The Occurrence and Possible Toxicity of Molds in Corn Silage

Frequent cases of suspected forage poisoning in this state which apparently were traced to moldy silage, led to this study. The silage in a silo below the surface layer is almost always free from mold, at least when properly packed and containing a sufficient amount of moisture. Occasionally, however, clumps of mold are found far below the surface and in the interior of the mass where the amount of oxygen is almost negligible. In order.to secure a considerable number of samples of such moldy silage, notices were sent out to the newspapers of the state through the press bulletin, Better Iowa

Spontaneous Combustion as a Cause of Fires

The reports of the state fire marshal of Iowa for the years 1912- 1916 show that spontaneous combustion, or the overheating of a substance from causes within itself, is a very prominent cause of fires in the state. In the five years of the reports, spontaneous combustion has regularly ranked 5th or 6th among the various known causes of fires and the total number of fires traced to It annually hr.cs ranged from 83 to 153. In the amount of loss, it has ranked from 2nd to 6th among the known causes, Its total running as high as $468,599 in a single year

The relative influence of microorganisms and plant enzyms on corn silage fermentation

Ever since the fermentation of silage has been studied and discussed the question of the agent causing the fermentation has been ill controversy. Some investigators have made the statement, based on evidence more or less incomplete, that microorganisms are solely responsible for the changes undergone by the ensiled forage. Other workers, who have based their conclusions on equally incomplete data, have held that in silage produced under proper conditions bacteria and yeasts do not figure to any appreciable extent, but that the plant cell itself is the cause of the chemical changes which take place in its constituents. Still other writers have sometimes taken sides on the subject without presenting any new data bearing on the problem

Vinegar fermentation and home production of cider vinegar

Vinegar is an important by-product on many Iowa farms, utilizing a considerable part of the apple crop which would otherwise be wasted by spoiling, often on account of difficulty in marketing. The apple crop of Iowa amounts to between three and four million dollars per year and a more efficient home production of vinegar from culls and windfalls would result in a large saving. Many inquiries are received by the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station regarding difficulties or failure in vinegar making. In many cases the vinegar never reaches the legal standard of strength for marketable vinegar, which is 4 percent of acetic acid. This is gene rally due to contamination of the fermenting vinegar with bacteria or other micro-organisms which cause what are called foreign” or unfavorable fermentations, thus changing the sugars to something else than the acetic acid which is desired. These contaminating bacteria also sometimes impart an unfavorable or disagreeable flavor to the vinegar, as well as preventing the development of the proper amount of acidity, which is necessary for proper preservation as well as to meet the legal standard if the vinegar is to be offered for sale. In a few cases the low acidity produced is due to the use of apples too low in sugar content, or to dilution of the cider with water. The cause and prevention of these difficulties is to be discussed in this bulletin

Vitamines on the Farm: Their Practical Relation to Livestock Feeding

When a practical feeder, trained In the school of experience, asks, What are vitamines, anyway? and What do these rat-feeding experiments have to do with feeding pigs? he deserves a fair answer. While the study of vitamines In the experiment stations has uncovered facts of much value to the livestock man, It Is possible for those who are over-enthusiastic to emphasize too highly In some cases the Importance of vitamines to animals red under average conditions. It Is essential to discover where emphasis should be laid upon vitamines under practical feeding conditions

The acid-base balance in animal nutrition, I. The effect of certain organic and mineral acids on the growth, well-being and reproduction of swine, II. Metabolism studies on the effect of certain organic and mineral acids on swine

The question of the balance between acid and base-forming mineral elements in foodstuffs has figured more or less prominently in discussions of rations for both man and animals during the last decade. Based principally on the work of Forbes, Sherman and Gettler , and Castle, there has developed a considerable tendency to emphasize the necessity for a balance between potential acid and base in the mineral constituents of rations. In this preliminary discussion human dietary standards will figure, as well as rations for animals, but in reporting our conclusions we shall avoid the too common error of applying data obtained with one species to other species

The acid-base balance in animal nutrition, III. Effect of addition of alkalies to the ration on growth and well-being of swine

Previous results obtained from a study of the ability of swine to grow and reproduce on a high acid ration are discussed in relation to the work of others. The significance of a similar test of the ability of swine to ingest and excrete large quantities of alkali during the growing period is stated, and the results are reported of an experiment in which sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate were fed these materials were added to a basal ration of corn, tankage, and wheat middlings. The acid-fed lot remained in very thrifty condition and made economical gains until the daily intake was increased well above 500 cc. normal solution. Judging by their performance and appetite during Periods 5 and 7 the lot receiving sodium hydroxide was able to excrete up to about 750 cc. normal solution per animal per day taken with the feed without apparent ill effect, and the carbonate and sulfate were well tolerated up to a level of 1000 cc. per animal per day. There were no marked effects on the average rate of gain of any of the lots except when over 500 cc. were fed. There were no effects on the skeleton or other tissues of the acid-fed hog, which was slaughtered at the close of the experiment, which could with certainty be ascribed to the ration fed

Ensiling versus drying soft ear corn

In a soft corn year the most profitable use of the crop offers a serious problem, but there is a way out of it where-ever the corn can be fed to livestock. It may be fed immediately, as feeders know, for no harmful results need be feared in feeding it intelligently if it has not been allowed to spoil. But it may also be ensiled for later feeding, or dried by natural or artificial heat and stored in cribs. In either case the feed resulting will give the farmer the best possible returns for his damaged crop, altho the ensiled corn will cost less per 100 pounds as feed than the dried corn. These facts are shown by the experiments reported in this bulletin. In years prior to these experiments, the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station successfully ensiled soft corn ears, securing apparently good silage

Some Observations on the Effect of Iodine Administration upon Sheep

On account of the occasional incidence of goitre and death of lambs produced on the experiment station farm, an experiment on the administration of potassium iodide to the pregnant ewes was carried on in 1917-18. Three lots of four on the same ration were fed from 2 to 15 grains potassium iodide daily. Results on the prevention of goitre in the young were not conclusive, but the passage of the iodine into the milk of the ewes was demonstrated, and pronounced unfavorable results from too large a dose of iodine were obtained, especially in the lots receiving the larger allowances. These unfavorable effects were not particularly in the vigor of the new-born and the lack of resistance to disease

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707