Projected incidence and cost of tractor overturn-related injuries in the United States

In 2004, the Agricultural Safety and Health Centers, supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, launched an initiative to conduct research on the consequences of and approaches to control of agricultural tractor-related injuries. The most significant cause of fatal injuries is associated with tractor overturns, and a recognized intervention to control these injuries is equipping the tractor with a rollover protective structure (ROPS). The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of tractor-related fatal and nonfatal injuries and their social costs. Based upon the annual average incidence of 125 tractor-overturn-related fatalities in the U.S. for the period 1992 to 2002, an analysis was conducted of injuries over the 25-year period 1997 to 2021. Using the number of fatalities as an index value, the analysis found that in 1997, there were a total of 2,412 tractor overturns. These overturns were associated with 125 deaths and 573 nonfatal injuries requiring at least outpatient treatment. Compared to ROPS-equipped tractors, 123 (98.6%) deaths and 543 (95%) of nonfatal injuries were associated with non-ROPS tractor overturns. The undiscounted social cost of these injuries totaled $1.5 billion in 2006 dollars for the 25-year period when using cost factors for the agricultural population. When discounted at 3%, this total was $1.1 billion, and when discounted at 5%, it was $0.9 billion. In an alternative analysis, when using cost factors for all occupations including agriculture, the undiscounted social cost totaled $2.9 billion, $2.1 billion when discounted at 3%, and $1.7 billion discounted at 5% for the 25-year period. Non-ROPS tractors as compared to ROPS-equipped tractors account for at least 97% of the costs, no matter the discount rate or cost factors used.     

Quality of Corn Oil Obtained by Sequential Extraction Processing

Sequential extraction processing (SEP) is a new approach to fractionating dried, flaked corn using 95% ethanol. In the original process, corn oil was extracted at 76°C in a countercurrent mode while simultaneously dehydrating the ethanol. This resulted in 20% of the protein (predominantly zein) coextracting with the oil. The process was modified to reduce the amount of coextracted protein. One modification (mSEP1) was to use a blend of 30% hexane and 70% ethanol at 56°C. A second modification (mSEP2) used a longer extraction column (L/D ratio 15) to replace the column with L/D 2 used in the original SEP system. To determine the effect of the modifications on oil quality, the quality of the crude corn oils produced from the modified SEP processes were compared with the quality of oil from the original SEP. To evaluate the quality of the three crude oils produced by SEP with the process typically used in industry, they were compared with the quality of laboratory hexane‐extracted corn oil. The results of the three SEP oils exhibited larger concentrations of fatty acids, phospholipids, and carotenoids, smaller concentrations of triacylglycerols, and darker red color than the hexane‐extracted oil. The oils from the two modified SEP processes contained smaller concentrations of free fatty acids and phospholipids and larger concentrations of triacylglycerols and carotenoids than the original SEP oil. In spite of the improvements to the oil through process modifications, the mSEP1 and mSEP2 oils exhibit greater refining losses than hexane‐extracted oil.     

Stochastic generating models for simulating hierarchically structured multi-cover landscapes

For simulating hierarchically structured raster maps of landscapes that consist of multiple land cover types, we extend the concept of neutral landscape models to provide a general Markovian model. A stochastic transition matrix provides the probability rules that govern landscape fragmentation processes by assigning finer resolution land cover categories, given coarser resolution categories. This matrix can either be changed or remain the same at different resolutions. The probability rules may be defined for simulating properties of an actual landscape or they may be specified in a truly neutral manner to evaluate the effects of particular transition probability rules.For illustration, model parameters are defined heuristically to simulate properites of actual watershed-delineated landscapes in Pennsylvania. Three landscapes were chosen; one is mostly forested, one is in a transitional state between mostly forested and a mixture of agriculture, urban and suburban land, while the third is fully developed with only remnant forest patches that are small and disconnected. For each landscape type, a small sample of raster maps are simulated in a Monte Carlo fashion to illustrate how an empirical distribution of landscape measurements can be obtained.     

Temperature effects on ammonification and nitrification in a tropical soil

Ammonification of soil organic N and nitrification of ammonium-N was studied in Tindall clay loam over a range of temperatures from 20–60 C. Nitrification rates at each temperature were constant throughout the 28 day incubation, whereas most of the ammonification occurred in the first 7 days. The optimum for nitrification was close to 35 C. exhibiting a sharp peak at this temperature at which the potential rate was 4.8 μg N/g day^?1, compared with 0.5 μg N/g day^?1 at 20°C and 0.25 μg N/g day^?1 at 60°C. The optimum temperature for ammonification was approximately 50°C at which the rate was 2.8 μg N/g day^?1 in the first 7 days but only 0.5 μg N/g day^?1 between 14 and 28 days.The temperature responses could be described mathematically with functions of the type log_oN = k × 1/T.The results are discussed in relation to daily patterns of N mineralization in the field where temperatures show diurnal fluctuation.     

Adverse reaction to procaine penicillin G in horses

Adverse reactions to intramuscular injections of procaine penicillin G are reported in 11 horses, five of which died. The clinical findings are presented and suggest central nervous involvement in most cases. Post mortem findings in one horse were consistent with anaphylaxis whereas in other cases the clinical findings, duration of treatment, speed of onset and subsequent completion of treatment supports diagnosis of an acute procaine toxicity syndrome.     

A phalangeal fusion defect and osteochondrosis dissecans with subluxation of the distal interphalangeal joints in a foal

A fusion defect of the proximal and middle phalanges of both hindlimbs, osteochondrosis dissecans of the distal interphalangeal joints of the forelimbs, and subluxation of all 4 distal interphalangeal joints occurred in a Standardbred filly. Lameness was the first abnormality noted and was observed at one week of age in the left forelimb and progressed until all 4 limbs were affected by 5 weeks of age. On radiographs of both forelimbs, the distal interphalangeal joints were subluxated with irregularity and lucency of subchondral bone. On radiographs of the distal hindlimbs, there was a subluxation of both distal interphalangeal joints and loss of the proximal interphalangeal joint spaces with fusion of the proximal and middle phalanges. The foal was euthanised. On necropsy, there were focal areas of erosion of articular cartilage in the distal interphalangeal joint of both forelimbs. The proximal and middle phalanges of both hindlimbs were fused. Histopathological examination of the distal interphalangeal joint of the right foreleg showed loss of articular cartilage and degenerative changes in the exposed subchondral bone.     

Effect of a single strategically timed dose of fenbendazole on cow and calf performance

A 168-day study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a strategically timed treatment with fenbendazole on anthelmintic efficacy and performance of beef cows and calves. Eight groups of 10 Angus cow/calf pairs were allotted on 7 May 1987 to eight similarly managed 4.86-ha pastures (bermudagrass/tall fescue) on the basis of cow age, and calf sex and weight. At that time, four groups of cows received a dose of fenbendazole (5 mg kg-1) with their calves receiving fenbendazole at the same dosage 28 days later. Treated calf average daily gain (ADG) was 0.04 kg greater (P less than 0.05) than control calves (0.82 vs. 0.78 kg) during the 168-day study. Treated cow ADG was 0.09 kg greater (P less than 0.05) than control cows (0.40 vs. 0.31 kg). Although there was a reduction (P less than 0.05) in fecal egg counts following treatment of the cows, the numbers of eggs generally were low compared with egg counts of calves. From Day 28 through Day 112 post-treatment, fecal egg counts of treated calves were lower (P less than 0.05) than those of control calves. However, fecal egg counts from treated calves increased post-treatment until there were no differences (P greater than 0.05) between treated and control calves at the end of the study. The pregnancy rate tended to be higher (P = 0.12) for treated cows (98%) than for untreated control cows (75%). The actual calving rate was higher (P = 0.03), for treated cows (90%) than for untreated control cows (68%). Results indicated that a strategic anthelmintic treatment can improve cow and calf performance, but that calves born in late winter or early spring may need more than one therapeutic dose during the nursing period on pasture.     

Attempts to establish congenital bluetongue virus infections in calves.

Three bovine fetuses were inoculated in utero with approximately 10(3) plaque forming units of type 11 bluetongue virus. The gestational ages of the fetuses at the time of inoculation were 106, 113 and 122 days. They were spontaneously aborted 104, 65 and 109 days later, respectively, and the first and third of these fetuses were recovered. There was no grossly normal cerebral tissue, the meninges formed fluid filled sacs, and the cerebellums were reduced in size. Bluetongue virus was not isolated from the fetuses but the older one had neutralizing antibody. The three dams developed neutralizing antibody to bluetongue virus. The present work supports the observation by others that early fetal infections with bluetongue virus normally result in severe central nervous system damage and not in clinically normal, persistently infected calves.