sort of food contamination. Eventually, the cause of these pet illnesses and deaths was linked to the intentional adding of melamine to wheat gluten and rice protein imported from China. The melamine combined with cyanuric acid—a by-product of melamine and an additive in some animal feed—caused the formation of crystals in the kidneys of cats and dogs that consumed the tainted food (Dobson et al., 2008).

Shortly after the pet food recalls of 2007, Congress worked to promote better food safety, including the safety of pet food. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired hearings on the pet food recall (American Veterinary Medical Association, 2007). New pet food legislation was included and passed as part of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, Public Law 110–85. Section 1002 of the Act deals with pet food safety, and this section was codified at 21 U.S.C. §2102. This provision requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and other stakeholders to establish regulations regarding ingredients, processing standards, and labeling for pet food. It also requires the establishment of “early warning surveillance systems and notification during pet food recalls” (21 U.S.C. §2102[b]).     

Occurrence and Environmental Fate of Veterinary Antibiotics in the Terrestrial Environment

A wide variety of veterinary antibiotics (VAs) has been detected in environmental water samples, and this is of potential environmental concern due to their adverse effects. In particular, the potential for development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has raised social concerns leading to intensive investigation regarding the influence of antibiotics on human and ecosystem health. One of the main sources of antibiotic effluence to the environment is livestock manures that often contain elevated levels of VAs that survive normal digestive procedures following medication in animal husbandry because unlike human waste, waste generated on farms does not undergo tertiary wastewater treatment, and consequently, the concentration of antibiotics entering the environment is expected to be larger from farming practices. Animal feed is often supplemented with VAs to promote growth and parasite resistance in the medicated animals, and this practice typically resulted in higher use of VAs and consequential excretion from livestock through urine and feces. The excretion rate varied depending on the type of VA used with around 75, 90, and 50?C100% being excreted for chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tyolsin, respectively. The excreted VAs that initially present in livestock manures were degraded more than 90% when proper composting practice was used, and hence, this can be employed as a management strategy to decrease VA environmental loads. The reduction of VA concentrations during composting was mainly attributed to abiotic processes rather than biotic degradation. The VAs released to soils by the application of manure and manure-based composts can be degraded or inactivated to various degrees through abiotic process such as adsorption to soil components. Depending on the antibiotic species and soil properties, residues can be transferred to groundwater and surface water through leaching and runoff and can potentially be taken up by plants.     

Residue depletion of tilmicosin in cattle after subcutaneous administration

A study of tissue residue depletion of tilmicosin in cattle was conducted after a single subcutaneous injection at the therapeutic level of 10 mg per kg body weight. Eighteen cross cattle were treated with the tilmicosin oil formulation (30%). Three treated animals (two males and one female) were selected randomly to be scarified at 1, 7, 14, 28, and 35 days withdrawal after injection. Samples of the injection site and of muscle, liver, kidney, and fat were collected. Tilmicosin residue concentrations were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with a UV detector at 290 nm. Using a statistical method recommended by the Committee for Veterinary Medical Products of European Medical Evaluation Agency, the withdrawal time of 34 days was established when all tissue residues except samples in the injection site were below the accepted maximum residue limits.