Effect of ractopamine hydrochloride on environmental gas emissions, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in feedlot steers.

With a growing global population and increased environmental concerns around animal agriculture, it is essential to humanely maximize animal performance and reduce environmental emissions. This study aims to determine the efficacy of feeding ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC), an orally active, β 1-adrenergic agonist (β1AA), to feedlot steers in the last 42 d of finishing to reduce ammonia (NH3) emissions and improve animal performance. A randomized complete block design was used to allocate 112 Angus and crossbred Angus steers (initial body weight [BW] = 566.

Light-sheet microscopy with length-adaptive Bessel beams.

In light-sheet microscopy, a confined layer in the focal plane of the detection objective is illuminated from the side. The illumination light-sheet usually has a constant beam length independent of the shape of the biological object. Since the thickness and the length of the illumination light-sheet are coupled, a tradeoff between resolution, contrast and field of view has to be accepted.

Miniature scanning light-sheet illumination implemented in a conventional microscope.

Living cells are highly dynamic systems responding to a large variety of biochemical and mechanical stimuli over minutes, which are well controlled by e.g. optical tweezers.

Light-sheet microscopy in a glass capillary: feedback holographic control for illumination beam correction.

Light-sheet microscopy enables fast 3D, high-contrast imaging in biology and colloidal sciences. Recently, the controlled transport of living embryos or small colloids through stable glass capillaries is manifold interesting. Although they hardly impair the sample, glass capillaries spoil the image by generating significant aberrations of the illumination and detection light.

Separation of ballistic and diffusive fluorescence photons in confocal Light-Sheet Microscopy of Arabidopsis roots.

Image quality in light-sheet fluorescence microscopy is strongly affected by the shape of the illuminating laser beam inside embryos, plants or tissue. While the phase of Gaussian or Bessel beams propagating through thousands of cells can be partly controlled holographically, the propagation of fluorescence light to the detector is difficult to control. With each scatter process a fluorescence photon loses information necessary for the image generation.

Efficacy of intranasal vaccination with a multivalent vaccine containing temperature-sensitive modified-live bovine herpesvirus type 1 for protection of seronegative and seropositive calves against respiratory disease.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate efficacy and duration of immunity of the bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) fraction of a trivalent vaccine also containing parainfluenza virus-3 and bovine respiratory syncytial virus fractions administered intranasally (IN) for protection of calves against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). DESIGN Controlled challenge study. ANIMALS 120 dairy calves (3 to 8 days old) seronegative for antibody against BHV-1 (experiments 1 and 2) or seropositive for maternally derived antibody against BHV-1 (experiment 3).

Varifocal MOEMS fiber scanner for confocal endomicroscopy.

Based on an advanced silicon optical bench technology with integrated MOEMS (Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical-System) components, a piezo-driven fiber scanner for confocal microscopy has been developed. This highly-miniaturized technology allows integration into an endoscope with a total outer probe diameter of 2.5 mm.

Protection of horses from West Nile virus Lineage 2 challenge following immunization with a whole, inactivated WNV lineage 1 vaccine.

Over the last years West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 has spread from the African to the European continent. This study was conducted to demonstrate efficacy of an inactivated, lineage 1-based, WNV vaccine (Equip WNV) against intrathecal challenge of horses with a recent isolate of lineage 2 WNV. Twenty horses, sero-negative for WNV, were enrolled and were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups: an unvaccinated control group (T01, n=10) and a group administered with Equip WNV (T02, n=10).

Efficacy of a multivalent modified-live virus vaccine containing a Mannheimia haemolytica toxoid in calves challenge exposed with Bibersteinia trehalosi.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of a multivalent modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine containing a Mannheimia haemolytica toxoid to reduce pneumonia and mortality rate when administered to calves challenge exposed with virulent Bibersteinia trehalosi. Animals-74 Holstein calves.

Procedures: Calves were assigned to 2 treatment groups.

On the efficacy and safety of vaccination with live tachyzoites of Neospora caninum for prevention of neospora-associated fetal loss in cattle.

Infection of cattle with Neospora caninum may result in abortion or the birth of a congenitally infected calf. Vaccination with live N. caninum protects against experimental infection of cattle and mice, and the naturally attenuated Nc-Nowra strain of N.

Efficacy of a combination viral vaccine for protection of cattle against experimental infection with field isolates of bovine herpesvirus-1.

Objective: To determine whether a combination viral vaccine containing a modified-live bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) would protect calves from infection with virulent field strains of BHV-1 for weeks or months after vaccination.

Design: Randomized controlled trial, performed in 2 replicates.

Animals: 63 weaned 4- to 6-month-old crossbred beef calves seronegative for antibody against BHV-1.

Effect of subcutaneous administration of a killed Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis vaccine on colonization of tissues following oral exposure to the organism in calves.

OBJECTIVE-To evaluate the effect of vaccination of calves with a killed Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) vaccine on colonization of tissues following oral MAP exposure. ANIMALS-12 healthy Holstein calves. PROCEDURES-At 14 days after birth, calves received the MAP vaccine (1.

Ambiguous results of an attempt to withdraw barbiturates in epilepsy patients with intellectual disability.

Phenobarbital and primidone frequently have adverse effects on mental functions. Therefore, an attempt was made to taper barbiturates in 85 patients out of a resident population with epilepsy and intellectual disability who were selected according to clinical criteria. The objectives were to reduce the use of barbiturates, to improve the patients' cognitive and psychological state, and to reduce polypharmacy while avoiding seizure exacerbation.

Efficacy and tolerability of pregabalin in patients with difficult-to-treat epilepsy and intellectual disability.

In a retrospective evaluation of 32 inpatients with therapy-resistant epilepsy and intellectual disability, the efficacy of pregabalin (PGB) treatment was assessed after 6 and 12 months. The combined efficacy measure included the percentage reduction in seizure frequency, as well as the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. Tolerability was assessed using a list of the 10 adverse effects most frequently observed in the regulatory studies and also by the CGI scale.

Humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses to bivalent killed bovine viral diarrhea virus vaccine in beef cattle.

The objective of this research project was to evaluate the antibody and cell-mediated immune responses to a multivalent vaccine containing killed bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) types 1 and 2. Twenty castrated male crossbred beef cattle (350-420kg body weight) seronegative to BVDV were randomly divided into two groups of 10 each. Group 1 served as negative mock-vaccinated control.

Long-term course of epilepsy in a large cohort of intellectually disabled patients.

Unlabelled: This study was designed to describe the course of epilepsy (in terms of seizure frequency) and to assess the variables (antiepileptic therapy regimens and others) correlated to improvement. Seizure frequency (categories: seizure free, more than one seizure/year, monthly seizures, weekly seizures and daily seizures) and antiepileptic medication were retrospectively compared between 1992 and 2002 in a large cohort of 550 inpatients with chronic epilepsy and different degrees of intellectual disability or multiple handicaps.

Results: Seizure frequency decreased significantly (p<0.

Fetal protection following exposure to calves persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus type 2 sixteen months after primary vaccination of the dams.

This study demonstrated that the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV; types 1 and 2) fractions of a multivalent vaccine protected pregnant heifers and their fetuses at 149 to 217 days of gestation against exposure to calves persistently infected with BVDV type 2a. Eighty percent (eight of 10) of the control heifers were viremic at least 1 day following challenge, whereas all (20 of 20) BVDV-vaccinated heifers were virus isolation-negative on all postchallenge assessment days. Ninety percent (nine of 10) of the calves born to control heifers but only 5% (one of 20) of calves born to BVDV-vaccinated heifers seroconverted to BVDV type 2 before ingesting colostrum.

Efficacy of tulathromycin in the treatment of respiratory disease in pigs caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

The efficacy of a single dose of tulathromycin, a novel triamilide antimicrobial of the macrolide class, given at 2.5 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg bodyweight, or three daily doses of ceftiofur, given at 3 mg/kg bodyweight, was evaluated in pigs with respiratory disease induced experimentally with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. On day 0, 100 pigs with clinical signs of respiratory disease were randomly assigned to groups of 25 pigs, which were treated with either saline, one of the doses of tulathromycin, or ceftiofur.

Seizure freedom with different therapeutic regimens in intellectually disabled epileptic patients.

Background: Epilepsy is a frequent condition in persons with intellectual disability and is more often difficult to treat than in the average population. Seizure freedom is the primary therapeutic goal which has important implications for the patient's quality of life. The aim of this study was to find out which antiepileptic therapy regimens (monotherapy or combination therapy) are effective in achieving this goal in intellectually disabled epilepsy patients.

Pharmacokinetics and lung tissue concentrations of tulathromycin, a new triamilide antibiotic, in cattle.

The pharmacokinetics of the new triamilide antibiotic tulathromycin was investigated in two cattle studies. Following a single subcutaneous injection, the drug was rapidly absorbed and bioavailability was excellent. High and persistent levels of the drug in lung tissue were observed as well.

Efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam in patients with therapy-resistant epilepsy and learning disabilities.

Introduction: The purpose was to evaluate the effects of levetiracetam (LEV) in routine therapy in learning disabled patients with therapy-resistant epilepsy.

Methods: In an open observational add-on study design, 46 patients (residents of the Bethel Epilepsy Centre) with severe therapy-resistant epilepsy and different degrees of learning disabilities, who were treated with LEV between its introduction in Autumn 2000 and February 2002, were evaluated retrospectively. Information on monthly seizure frequencies, seizure severity and psychiatric status was extracted from the current patient case records.

Efficacy of topically administered doramectin against eyeworms, lungworms, and gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle.

Objective: To evaluate efficacy of topically administered doramectin against eyeworms, lungworms, and gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle.

Animals: 400 cattle (20 cattle in each of 20 trials).

Procedure: Trials were conducted in North America; natural and experimentally induced infections were used.

Efficacy of a pour-on formulation of doramectin against lice, mites, and grubs of cattle.

Objective: To determine effectiveness of a pour-on formulation of doramectin against Damalinia bovis, Haematopinus eurysternus, Linognathus vituli, Solenopotes capillatus, Chorioptes bovis, Sarcoptes scabiei, Hypoderma bovis, and Hypoderma lineatum.

Animals: Cattle of various ages with naturally acquired or artificial infestations with 1 or more species of lice, mites, or grubs.

Procedure: In 10 louse and 6 mite studies, cattle were treated with doramectin (500 microg/kg, topically) on day 0, and parasite counts were performed approximately weekly from days 0 to 35.

Merit of outliers for milk yield as indicators of accuracy of genetic evaluations of sires.

To determine whether the accuracy of the genetic evaluations of sires can be assessed by the presence of extreme daughter records, we studied herd-years with records from first-crop daughters of 217 Holstein bulls that were not sampled by artificial insemination (AI) organizations but that later entered AI. The presence of outliers for standardized milk yield was determined within herd-year. Outliers were defined as records exceeding 1.

Field efficacy of doramectin pour-on against naturally-acquired, gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle in North America.

Seven studies were conducted under field conditions in North America to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of doramectin in a pour-on formulation at a dosage of 500 microg/kg (1 ml/10 kg) for cattle harboring naturally-acquired infections of gastrointestinal nematodes, including species of Haemonchus, Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Bunostomum, Cooperia, and Oesophagostomum. In each study, 40 to 100 cattle were randomly allocated to a saline- or doramectin-treated group in a tiered manner based on Day -7 bodyweight. On Day 0, the cattle received either saline or doramectin topically, according to their treatment group.