Results of a production analysis survey of cow herds in Kansas

A survey of production levels and management practices of 205 cow herds representing over 26,000 cows in Kansas was conducted in 1991. These operations were located throughout Kansas except for the Northwest corner. Emphasis was placed on determining levels of production and reproductive parameters. Breeders emphasized calf crop. For example, the average calf crop was 91.6%, with 4.3% open females and 4.4% calf death loss. Cumulative calving percentages by 21-day calving periods were 32, 55, and 68%. Average weaning weights were 550 lb. for steers and 515 lb for heifers. Additionally, information was collected on breeding, nutrition, health, and general management practices

Relationship of age, gender, race, and body size to infrarenal aortic diameter

AbstractPurpose: To assess the effects of age, gender, race, and body size on infrarenal aortic diameter (IAD) and to determine expected values for IAD on the basis of these factors.Methods: Veterans aged 50 to 79 years at 15 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers were invited to undergo ultrasound measurement of IAD and complete a prescreening questionnaire. We report here on 69,905 subjects who had no previous history of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and no ultrasound evidence of AAA (defined as IAD ≥ 3.0 cm).Results: Although age, gender, black race, height, weight, body mass index, and body surface area were associated with IAD by multivariate linear regression (all p < 0.001), the effects were small. Female sex was associated with a 0.14 cm reduction in IAD and black race with a 0.01 cm increase in IAD. A 0.1 cm change in IAD was associated with large changes in the independent variables: 29 years in age, 19 cm or 40 cm in height, 35 kg in weight, 11 kg/m2 in body mass index, and 0.35 m2 in body surface area. Nearly all height-weight groups were within 0.1 cm of the gender means, and the unadjusted gender means differed by only 0.23 cm. The variation among medical centers had more influence on IAD than did the combination of age, gender, race, and body size.Conclusions: Age, gender, race, and body size have statistically significant but small effects on IAD. Use of these parameters to define AAA may not offer sufficient advantage over simpler definitions (such as an IAD ≥3.0 cm) to be warranted. (J Vasc Surg 1997;26:595-601.

Systemic and local antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of Staphylococcus epidermidis graft infection

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate the in vivo efficacy of local and systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of Staphylococcus (S.) epidermidis graft infection in a rat model and to evaluate the bacterial adherence to frequently used prosthetic graft materials. METHODS: Graft infections were established in the subcutaneous tissue of 120 male Wistar rats by implantation of Dacron/ePTFE grafts followed by topical inoculation with 2 × 10(7 )CFUs of clinical isolate of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis. Each of the graft series included a control group, one contaminated group that did not receive any antibiotic prophylaxis, two contaminated groups that received systemic prophylaxis with teicoplanin or levofloxacin and two contaminated groups that received teicoplanin-soaked or levofloxacin-soaked grafts. The grafts were removed 7 days after implantation and evaluated by quantitative culture. RESULTS: There was significant bacterial growth inhibition in the groups given systemic or local prophylaxis (P < 0.05). Methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis had greater affinity to Dacron graft when compared with ePTFE graft in the untreated contaminated groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that the usage of systemic or local prophylaxis and preference of ePTFE graft can be useful in reducing the risk of vascular graft infections caused by staphylococcal strains with high levels of resistance

Effect of ruminal versus postruminal administration of degradable protein on utilization of low-quality forage by beef steers

Twelve ruminally fistulated steers were used to evaluate the effects of supplying a highly degradable protein source (casein) both ruminally and postruminally on intake and digestibility of low-quality native hay. Both protein supplementations substantially increased voluntary intake, organic matter digestion, rate of passage, ruminal ammonia, and blood urea concentrations, but intakes were considerably greater when protein was given ruminally as opposed to postruminally

Supplementing day-old pigs with bovine colostrum or milk replacer

Seventy-five litters of newborn pigs from gilts were given either 20 cc of bovine colostrum or 20 cc of milk replacer through a stomach tube, and their weaning weight, scouring, and survival were compared with those of newborn pigs that were not treated. Results were broken down by birth weight groups: small-less than 2.3 lb.; medium-2.3 to 2.9 lbs.; large-3.0 lbs. and over. No significant differences in weaning weights were observed from treatment. Nontreated pigs tended to scour more than pigs treated with bovine colostrum but this difference was not statistically significant, partly because of the variation in the incidence of scouring in the farrowing groups. Overall, the most severe scouring occurred from days 9 to 14 after birth. Survival rates increased within each treatment with increasing birth weight. Survival rate by treatment was 91.05% for colostrum-treated, 89.11% for milk replacer treated and 88.32% for nontreated pigs; thus, the colostrum-treated pigs had 2.8% lower death loss than control pigs. This improvement in survival rate was similar for each weight group