Influence of Season on Immunoglobulin Absorption and Status in Young Calves

A high rate of calf mortality can represent a major economic loss to the dairy farmer. Despite increased knowledge in calf rearing, mortality rates of 10 to as high as 25% are not uncommon. The loss of heifer calves alone cost dairymen an estimated $81 million in 1975. This figure does not include the additional costs of extra labor, medication and veterinary expenses, and the loss of genetic potential. The most critical period for calf survival is the first 2 to 3 wk of life. During this time, the calf depends upon colostral immunoglobulins absorbed during the first 24 h of life for protection against pathogenic microorganisms. Antigenic stimulation after birth activates the calf\u27s own immune system, but significant endogenous synthesis of immunoglobulin does not occur until about the fourth week of life. Studies on the newborn calf have shown that age at first feeding, amount of colostral immunoglobulin consumed, and mothering by the dam, all exert a strong influence on the amount of immunoglobulin absorbed. Attainment of an adequate level of circulating maternal immunoglobulins is of utmost importance for survival of the calf, since calf losses to infectious disease are highly correlated with low levels of serum immunoglobulins. Season of the year has been related to the immunoglobulin status of young calves. A survey of serum immunoglobulin levels in 1-wk-old market calves in Scotland showed a marked seasonal variation in mean serum immunoglobulin concentration, with high mean values during summer months (21). Lowest mean values occurred during winter months and coincided with the time of highest calf mortality. However, the observed seasonal variation may have been managemental in origin since the summer calves in this survey were born on pasture and nursed, while most winter calves were removed from their darn and bucket fed. A later study in Scotland (64), conducted from January thru July under uniform management conditions, showed no seasonal variation in- immunoglobulin status of neonatal calves. The influence of high temperature on immunoglobulin absorption was recently investigated (72) in Arizona. Newborn calves were housed under shade, cooled shade, or in hutches. Hutch-housed calves were exposed to higher ambient temperature and had lower serum immunoglobulin concentrations and a higher mortality rate. This study examined the influence of season of the year (winter vs. summer) and the related factors of temperature and humidity on colostrum immunoglobulin absorption and immunoglobulin status of dairy calves raised in outdoor hutches in South Dakota. Other relationships studied included (1) influence of lactation number and season of the year on immunoglobulin concentration in colostrum, and (2) influence of season on feed intake and weight gain of calves

Creating Democratic Classroom Communities with Morning Meeting Humanizing Social Practices. A Response to The Morning Meeting: Fostering a Participatory Democracy Begins with Youth in Public Education

In our response to Tilhou’s article published last issue, “The Morning Meeting: Fostering a Participatory Democracy Begins with Youth in Public Education,” we share and discuss ethnographic data from Morning Meetings in two U.S. elementary classrooms. We detail ways the democratic potential of Morning Meetings is being cultivated in these classroom communities where one teacher has extended the Responsive Classroom model while the other has developed his own structures. We show how classroom democratic norms are established through humanizing community-building social practices as we argue that Morning Meetings must be understood across time and activities that may have an academic function

Meaningful learning in management: recombining strands of knowledge DNA through engaged dialog and generative conflict

This paper explores how meaningful learning objectives in management classes are pursued when the focus is on classroom activities and strategies that foster transformative thought, adaptive growth, and commitment from both instructors and students to achieve meaningful learning. To this end, we offer a metaphor and a context for this approach to learning. The DNA of learning metaphor details effective pedagogical practices and encourages instructors to take a more challenging and possibly transformative approach to their course design and classroom experiences

Mothers, martyrs, wives, and whores : toward a new feminist theory of Sean O’Casey’s gender constructs

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Kansas, Theatre and Film, 1993. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-86)This thesis uses feminist criticism as a means of shedding new light on the Irish political, social, and cultural issues in Sean O'Casey's plays. While traditional critical analysis has often viewed the O'Casey female construct as a symbol of virtue and tenacity, the present study defines these characters more in terms of their patriarchal objectification

Introduction to crop scouting

Integrated Pest ManagementPlant Protection ProgramsCollege of Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesPublished by University of Missouri ExtensionFred Fishel, Integrated Pest Management, Department of Agronomy, University of Missouri; Wayne Bailey, Department of Entomology, University of Missouri; Michael Boyd, Delta Research Center Department of Entomology, University of Missouri; Bill Johnson, Department of Agronomy, University of Missouri; Maureen O’Day, Integrated Pest Management, University of Missouri; Laura Sweets, Commercial Agriculture Crops Focus Team, Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology, University of Missouri; Bill Wiebold, Department of Agronomy, University of Missouri"Reviewed November 2018" -- website"Crop scouting is an essential part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Integrated pest management uses field-specific information and improved decision- making to protect crop yield and quality while minimizing the risks associated with pesticide use. Through a regular and systematic field-sampling program, scouting provides field-specific information on pest pressure and crop injury. This information is essential to the appropriate selection and application of pest management procedures. Although scouting is most often thought of as being a method by which recommendations for in season rescue treatments are made, scouting can also be used to determine whether replanting is appropriate and to make pest management recommendations for the next or succeeding growing seasons (Figure 1)." -- page

Association of metabolic syndrome and change in Unified Parkinson\u27s Disease Rating Scale scores.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between metabolic syndrome and the Unified Parkinson\u27s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores and, secondarily, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of data from 1,022 of 1,741 participants of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Exploratory Clinical Trials in Parkinson Disease Long-Term Study 1, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of creatine. Participants were categorized as having or not having metabolic syndrome on the basis of modified criteria from the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Those who had the same metabolic syndrome status at consecutive annual visits were included. The change in UPDRS and SDMT scores from randomization to 3 years was compared in participants with and without metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: Participants with metabolic syndrome (n = 396) compared to those without (n = 626) were older (mean [SD] 63.9 [8.1] vs 59.9 [9.4] years; p \u3c 0.0001), were more likely to be male (75.3% vs 57.0%; p \u3c 0.0001), and had a higher mean uric acid level (men 5.7 [1.3] vs 5.3 [1.1] mg/dL, women 4.9 [1.3] vs 3.9 [0.9] mg/dL, p \u3c 0.0001). Participants with metabolic syndrome experienced an additional 0.6- (0.2) unit annual increase in total UPDRS (p = 0.02) and 0.5- (0.2) unit increase in motor UPDRS (p = 0.01) scores compared with participants without metabolic syndrome. There was no difference in the change in SDMT scores. CONCLUSIONS: Persons with Parkinson disease meeting modified criteria for metabolic syndrome experienced a greater increase in total UPDRS scores over time, mainly as a result of increases in motor scores, compared to those who did not. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00449865

Aging in fragile X syndrome

Many studies have focused on the behavior and cognitive problems in young patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS), but there are no studies about the problems in aging for those with FXS. The discovery of the fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a neurodegenerative disorder related to elevated FMR1-mRNA, in elderly men and some women with the premutation, intensified the need for aging studies in FXS. Approximately 40% of males with FXS have repeat size mosaicism and as a result, some of these individuals also have elevated levels of FMR1-mRNA which theoretically puts them at risk for FXTAS. Here, we have surveyed all of the aging patients with FXS that we have followed over the years to clarify the medical complications of aging seen in those with FXS. Data was collected from 62 individuals with the FXS full mutation (44 males; 18 females) who were at least 40 years old at their most recent clinical examination. We found that the five most frequent medical problems in these patients were neurological problems (38.7%), gastrointestinal problems (30.6%), obesity (28.8%), hypertension (24.2%) and heart problems (24.2%). Movement disorders were significantly different between males and females (38.6% vs.10.2%, p = 0.029). We did not find any differences in medical problems between those with a full mutation and those with mosaicism. Identification of medical problems associated with aging in FXS is important to establish appropriate recommendations for medical screening and treatment considerations

An exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial of knowledge translation strategies to support evidence-informed decision-making in local governments (The KT4LG study)

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity is the most prevalent and, arguably, politically complex child health problem internationally. Governments, communities and industry have important roles to play, and are increasingly expected to deliver an evidence-informed system-wide prevention program. However, efforts are impeded by a lack of organisational access to and use of research evidence. This study aims to identify feasible, acceptable and ideally, effective knowledge translation (KT) strategies to increase evidence-informed decision making in local governments, within the context of childhood obesity prevention as a national policy priority.Methods/Design: This paper describes the methods for KT4LG, a cluster randomised controlled trial which is exploratory in nature, given the limited evidence base and methodological advances. KT4LG aims to examine a program of KT strategies to increase the use of research evidence in informing public health decisions in local governments. KT4LG will also assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The intervention program comprises a facilitated program of evidence awareness, access to tailored research evidence, critical appraisal skills development, networking and evidence summaries and will be compared to provision of evidence summaries alone in the control program. 28 local governments were randomised to intervention or control, using computer generated numbers, stratified by budget tertile (high, medium or low). Questionnaires will be used to measure impact, costs, and outcomes, and key informant interviews will be used to examine processes, feasibility, and experiences. Policy tracer studies will be included to examine impact of intervention on policies within relevant government policy documents.Discussion: Knowledge translation intervention studies with a focus on public health and prevention are very few in number. Thus, this study will provide essential data on the experience of program implementation and evaluation of a system-integrated intervention program employed within the local government public health context. Standardised programs of system, organisational and individual KT strategies have not been described or rigorously evaluated. As such, the findings will make a significant contribution to understanding whether a facilitated program of KT strategies hold promise for facilitating evidence-informed public health decision making within complex multisectoral government organisations.<br /