Neuromuscular blocking effects of certain antibacterial agents in pigs and lambs

The neuromuscular blocking effects of several antibacterial agents were examined in young pigs and lambs using a sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle preparation. Intravenous administration of streptomycin, neomycin or tetracycline produced a decrease in indirectly stimulated contractions of the gastrocnemius muscle; whereas, chloramphenicol, sulphadiazine and penicillin-G had no discernible neuromuscular blocking effects. Present findings confirm the neuromuscular blocking activity of certain antibiotic agents, and indicate the potential for this adverse side effect in food-producing animal species.     

Prosthetic Coxofemoral Joint Replacement in the Goose (Anser Sp.): II. Histologic and Mechanical Interface Evaluations

The interfacial tissue-implant healing reactions have been investigated in the goose to evaluate its suitability as an animal model for joint replacement implant studies. After various implantation periods, geese with one coxofemoral replacement hemiarthroplasty were evaluated for their gait performance and then sacrificed. The implantation sites and femora with implants were subjected to histologic studies, and the interfacial shear strength between the bone and implant was measured. The results were compared with findings reported in the literature on dog and man. Direct bone apposition was found in two geese with a firmly fixed implant. A connective tissue capsule surrounded those seven implant stems that were found to sit loosely in the femoral canal. Whereas the histologic findings were comparable to findings in dog and man, the interfacial shear stress was somewhat lower in the goose. Because of the histopathologically comparable findings of interfacial healing, the goose appears to present a suitable model to study bone implant tissue reactions. Further studies are necessary to determine seasonal-, age-, and sex-related bone tissue differences in the goose.     

Effect of soil storage on propanil degradation

Sassafras sandy loam soil was subjected to various storage conditions after collection and 3′,4′-dichloropropionanilide (propanil) was used for testing the biodegradation potential of the stored soil. Cleavage of propanil was affected drastically after 5 days’ moist storage at 0, 10, 25 or –15° C and by 5 days’ air-drying. In 1 week approximately 90% of the propanil was degraded when fresh soil samples were used. However, 60–80% of residual propanil was found in soil which had been stored under various conditions from 5 to 30 days. Samples air-dried for 10 days were mildly affected as compared with the samples moist-stored at various temperatures, indicating that restricted gas exchange had a detrimental effect on biodegradation in moist-stored samples. These findings show that any biodegradation study should be conducted with fresh soil samples. Effet de la conservation du sol sur la degradation du propanil Un sol argilo sableux a été soumis apres prélèvement à diverses conditions de conservation et du 3,4-dichloropro-pionanilide (propanil) a été utilisé pour estimer le potentiel de biodégradation du sol ainsi conservé. La dégradation du propanil aété profondément affectée aprés 5 jours de conservation à l'humidité, à 0, 10, 25 ou –15° C et par 5 jours de séchage à l'air. En une semaine, 90 % environ du propanil aété dégrade dans le cas oil des échantillons frais de sol ontété utilises. Toutefois, 60 a 80 % de propanil résiduel aété retrouvé dans un sol conservé pendant 5 à 30 jours dans des conditions variées. Les eéchantillons séchés k l'air pendant 10 jours ontété moyennement affectés en compar-aison avec les échantillons conserves ä l'humiditéä des températures variées; ceci indique que la restriction des échanges gazeux a un effet défavorable sur la biodégradation dans les échantillons conserves à rhumidité. Ces résultats montrent que toute étude de biodégradation devrait être conduite avec des échantillons de sol frais. Wirkung der Lagerung von Boden auf den Abbau von Propanil Boden (Sassafras-sandiger-Lehm) wurde nach der Probennahme unter verschiedenen Bedingungen gelagert und, seine biologische Abbaufahigkeit mit 3′,4′-Dichlorpro-pionanilid (Propanil) untersucht. Der Abbau von Propanil wurde nach fünftägiger Lagerung des Bodens in feuchtem Zustand bei 0, 10, 25 oder – 25°C und fünftägiger Lufttrocknung sehr stark beeinflusst. Wenn frische Bodenproben verwendet wurden, waren nach einer Woche etwa 90% des Herbizids abgebaut. Dagegen waren noch 60–80% des Propanils vorhanden, wenn der Boden unter verschiedenen Bedingungen 5–30 Tage gelagert worden war. Proben die 10 Tage lang luftgetrocknet wurden, waren, verglichen mit den bei verschiedenen Temperaturen feucht gelagerten Bodenproben, nur wenig beeinflusst. Das weist darauf hin, da ein verringerter Gasaustausch sich schädlich auf die im feuchten Zustand gelagerten Proben auswirkte. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass jede Untersuchung des biologischen Abbaus von Herbiziden im Boden mit frischen Bodenproben durchgefuhrt werden sollte.     

Experimental reproduction of porcine respiratory disease complex in pigs inoculated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and followed by inoculation with porcine circovirus type 2

The aim of this study was to reproduce severe pneumonic lesions, similar to those during naturally-occurring porcine respiratory disease complex, in pigs dually inoculated with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae at 6 weeks of age, followed by inoculation with porcine circovirus type 2 at two weeks after. Time and sequence of infection with three pathogens mirror Asian field conditions. Microscopically, interstitial pneumonia and peribronchiolar lymphoid hyperplasia are considered the most characteristic lung lesions in infected pigs. The results of the present study demonstrate that inoculation of pigs with these three pathogens can lead to severe interstitial pneumonia with peribronchial or peribronchiolar lymphoid hyperplasia and fibrosis.     

The Effects of Universities on Local Retail,Service, and F.I.R.E. Employment: Some Cross-Sectional Evidence

This article examines the question of whether the traditional view of a complementary relationship between universities and local businesses is still appropriate or whether auxiliary activities and other competitive elements have changed this relationship. Cross-sectional data on over 3100 counties and 3300 institutions are used to analyze the effects of university enrollment and auxiliary activities on county-level employment in the retail, financial, and service sectors. Findings indicate that the negative effects of university auxiliary activities are confined to relatively small counties, are small in magnitude, and are more than offset by the positive effects of spending by universities and students. The overall impact is positive, is more pronounced in more populous counties, and has increased over time.     

Regional Development Within National Industrial Policies: An Analysis of the British Coal Industry

Three variations in regional policy distinguish the conduct of the nationalized British coal industry—social industry, state industry, and state commerce. Each variation takes a distinct approach to natural and human resource development in chronically depressed regions such as the peripheral coal fields in Britain or the Appalachian coal fields in the United States. Central to the variation are recognition of the factor of decline that E. F. Schumacher analyzed in the 1950s and the mitigation of social welfare consequences of shifts in production and investment. Schumacher's analysis raised policy issues of social welfare, resource development, and energy. These emerged again in the British coalminers'strike of 1984–85. Broad issues like these are likely to surface in regions where employment is concentrated in a declining industry facing new and severe competition.     

Mixed Signals in the Job Training Partnership Act

The Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 was developed to train the disadvantaged for work or better jobs. The Act that passed targeted the economically disadvantaged but stressed efficiency in the operation of the program. Program performance standards were established, and local Private Industry Councils (PICs) were developed to operate the program and to involve local business in JTPA training. Critics argued that this structure resulted in “creaming” of participants to the exclusion of the most disadvantaged workers. We test the “creaming” hypothesis using data on JTPA participants in Tennessee in 1987 and a sample of disadvantaged workers in Tennessee extracted from the Current Population Surveys. We find that racial and welfare targets are met but that the most able among those groups are chosen for help. We also find some evidence of “channeling.” The most disadvantaged groups are less likely to receive the most successful type of training — on-the-job training. Finally, we present alternative strategies to encourage PICs to do less “creaming,” and we make predictions about their likely success.     

Histological observations of seasonal reproductive and lunar-related spawning cycles in the female honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra in Okinawan waters

Seasonal reproductive and lunar-related spawning cycles of the female honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra inhabiting Okinawan waters were examined by histological observation of ovaries. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) increased beginning in May and peaked in June. Histological observations revealed that many oocytes laden with yolk were present in the ovaries from May to August. From September to October, ovaries were occupied by immature oocytes. These results suggest that the reproductive season of E.   merra lasts for 4 months from May through August in Okinawan waters. When the fish were collected according to the lunar cycle, GSI increased with the approach of the full moon. Oocytes at various development stages were observed from the first quarter to the full moon. Fresh ovulatory follicles were present in the ovaries around the last quarter moon. These results suggest that E.   merra has a lunar spawning cycle and spawns between the full moon and the last quarter moon. Ovarian features of the fish collected around the last quarter moon were different among individuals; some fish had many oocytes at the tertiary yolk stage in the ovaries, while the ovaries of the others were occupied by the oocytes at the peri-nucleolus and the oil droplet stages. This observation suggests that a minor release of eggs occurs in this species before or after a major spawning lunar day. Oocytes at the migratory nucleus and the maturation stages were not observed in any ovarian samples. This may mean that maturation of oocytes is related to the spawning behavior of this species and makes rapid progress in the process of aggregation at the spawning sites.     

Taste-active components in a Vietnamese fish sauce

Taste-active components were determined for a typical first-grade Vietnamese fish sauce Nuoc mam , of which total content of extractive compounds reached as high as 20 g/ 100 mL. A complete synthetic extract prepared from 35 compounds according to the analytical data reproduced almost satisfactorily the taste of the original fish sauce. From the synthetic extract, 11 compounds were identified to be the taste-active components by a series of omission and addition tests. The components consisted of glutamic and aspartic acids, threonine, alanine, valine, histidine, proline, tyrosine, cystine, methionine, and pyroglutamic acid. The most effective compound for recreating the characteristic flavor of fish sauce was glutamic acid, followed by pyroglutamic acid and alanine. Many of these components contribute to umami, sweetness, and overall taste of fish sauce. Even though the simplified 11-component extract reproduced the taste of fish sauce, the taste strength was weaker than that of the complete synthetic extract or fish sauce itself.