Ammoniation of wheat straw and native grass hay during baling of large round bales

Wheat straw and native grass hay were treated with anhydrous ammonia during baling with a large round baler. In Experiment 1, ammonia (3.2 and 7.1% w/w of straw DM) was applied by use of a Cold-flow Converter to wheat straw that either had not been sprayed or had been sprayed with one of two rates of water as it passed over the pick-up frame of the baler. Straw water concentrations immediately after baling were 13.8 and 23.8%, respectively, for the low and high rates of water application. Straw water concentrations were about 12 percentage units lower than anticipated, and indicate that water penetration of the hard cuticular surface of the straw was low. Treatment with 3.2% ammonia of straw not sprayed with water increased the crude protein content from 3.2 to 5.7% immediately after baling. However, none of the ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃-N) was retained 45 days after baling, and dry matter digestibility in vitro (IVDMD) of the straw was not increased. Straw that was treated with low levels of both ammonia and water contained 6.0% crude protein after storage, and IVDMD increased 27% (i.e., 36.7 vs. 28.9%; P < 0.001). Retention of NH₃-N after storage ranged from ?1.4 (low level of ammonia and no added water) to 14.8% (low level of both ammonia and water) and was increased (P < 0.001) by added water at the low level of ammonia application.The effects of crimping wheat straw during baling and addition of a surfactant (0.2% v/v) to aqua-ammonia on crude protein content, retention of NH₃-N and the IVDMD of straw were studied in Experiment 2. Water content of ammoniated straw in Experiment 2 (ca.14%) was similar to that of straw sprayed with the low level of water in Experiment 1. Crimping did not visibly disrupt the surface of the straw, nor affect crude protein content or IVDMD. Addition of surfactant to the aqua-ammonia increased (P < 0.01) the crude protein content after storage of non-crimped and crimped straw, respectively, by 0.3 and 1.5 percentage units (P < 0.05 for crimping by surfactant interaction). Straw IVDMD was not increased by either crimping or addition of surfactant to the aqua-ammonia. Retention of NH₃-N after storage, which ranged from 26 to 49%, was greater than that of Experiment 1, and was attributed to the lower level of ammonia application (1.7% of straw DM). Native grass hay readily adsorbed aqua-ammonia. Water content of the hay was increased from 12.2 to 28.7%, and the crude protein content was increased from 4.4 to 13.9% by ammoniation. The studies indicate that while ammoniation of crop residues during the baling operation is a possible means of treatment, low retention of NH₃-N remains a problem. Disruption of the hard cuticular surface of residues such as wheat straw may improve penetration of aqua-ammonia and therefore the effectiveness of treatment.     

Natural and Experimental Helicobacter mustelae Reinfection Following Successful Antimicrobial Eradication in Ferrets

Background. Recrudescence or reinfection may occur after eradication of Helicobacter pylori in humans.
Materials and Methods. We used the ferret Helicobacter mustelae model to investigate the effect of prior infection and eradication on reinfection by experimental and natural routes. Two groups of ferrets with naturally acquired H. mustelae infection were treated with an eradication protocol using amoxicillin, metronidazole, and bismuth subsalicylate. The ferrets were monitored for recrudescence by repeated cultures of endoscopic gastric mucosal biopsies. The ferrets were challenged at 17 months (group I) and 6 months (group II) after eradication with a strain of H. mustelae having a distinctive restriction endonuclease analysis pattern. The eradication protocol was repeated to eliminate the infection produced by experimental challenge. The ferrets were then cohoused intermittently with naturally infected ferrets.
Results. The original H. mustelae infection was successfully eliminated by the eradication protocol. No recrudescence was observed in group I for 12 months nor for 3 months in group II after eradication. All ferrets became persistently reinfected with the challenge strain. The infection from the challenge strain was eradicated successfully. No ferrets in group I and all ferrets in group II became infected through cohousing.
Conclusions. These results suggest that though prior infection with H. mustelae may confer some protection against reinfection, such protection is not universal in all circumstances; that susceptibility to reinfection by contact with infected animals varies between individuals; and that age may be a factor in this individual variability. These results are applicable to studies of reinfection after eradication of H. pylori in humans.     

Culture as Consensus: A Theory of Culture and Informant Accuracy

This paper presents and tests a formal mathematical model for the analysis of informant responses to systematic interview questions. We assume a situation in which the ethnographer does not know how much each informant knows about the cultural domain under consideration nor the answers to the questions. The model simultaneously provides an estimate of the cultural competence or knowledge of each informant and an estimate of the correct answer to each question asked of the informant. The model currently handles true-false, multiple-choice, andfill-in-the-blank type question formats. In familiar cultural domains the model produces good results from as few as four informants. The paper includes a table showing the number of informants needed to provide stated levels of confidence given the mean level of knowledge among the informants. Implications are discussed.     

Autonomic neuropathy in Fabry disease: a prospective study using the Autonomic Symptom Profile and cardiovascular autonomic function tests

Background  

Fabry patients have symptoms and signs compatible with autonomic dysfunction. These symptoms and signs are considered to be due to impairment of the peripheral nervous system, but findings indicative of autonomic neuropathy in other diseases, such as orthostatic intolerance and male sexual dysfunction, are infrequently reported in Fabry disease. The aim of our study was to investigate autonomic symptoms and cardiovascular autonomic function in a large cohort of male and female Fabry patients.