Early administration of canine parvovirus monoclonal antibody prevented mortality after experimental challenge

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of canine parvovirus monoclonal antibody (CPMA) as a treatment against canine parvovirus (CPV-2)-induced mortality and to support USDA product licensure.

ANIMALS

28 purpose-bred Beagle dogs aged 8 weeks were randomized to the treated (n = 21) or control (7) group.

METHODS

Dogs were challenged intranasally with 104.2 TCID50 virulent CPV-2b on Day 0 and monitored for 14 days for fecal viral shed and clinical disease. All dogs began shedding CPV-2 on Day 4 and were treated intravenously with a single dose of either CPMA (0.2 mL/kg) or saline (equal volume). No additional treatments were given to either group. Feces and sera were collected for quantitative analysis of fecal viral shed (hemagglutination) and antibody responses (hemagglutination inhibition and dot-blot ELISA), respectively. Dogs were monitored twice daily for parameters including lymphopenia, fever, vomiting, abnormal feces, inappetence, and lethargy. Humane endpoints triggered euthanasia by a veterinarian masked to treatment groups. The primary outcome variable was prevention of mortality as compared to controls.

RESULTS

Mortality was prevented in all CPMA-treated dogs compared to 57% mortality in the control group (P = .0017, Fisher exact test). Canine parvovirus monoclonal antibody-treated dogs also experienced less severe and/or shorter durations of diarrhea, fever, vomiting, CPV-2 shedding in feces, and lymphopenia. Both groups showed similar immunoglobulin M responses as measured by semiquantitative analysis.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Intravenous administration of CPMA can effectively improve clinical outcome when administered early in CPV-2 disease. Canine parvovirus monoclonal antibody treatment after proven infection does not interfere with adaptive immunity.

Low-volume walking HIIT: Efficient strategy to improve physical capacity and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in older women with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

To compare the effect of a low-volume walking high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on risk of cardiovascular diseases and physical capacity in older women with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS

Thirty inactive older women with T2D were randomized into either HIIT (75 min/week) or MICT (150 min/week). Cardiovascular risk profile (lipid profile; waist circumference and fat mass; resting, post-exercise and ambulatory blood pressure [BP]; VO₂ peak; UKPDS score; ABC's) and physical capacity were assessed before and after a 12-week intervention.

RESULTS

While resting systolic and diastolic BP (all p ≤ 0.01) were reduced, ambulatory BP (p ≥ 0.49) and lipid profile (p ≥ 0.40) remained unchanged after the intervention. Although VO₂ peak increased to a similar extent in both groups (p = 0.015), the distance covered during the 6MWT (p = 0.01) and grip strength (p = 0.02) increased to a greater extend in HIIT. The UKPDS risk score decreased in both groups after the intervention (p = 0.03) and 31% of the participants reached the ABC's compared to 24% at baseline.

CONCLUSION

Low-volume walking HIIT is an efficient exercise intervention for older women with T2D as it improved some CVD risk factors and physical capacity. Nevertheless, neither low-volume HIIT nor MICT is sufficient to affect ambulatory blood pressure in T2D patients.

The EcoChip 2: An Autonomous Sensor Platform for Multimodal Bio-environmental Monitoring of the Northern Habitat

This paper presents the EcoChip 2, an autonomous multimodal bio-environmental sensor platform for the monitoring of microorganisms in the northern habitat. The EcoChip 2 prototype includes an array of 96-wells for the continuous monitoring of microbiological growth through a multichannel electrochemical impedance analyzer circuit. In addition, the platform includes luminosity, humidity, temperature sensors and monitoring. The developed electronic board uses an ultra-low-power microcontroller unit, a custom power management unit, a low-power wireless ISM-2.45 GHz transceiver, and a flash memory to accumulate and store the sensor data over extended monitoring periods. When a wireless base station is placed within the transmission range of the EcoChip 2, an embedded low-power wireless transceiver transmits the 96-wells impedance data and the other sensor data stored in the flash memory to the user interface. We present the measured performance of the prototype, along with laboratory test results of bacterial growth measurements inside the 96 wells in parallel. We show that the EcoChip 2 can successfully measure the impedances associated with bacterial growth over several hours using an excitation frequency of 2 kHz with power consumption of 114.6 mW under operating mode.

Gaps and delays in survivorship care in the return-to-work pathway for survivors of breast cancer-a qualitative study

Introduction

The number of survivors of breast cancer (bca) in Canada has steadily increased thanks to major advances in cancer care. But the resulting clientele face new challenges related to survivorship. The lack of continuity of care and the side effects of treatment affect the resumption of active life by survivors of bca, including return to work (rtw). The goal of the present article was to outline gaps and delay in survivorship care in the rtw pathway of survivors of bca.

Methods

This qualitative interpretative descriptive study recruited 9 survivors of bca in the province of Quebec. Interviews were conducted at the end of cancer treatments (n = 9), 1 month before rtw (n = 9), and after rtw (n = 5). In an iterative process, a content analysis was performed.

Results

The interviews highlighted gaps in survivorship care and the paucity of dedicated resources for cancer survivors. Participants received neither a survivorship care plan nor information about cancer survivorship (for example, transition to a new normal, side effects, rtw).

Conclusions

Support for survivors of bca resuming their active lives has to be optimized. We suggest that health professionals have to intervene at 1, 3, and 6 months after cancer treatment. At those points, survivors of bca need support for side-effects management, the rtw decision, resource navigation, and reintegration of daily activities. Also, delay in clinical pathways seems to be longer, and much attention is needed to accompany the transition to a "normal life" after cancer.

Outcomes of patients with myelofibrosis treated with compassionate use pacritinib: a sponsor-independent international study

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a chronic yet progressive myeloid neoplasm in which only a minority of patients undergo curative therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, is the lone therapy approved for MF, offering a clear symptom and spleen benefit at the expense of treatment-related cytopenias. Pacritinib (PAC), a multi-kinase inhibitor with specificity for JAK2, FLT3, and IRAK1 but sparing JAK1, has demonstrated clinical activity in MF with minimal myelosuppression. Due to an FDA-mandated full clinical hold, the randomized phase 3 PERSIST trials were abruptly stopped and PAC was immediately discontinued for all patients. Thirty-three patients benefitting from PAC on clinical trial prior to the hold were allowed to resume therapy on an individual, compassionate-use basis. This study reports the detailed outcomes of 19 of these PAC retreatment patients with a median follow-up of 8 months. Despite a median platelet count of 49 × 10⁹/L at restart of PAC, no significant change in hematologic profile was observed. Grade 3/4 adverse events of epistaxis (n = 1), asymptomatic QT prolongation (n = 1), and bradycardia (n = 1) occurred in three patients within the first 3 months of retreatment. One death due to catheter-associated sepsis occurred. The median time to discontinuation of PAC therapy on compassionate use for all 33 patients was 12.2 (95% CI 8.3-NR) months. PAC retreatment was associated with modest improvement in splenomegaly without progressive myelosuppression and supports the continued development of this agent for the treatment of MF second line to ruxolitinib or in the setting of treatment-limiting thrombocytopenia.

Respiratory pathogens in Québec dairy calves and their relationship with clinical status, lung consolidation, and average daily gain

Background

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is 1 of the 2 most important causes of morbidity and mortality in dairy calves. Surprisingly, field data are scant concerning the prevalence of respiratory pathogens involved in BRD in preweaned dairy calves, especially in small herds.

Objectives

To identify the main respiratory pathogens isolated from calves in Québec dairy herds with a high incidence of BRD, and to determine if there is an association between the presence of these pathogens and clinical signs of pneumonia, lung consolidation, or average daily gain.

Animals

Cross‐sectional study using a convenience sample of 95 preweaned dairy calves from 11 dairy herds.

Methods

At enrollment, calves were weighed, clinically examined, swabbed (nasal and nasopharyngeal), and lung ultrasonography was performed. One month later, all calves were reweighed.

Results

Twenty‐two calves had clinical BRD and 49 had ultrasonographic evidence of lung consolidation. Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, and Histophilus somni were isolated in 54, 17, and 12 calves, respectively. Mycoplasma bovis was identified by PCR testing or culture in 19 calves, and 78 calves were found to be positive for Mycoplasma spp. Bovine coronavirus was detected in 38 calves and bovine respiratory syncytial virus in 1. Only the presence of M. bovis was associated with higher odds of clinical signs, lung consolidation, and lower average daily gain.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Results suggested that nasopharyngeal carriage of M. bovis was detrimental to health and growth of dairy calves in small herds with a high incidence of BRD.

Sci-Fri PM: Planning-04: Dose escalation study using anatomy-based aperture IMRT and SPECT perfusion images for lung cancer

In the case of non-small cell lung cancer, doses typically prescribed (60-66 Gy) are not sufficient to ensure a satisfactory tumor control probability. Dose escalation needs to be realized, but dose to organs at risk (OARs) must be kept under widely accepted clinical thresholds. Also, lung functionality is not homogeneously distributed over all the volume: single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) allows spatial characterization of perfusion, open the way to the design of treatments plans that could preferentially avoid highly-functional lung. In this study, three cases of lung cancer were retrospectively used to assess the capacity of an anatomy-based aperture inverse planning system to realize dose escalation while limiting dose to perfused lung. Plans were generated for four-beam non-coplanar configurations, mixing 6 and 23 MV photon beams. All dose calculations were performed using Pinnacle³ superposition/convolution algorithm. An increasing dose was prescribed to a subvolume of the initial planning target volume. Levels of escalation achieved for the three cases studied were 81 Gy, 111 Gy and 66 Gy to the subvolume. Escalation was limited in two cases by the dose to the esophagus and in the other case by the presence of overdosages near beam entry ports. Calculation of dose-volume parameters for OARs shows that they respect clinical thresholds. Plans generated by the system are less complex than plans generated in beamlet-based IMRT, because of the use of few, large segments. The approach used in this study allows important dose escalation, potentially improving treatment outcome.

Diversity of Streptococcus thermophilus phages in a large-production cheese factory in Argentina

Phage infections still represent a serious risk to the dairy industry, in which Streptococcus thermophilus is used in starter cultures for the manufacture of yogurt and cheese. The goal of the present study was to analyze the biodiversity of the virulent S. thermophilus phage population in one Argentinean cheese plant. Ten distinct S. thermophilus phages were isolated from cheese whey samples collected in a 2-mo survey. They were then characterized by their morphology, host range, and restriction patterns. These phages were also classified within the 2 main groups of S. thermophilus phages (cos- and pac-type) using a newly adapted multiplex PCR method. Six phages were classified as cos-type phages, whereas the 4 others belonged to the pac-type group. This study illustrates the phage diversity that can be found in one factory that rotates several cultures of S. thermophilus. Limiting the number of starter cultures is likely to reduce phage biodiversity within a fermentation facility.

Développement et application d’une vignette clinique pour apprécier la qualité des soins en oncology

BACKGROUND

In conjunction with a study focusing on the implementation and effect of an integrated care network for cancer patients in the Monteregie region in Quebec, the vignette research strategy was adopted to assess the quality of care provided by the interdisciplinary teams working with this clientele. This research strategy has only recently been used to assess professional practices. This article adopts a resolutely methodological angle in order to describe a rigorous, innovative, transferable experience from the standpoint of the elaboration of a vignette.

METHODS

We adopted a six-step approach to elaborate the vignette. This vignette includes the description of collaboration with clinicians. The approach assured us of attaining high content validity from the standpoint of facets of its relevance, completeness and intelligibility to respondents. Our clinical vignette describes a sequence of events stemming from the care coordination of a 58-year-old man suffering from rectal cancer. Data were collected through group interviews with the interdisciplinary teams (n=5) under study. The professionals present were asked to describe their usual practices with respect to the events described in the vignette. We adopted two data analysis strategies: (i) a comparison of practices revealed through the interviews with anticipated responses in light of the guidelines of the "Programme québécois de lutte contre le cancer"; and (ii) an analysis according to facets of the quality of care.

RESULTS

Team professional practices seem to evolve towards the care package valued by the "Programme québécois de lutte contre le cancer". Differences were also observed between the teams from the standpoint of the continuity of care.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that it is possible to develop a vignette that enables us to understand professional practices in an interdisciplinary context provided that a rigorous approach is adopted. This approach, which can be transferred to the study of similar phenomena, makes it possible to document the care offered and contribute to the renewal of professional practices.

Analysis of the bacterial community inhabiting an aerobic thermophilic sequencing batch reactor (AT-SBR) treating swine waste

The microflora of a self-heating aerobic thermophilic sequencing batch reactor (AT-SBR) treating swine waste was investigated by a combination of culture and culture-independent techniques. The temperature increased quickly in the first hours of the treatment cycles and values up to 72 degrees C were reached. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the PCR-amplified V3 region of 16S rDNA (PCR-DGGE) revealed important changes in the bacterial community during 3-day cycles. A clone library was constructed with the near-full-length 16S rDNA amplified from a mixed-liquor sample taken at 60 degrees C. Among the 78 non-chimeric clones analysed, 20 species (here defined as clones showing more than 97% sequence homology) were found. In contrast to other culture-independent bacterial analyses of aerobic thermophilic wastewater treatments, species belonging to the Bacilli class were dominant (64%) with Bacillus thermocloacae being the most abundant species (38%). The other Bacilli could not be assigned to a known species. Schineria larvae was the second most abundant species (14%) in the clone library. Four species were also found among the 19 strains isolated, cultivated and identified from samples taken at 40 degrees C and 60 degrees C. Ten isolates showed high 16S rDNA sequence homology with the dominant bacterium of a composting process that had not been previously isolated.

Swine waste treatment by self-heating aerobic thermophilic bioreactors

Pig manure represents a very high-strength wastewater that is well suited for a self-heating aerobic thermophilic treatment. Here we report the use of 59-L Aerobic Thermophilic Sequencing Batch Reactors (AT-SBR) to study the treatment of pig manure with a HRT of 6 days. Temperatures up to 75 degrees C were reached without external heating by using Venturi-type aerators but these conditions were detrimental for the respiratory activity of the microflora. For COD removal, better performances were achieved when the temperature was limited to 50 degrees C. However, higher temperatures increased the rate of phosphorus crystallisation and the volatilisation of ammonia. A temperature of 50 degrees C was enough to eliminate faecal coliforms and Campylobacter spp., but 60 degrees C was needed for the efficient destruction of Clostridium perfringens. Consequently, an operating temperature of 60 degrees C appears to be a good compromise. Under these conditions, the BOD(5) decreases from 50.5 to 1.0 g L(-1), yielding a 98% removal.

The pharmacokinetics of 750 microg levonorgestrel following administration of one single dose or two doses at 12- or 24-h interval

The administration of two tablets of 750 microg levonorgestrel at a 12- to 24-h interval has been shown to be a safe and effective means of emergency contraception, and Norlevo/Vikela (N/V) is a dedicated product for this indication. The aim of this study was to characterize the plasma pharmacokinetics of levonorgestrel following a single N/V tablet administration and following a second administration, 12 or 24 h after the first one in young, healthy, female volunteers under the same conditions as during clinical use. This was an open, observer-blind, randomized study with three parallel groups and three treatments performed in 24 white female volunteers randomized into three groups of eight participants, each receiving one of the following treatments: Group A, one tablet of 750 microg levonorgestrel at time -12 h and one tablet at time 0; Group B, one tablet of 750 microg levonorgestrel at time 0; Group C, one tablet of 750 microg levonorgestrel at time -24 h and one tablet at time 0. All treatments started between Day 2 and Day 6 of the menstrual cycle. Plasma levonorgestrel levels were measured at regular intervals from time 0 up to 36 h with a validated radioimmunoassay. The results of this study show that after either one single or two administrations of a tablet containing 750 microg levonorgestrel, levonorgestrel is rapidly absorbed. The absorption, distribution, and elimination profiles of levonorgestrel following the three different treatments were similar. It also indicates that 12 or 24 h after administration there remains a significant level of plasma levonorgestrel. In conclusion, this study reinforces clinical guidelines recommending that N/V tablets for emergency contraception be administered 12 to 24 h apart because levonorgestrel is present in plasma between the two administrations.

Seed misplacement and stabilizing needles in transperineal permanent prostate implants

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Seed misplacement occurring in transperineal permanent implants contributes to the degradation in dose coverage. It has been suggested that needles could be used to immobilize the prostate and help reduce misplacement. This study investigates the effects of parallel stabilizing needles on seed misplacement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A group of ten patients implanted with stabilizing needles was compared with a group of 20 patients implanted without stabilization. Measurements were performed on the displacement of individual seeds and needles. The needle measurements are: insertion angle, the ratio of post-implant over pre-implant lengths and the clustering tendency, a measure of relative misplacement among the seeds of the same needle.

RESULTS

No difference was observed in seed misplacement. No difference was observed in needle insertion angle, a measure which was expected to improve with the use of stabilizing needles.

CONCLUSION

None of the expected effects from the use of parallel stabilizing needles have been observed. This method of prostate contention appears to be without benefits. Seed misplacement is most pronounced along the insertion axis and is caused by friction between prostatic tissues and implantation needles. Reducing friction could be a promising alternative to prostate contention in trying to reduce misplacement.

Local failure is responsible for the decrease in survival for patients with breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and postoperative radiotherapy

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of local failure (LF) in the survival of patients treated with lumpectomy and postoperative radiotherapy and to investigate whether LF is not only a marker for distant metastasis (DM) but also a cause.

METHODS

Charts of patients treated with breast conservative surgery between 1969 and 1991 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 2,030 patients available for analysis. The median duration of follow-up was 6 years. A Cox regression multivariate analysis was performed using LF as a time-dependent covariate.

RESULTS

Local control (LC) was 87% at 10 years. Local failure led to poorer survival at 10 years than local control (55% v 75%, P < .00). In a Cox model, local failure was a powerful predictor of mortality. The relative risk associated with LF was 3.6 for mortality and 5.1 for DM (P < .00). In patients with LF, the rate of DM peaked at 5 to 6 years, whereas it peaked at 2 years for patients with LC. The mean time between surgery and DM was 1,050 days for patients without LF and 1,650 days for patients with LF (P < .00).

CONCLUSION

Our results show that local failure is associated with an increase in mortality. The difference in the time distribution of distant metastasis for LF and LC could imply distinct mechanisms of dissemination. Local failure should be considered not only as a marker of occult circulating distant metastases but also as a source for new distant metastases and subsequent mortality.

DHEA-S selectively impairs contextual-fear conditioning: support for the antiglucocorticoid hypothesis

The authors had reported that glucocorticoids play a selective role in fear conditioning. The adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been reported to act as a functional antiglucocorticoid. If DHEA has antiglucocorticoid properties, then its effects on fear conditioning might resemble those produced by adrenalectomy. The authors now report that chronic exposure to high levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S; converted in vivo to DHEA) produced the same pattern of results as adrenalectomy. Specifically, treatment with DHEA-S impaired contextual fear conditioning 24 hr after conditioning but not immediately after conditioning, and like adrenalectomy, DHEA-S had no effect on auditory-cue fear conditioning. Preexposure to the context before drug treatment eliminated the amnestic effects of DHEA-S, suggesting that, like adrenalectomy, DHEA-S exerted its effect by interfering with the construction of a contextual memory representation. Thus, DHEA appears to act as a functional antiglucocorticoid in the processes that mediate learning and memory.

DHEA-S selectively impairs contextual-fear conditioning: support for the antiglucocorticoid hypothesis

The authors had reported that glucocorticoids play a selective role in fear conditioning. The adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been reported to act as a functional antiglucocorticoid. If DHEA has antiglucocorticoid properties, then its effects on fear conditioning might resemble those produced by adrenalectomy. The authors now report that chronic exposure to high levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S; converted in vivo to DHEA) produced the same pattern of results as adrenalectomy. Specifically, treatment with DHEA-S impaired contextual fear conditioning 24 hr after conditioning but not immediately after conditioning, and like adrenalectomy, DHEA-S had no effect on auditory-cue fear conditioning. Preexposure to the context before drug treatment eliminated the amnestic effects of DHEA-S, suggesting that, like adrenalectomy, DHEA-S exerted its effect by interfering with the construction of a contextual memory representation. Thus, DHEA appears to act as a functional antiglucocorticoid in the processes that mediate learning and memory.

A selective role for corticosterone in contextual-fear conditioning

The contribution of corticosterone to contextual- and auditory-cue fear conditioning was examined. Adrenalectomized rats showed reduced contextual-fear conditioning when tested 24 hr after conditioning; however, neither immediate contextual- nor auditory-cue fear conditioning was impaired. Contextual-fear conditioning in adrenalectomized rats with corticosterone replacement during the 4-day interval separating surgery and conditioning matched the level of controls. Moreover, rats exposed to the context prior to adrenalectomy showed normal long-term contextual-fear conditioning. Corticosterone replacement administered after the conditioning episode also negated the effects of adrenalectomy. Thus, corticosterone's role in fear conditioning is selective: It appears to contribute to the neural processes that support the consolidation of a long-term memory representation of the context.

A new penumbra generator for electron fields matching

Abutment of two or more electron fields to irradiate extended areas may lead to significant dose inhomogeneities in the junction region. This paper describes the geometric and dosimetric characteristics of a device developed to modify the penumbra of an electron beam and thereby improve the dose uniformity in the overlap region when fields are abutted. The device is a Lipowitz metal block placed on top of the electron applicator's insertion plate and positioned to stop part of the electron beam on the side of field abutment. The air-scattered electrons beyond the block increase the penumbra width from about 1.4 to 2.7-3.4 cm with an SSD of 100 cm. The modified penumbra is broad and almost linear at all depths for the 9 and 12 MeV electron beams used in this study. Film dosimetry was used to obtain beam profiles and isodose distributions of single modified beams and matched fields of 9 and 12 MeV as well as matched fields of both energies. Computer simulation was used to optimize the skin gap to be used and to quantify the dose uniformity as a function of the field separation for both modified and nonmodified beams. Results are presented for various field configurations. Without the penumbra generator, lateral setup errors of 2-3 mm may introduce dose variations of 20% or more in the junction region. Similar setup errors cause less than 5% dose variations when the penumbra generator is used to match the fields. The potential of the technique for the irradiation of curved surfaces is presented. A possible method for implementing the modified penumbra into a conventional treatment planning system is evaluated.

Optimization of permanent 125I prostate implants using fast simulated annealing

PURPOSE

Treatment planning of ultrasound-guided transperineal 125I permanent prostatic implants is a time-consuming task, due to the large number of seeds used and the very large number of possible source arrangements within the target volume. The goal of this work is to develop an algorithm based on fast simulated annealing allowing consistent and automatic dose distribution optimization in permanent 125I prostatic implants.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Fast simulated annealing is used to optimize the dose distribution by finding the best seed distribution through the minimization of a cost function. The cost function includes constraints on the dose at the periphery of the planned target volume and on the dose uniformity within this volume. Adjustment between peripheral dose and the dose uniformity can be achieved by varying the weight factor in the cost function.

RESULTS

Fast simulated annealing algorithm finds very good seed distributions within 20,000 iterations. The computer time needed for the optimization of a typical permanent implant involving 60 seeds and 14 needles is approximately 15 min. An additional 5 min are necessary for isodose distribution computations and miscellaneous outputs.

CONCLUSION

The use of fast simulated annealing allows for an efficient and rapid optimization of dose distribution. This algorithm is now routinely used at our institution in the clinical planning of 125I permanent transperineal prostate implants for early stage prostatic carcinoma.

Intake, digestibility, and ruminal degradability of shredded hay

Thirty-two Outaouais intact male lambs averaging 39.1 kg were assigned randomly to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of two forages and two methods of harvesting to determine intake and digestibility. The four treatments fed during the experiment consisted of alfalfa and timothy hays harvested with either a prototype mat maker or a conventional mower conditioner. Hays were fed for ad libitum intake for the entire experiment, and data on digestibility and intake were collected for 9 d after a 21-d adaptation. Ruminal degradability of DM, N, and ADF of hays was estimated with two fistulated cows using nylon bags incubated up to 96 h. Harvesting with the prototype mat maker compared with the conventional mower generally increased intake and digestibility of alfalfa and timothy hays. Ruminal degradability of DM and the potentially degradable fraction of DM and ADF was higher when hay was harvested with the prototype mat maker than with the conventional mower. The increased digestibility of hay harvested with the prototype mat maker could be explained by the increased digestibility in the rumen because harvesting with the prototype mat maker increased the potentially degradable fraction of DM and ADF. These results suggest that the digestible energy content of hay was increased by shredding.

Electron impact studies of autoionizing states in CO2 using a multi-angle parallel detection electron spectrometer

The MAPDESS, a multi-angle-detector electron scattering spectrometer, has been adapted to electron ejection measurements. A study of autoionization from Rydberg states has been carried out for the neutral linear molecule CO2 in the continuum region 15–19 eV by low-energy electron impact. Observations have been made of structure due to excitation of these states by slow electron scattering and their decay by ejection of electrons. A multi-angle parallel detection technique has been used and this has enabled some CO2 autoionizing states resulting from non-dipole transitions to be observed clearly. The major features appearing in the ejected electron spectra of CO2 have tentatively been classified and (or) assigned in terms of autoionization to the ground ionic state X, from highly excited electronic states corresponding to the "Tanaka progression I" and "Tanaka–Ogawa" Rydberg series converging to the ionic A state, as well as from the Henning "sharp" and "diffuse" series, along with the forbidden npσu series, converging to the B state. In addition to the features already known, new features have been observed, and they seem to be rather sensitive to electron impact energies employed. Strong relative intensity variations are observed at the different impact energies, and marked angular effects are also found in the ejected electron spectra.