bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Different Lysine:Energy Ratios in the Lactation Diet on Sow Performance
Authors: Shoniwa A.C. , English P.R. , Llopart D. , McPherson O. , Roden J.A. , Edwards S.A. , Davidson F.M. , Pownall K.
Published: January 2018

Modern sows have been selected for increased mature body size and prolifacy while measured milk yields greatly exceed previously published levels. Optimum lysine to energy ratio in the lactation diet of such sows is likely to be influenced by lactation feed intake, lactation length as well as by body fatness at parturition. In a situation where high lactation feed intakes were achieved in a short lactation by high producing sows, a diet close to current commercial recommendations was compared to one with a lower lysine to energy ratio.

The study was conducted in a large commercial herd with Large White (LW) x Landrace (LR) first cross sows which had been mated to either LR or LW boars. Two lactation diets were formulated, one being close to current recommendations for modern, high producing lactating sows (Diet A) while the other had a 19 percent lower ratio of lysine to digestible energy (Diet B). The diets were based mainly on cereals (barley and wheat), both extracted and full-fat rape seed meal, soya bean meal and biscuit meal. The calculated nutrient content of the diets is presented in Table 1. A total of 85 sows were involved in the study and sows allocated to the two diets were balanced for parity and farrowing date. Feed allowances were increased gradually from a low level at day 1 after parturition which made it possible for sows to achieve an intake of 12 kg daily at Day 14 after parturition provided that a sow had previously consumed all food offered. Feeding management was good, with water being added to provide wet feed. Average temperature at sow level was 23.2°C (overall range 19 to 27°C).
Voluntary Intake and Digestibility by Pigs of Diets Containing Pectin Rich Raw Materials and the Effects of Enzyme Treatment
Authors: Offredo S , Brouns F , Edwards S A , Inborr J
Published: January 2018

Experiments have demonstrated that inclusion of unmolassed sugar beet pulp (SBP) in diets for pigs gives rise to a major restriction in voluntary food intake in comparison with other high fibre materials (Brouns et al, 1991; Gill et al, 1992). The mechanisms for this are still not fully understood but appear to be related to the nature of the non-starch polysaccharides. SBP has a relatively high pectin content, so this experiment was designed to investigate whether another similar pectin containing material, citrus pulp (CIT), has similar intake regulating properties and whether these could be modified by treatment with a pectinase enzyme.

The design was a split plot experiment with two dietary treatments. Each diet was manufactured, with and without enzyme, giving the following treatments: (1) Citrus pulp diet - no enzyme [CIT-]; 2) Citrus pulp diet - with enzyme [CIT + ]; 3) Sugarbeet pulp diet - no enzyme [SBP-]; 4) Sugarbeet pulp diet - with enzyme [SBP + ]. The experimental treatments were applied in a crossover design with 8 pigs receiving each diet both with and without enzyme.
The number of feeding spaces required for large groups of early-weaned pigs
Authors: Simmins P.H. , Malkin S.
Published: January 2018

Inadequate feeding space allowance could limit the performance of the early-weaned pig. No information is available on the amount of space required as group size increases; this is now more typical for some of the novel welfare systems. It has been suggested that the early-weaned pigs tend to feed together for an initial period. Indications exist that, if inadequate feeding space is provided post-weaning, a proportion of piglets may suffer.

The objective of the experiment was to investigate the effect of restricting access to feed on the performance of the early-weaned pig housed in large groups in a novel sloping bed weaner pen.
Effects of feeding system and social rank on maternal body growth in group housed sows over two parities
Authors: Stewart A H , Edwards S A , Gall K
Published: January 2018

It is well recognised that the current move towards group housing for sows can put the welfare of individuals at risk if the method of feeding is inadequate. In a study of the levels of competition at feeding, Stewart et al (1993) showed that specialised fibrous diets could, successfully, be fed ad libitum to group housed gilts. It was, however, suggested that longer term effects on welfare and longevity should be investigated. This paper describes the growth characteristics and social rank variation of young sows over the first two parities on three feeding systems.
The Effect of Repeated Hypoglycaemia on Plasma β-Endorphin in Gilts
Authors: Chiang F. L. , Rodway R. G.
Published: January 2018

The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is one of the best studied stress-related responses. In particular, the involvement of endogenous opioid peptides in response to pltysiological and pharmacological stimuli has been the subject of extensive study both in man and other animals (Nakao, 1979, Petraglia, 1985, Engler, 1988). However, in animal models of repeated stress, the acute response to a stressor often habituates when the stressor is presented repeatedly (Ottenweller, 1991). Hypoglycaemia is a stress which can be easily and repeatedly applied to experimental animals. The present study was performed to determine whether insulin-induced hypogrycaemia enhances the release of β-endorphin in pigs, and whether this response is maintained over repeated treatments on consecutive days.
The effect of an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor on plasma VLDL cholesterol and egg cholesterol in the laying hen
Authors: Huggett C.D. , Buttery P.J. , Salter A.M.
Published: January 2018

In recent years there has been a concerted effort to reduce the cholesterol content of the human diet. The hens egg is a major source of cholesterol in the diet, and many attempts have been made to reduce its cholesterol content. Genetic selection [1,2], changes to the diet [1] and the use of hypocholesterolaemic drugs [1,3,4,5,6] have all been investigated. While some relatively modest changes have been reported, the majority of these studies suggest that egg yolk cholesterol is relatively resistant to change. However, little explanation has been given to account for these findings.

Egg cholesterol is derived from the liver and transported to the developing oocyte within very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). These particles are also responsible for the transport of triacylglycerol to me egg. If egg cholesterol is to be reduced, men VLDL must be specifically depleted of cholesterol. In me present study we investigated the effects of a cholesterol synthesis inhibitor on plasma VLDL concentrations and egg cholesterol. The compound used was simvastatin, known to be a potent inhibitor of mammalian hepatic hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA (HMG CoA) reductase, an important enzyme in regulating cholesterol synthesis.
Effects of grilling to 80°c on the physical and chemical composition of pork loin steaks
Authors: Wood J.D. , Nute G.R. , Ball R.C. , Fursey G.A.J. , Harrington G.
Published: January 2018

Previous work has shown that grilling pork steaks to a high final internal temperature (80°C), which corresponds to “well done”, significantly reduces tenderness and juiciness but increases the intensity of pork flavour. This work was done to examine the effects of grilling on physical and chemical composition.

Two adjacent 25 mm-thick steaks with backfat and rind attached were cut from each of 62 deboned pork loins (taken from 90 kg live weight pigs, average 11mm P2 fat thickness). One steak was analysed fresh by dissection and standard analytical techniques and the other after grilling to 80°C final internal temperature.
Lying behaviour of dry sows in relation to housing conditions
Authors: Marchant J.N. , Broom D.M.
Published: January 2018

Most sows in the European pig industry are kept in confinement, and are restricted in the amount of locomotory exercise they can perform. Any difficulty in carrying out the movements necessary for standing up and lying down, due to a lack of muscular and cardiovascular fitness, can indicate poor welfare for the sow. Also, because a large proportion of piglet mortality is attributable to over-lying by the sow when she lies down or stands up clumsily, there are welfare implications for her litter. The objectives of these studies were to investigate the time taken for sows to lie down in different dry sow housing systems, and to determine any relationships between the time taken and body dimensions of the sow.
Welfare and production implications of piglet husbandry treatments in outdoor systems
Authors: Brown J M E , Edwards S A , Smith W J , Thompson E , Duncan J
Published: January 2018

In indoor systems it is routine practice to carry out a number of husbandry tasks with young piglets. These include clipping ‘eye’ teeth to prevent damage to the udder of the sow and the faces of litter mates, and injecting iron to prevent anaemia. Considerable debate exists about the necessity for carrying out such tasks in outdoor systems where the animals are less used to being in close proximity to humans and where any disruption of maternal behaviour can have much more serious consequences.

550 piglets (PIC line 12 x PIC synthetic Meatline boars) in 49 litters were used in a factorial experiment to determine the effects of (a) leaving piglet teeth intact or clipping them at birth and (b) injecting 2ml of iron dextran at 2-4 days after farrowing or leaving piglets untreated.

Each alternate litter farrowing had their teeth clipped, and half of the piglets within each litter received an iron injection. Sows and piglets were scored for damage on days 7 and 14 post-farrowing and at weaning using a linear scale from zero (no wounding) to three (severe laceration with prominent wounds). Once a week, the location and suckling behaviour of all the animals involved in the experiment was observed for three hours. Blood samples were taken from each piglet of the first fifteen litters to be weaned and analysed for haemoglobin content.
A study of the influence of shredded paper bedding at parturition on hypothermia, survival and growth of piglets and indices of sow welfare
Authors: Ortega A , English P.R. , Roden J.A. , McPherson O. , Peral P , Mora J. , Davidson F.M , Bamblett R.
Published: January 2018

Hypothermia is common in newborn piglets because of the failure to provide sufficient thermal comfort in the preferred resting areas adjacent to the udder in early life. One major reason for this is the fact that most farrowing pens have slatted floors and a deficiency of such flooring is the difficulty of using bedding to reduce hypothermia of newborn piglets and to protect their delicate tissues from the relative abrasiveness of the floor. Shredded waste paper bedding may have useful applications in such situations because of its texture and cohesiveness, qualities which slow up the rate at which it is voided through the slats relative to other bedding materials. Such paper bedding was evaluated in a controlled experiment.

The study was carried out in a large commercial farm with Large White (LW) and Landrace (LR) first cross sows which were mated to LW, LR, LW x LR and Duroc boars. The farrowing pens measured 150 x 270 cm with a front creep area (150 x 55 cm) and the farrowing crate, which was fitted with farrowing ‘cradles', was positioned centrally in the pen. The floor was fully slatted (plastic slats) except for the concrete floored front creep area.
Meal patterns of two spanish sheep breeds with different types of food
Authors: Amor J. , Barrio J.P. , Bermúdez F.F.
Published: January 2018

The intake of fibrous food by ruminants are mainly regulated by physical means. When different forages are offered, intake level is related to rumen fill capacity, being the rate of digestion and disappearance of food particles from the rumen also important factors.

On the other hand, there have been some reports on the differences in food intake between sheep breeds (Arnold, 1975). Breeds adapted to different nutritional environments could have developed differences in digestive physiology and intake potential.

The aim of this experiment was to study the infuence of the type of roughage offered on meal patterns, as well as the differences in these parameters between two Spanish sheep breeds.

Ad libitum food intake of non-pregnant and non-lactating ewes (six Churra and six Merino sheep per food) was daily monitored using an automatic recording device that allowed calculation of meal size and duration.
Effect of supplementary feeding with maize bran on the milking potential of the indigenous malawi goat
Authors: Cooper R A , Kirk J A , Kamwanja L
Published: January 2018

It has been estimated that in some areas of Malawi the incidence of malnutrition in children under the age of 5 may be as high as 70%. The problem is particularly severe in those children who have been weaned off breast milk. In many areas of the world milk is seen as being of special benefit to such children,. In excess of 60 million goats are currently being milked world wide but in sub-Saharan Africa the practice of milking them is uncommon. Malawi is a good example of this situation.

Estimates of the number of goats in Malawi very between 1.0m and 1.6m and yet, with the exception of a few localised sites, these goats are not milked. There does not appear to be any custom or taboo prohibiting the drinking of goats milk and in a recent survey Banda (1992) showed that goats milk was acceptable to many people and was, indeed, preferred to that of the cow or the sheep.

The aim of the project reported here was therefore to examine the potential of the indigenous Malawi goat as a milk producer, when managed under a system as similar to that practiced in the villages as possible.
Carcase composition and the use of sample joints in the indigenous Malawi goat
Authors: Kirk J A , Cooper R A , Kamwanja L
Published: January 2018

Few data are available on the growth and carcase characteristics of the indigenous Malawi goat, despite the fact that goats provide 20% of the meat consumed in Malawi. Better husbandry and breeding programmes can only be developed and implemented when adequate data on the performance and potential of populations have been collected. This trial was undertaken to provide base line data, in order to allow comparisons to be drawn when alternative management strategies are adopted.

Does were housed in a blue-gum-pole khola, roofed with galvanised iron, in pens measuring 4m2. Each pen held 10-14 does. Feeding was based upon the grazing of indigenous pastures but the goats also had access to maize stover during the dry season. Kids were weighed at birth and fortnightly thereafter. Castrate kids, in groups of S, were slaughtered at birth and at intervals of 5kg between Skg and 25kg. Following slaughter, carcases were split down the backbone, weighed, packed into individual polythene bass and stored at -20°C to await dissection. In March 1990 right hand sides were thawed, weighed and cut into six primal joints. To reduce any errors caused by abattoir procedures the axis vertebra was removed from all carcases and discarded. Each joint was then subjected to a full dissection, using butchers’ knives, into lean, bone and fat components and the weight of each component recorded. The data generated from these dissections were used to develop aliometric growth curves for each joint and for each tissue, using multiple regression analysis.
Body chemical composition of churra lambs at 20kg live-weigth: effect of level of milk-intake and Protein content in the post-weaning diet
Authors: Manso T. , Mantecó A.R. , Castro T. , Lavin P.
Published: January 2018

Body composition changes in animals undergoing compensatory growth and these response vary with the age or stage of maturity at which the restriction is applied and with the undegradable protein in the diet during post-restriction period (O'Donovan, 1984; Ryan, 1990).

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of level of intake during milk-fed period and the energy/protein relationship during post-weaning period on changes in carcass, non-carcass and empty body weigth (EBW) components in lambs slaughtered at 20 Kg live weigth (LW).

A total of 16 lambs of Churra breed were used in a comparative slaughter experiment to determinate the effect of level of intake during milk-fed period (4 weeks) and the protein supplement in the diet during post-weaning period on chemical body composition at 20 Kg LW

The lambs were assigned to a 2×2×4 factorial design, defined by 2 levels of milk intake (High: 1.5 MJ GE/Kg LW°75/day and Low: 0.9 MJ GE/kg LW°75/day) during milk-fed period, 2 post-weaning concentrate supplements (HP: barley grain plus 200g/kg fish meal and LP: barley) and 4 lambs per treatment.

All lambs were individually penned. During post-weaning period low quality hay and concentrate were independently offered ad libitum. Intake and LW were recorded daily and three times a week respectively. At slaughter (20Kg LW), EBW was estimated and carcass and non-carcass chemical composition (water, fat, ash and protein) and energy content was measured.
Fine wool production from UK hill land resources
Authors: Russel A J F , Sangster H M , Gittus G T , Redden Hilary
Published: January 2018

Wool is the most neglected agricultural commodity in the UK. In many sheep enterprises the returns from wool represent less than 2% of the gross income and in some cases the value of the wool produced is less than the cost of shearing. Wool production, however, represents a potential avenue for agricultural diversification and, being a non-food commodity and suited to production in the Less Favoured Areas, accords with the agricultural policies of the UK government and the EU.

Significant increases in return from wool can come only from improvements in quantity and/or quality, two traits which in most breeds are negatively correlated. The most important determinant of wool quality, is fibre diameter. An analysis of prices of wools of different qualities over a four year period (1987-1990 inclusive) showed that the relationship between these variables could be described by the equation
Oldfield Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) Control in Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
Authors: Sriyani Nanik , Hopen Herbert J. , Binning Larry K.
Published: January 2018

Greenhouse and field herbicide evaluation, flooding, and soil saturation studies were conducted to investigate the control of oldfield cinquefoil in cranberry. Chlorimuron ethyl and dichlobenil were found to be promising herbicides for control of this weed in both greenhouse and field studies. The number of leaves, leaf area, shoot, root, and total dry weight of oldfield cinquefoil were reduced by dichlobenil at 1.1 to 4.5 kg ha-1and chlorimuron ethyl at 17.5 to 35 g ha-1, at 12 wk after treatment. The higher rate of dichlobenil, however, caused reduction in cranberry height and total dry weight. Field treatment at time of cinquefoil emergence did not provide adequate weed control. Postemergence application to cinquefoil of 4.5 kg ha-1dichlobenil, 35 g ha-1chlorimuron ethyl, and 2.2 to 4.5 kg-1ha terbacil reduced the number of leaves and shoot dry weight. Only terbacil at 4.5 kg ha-1reduced cranberry shoot and fruit fresh and dry weight. Flooding for up to 72 h did not affect oldfield cinquefoil growth. At 22/18 C, 4 wk of soil saturation reduced runner development and fresh and dry weight of oldfield cinquefoil. At 13/9 C, no runners developed in either saturated or control soils, and there was no effect of soil saturation on fresh and dry weights. This suggests that oldfield cinquefoil grows better in an unsaturated soil condition, but needs a relatively warm climate to develop.
Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Response to Picloram and 2,4-D
Authors: Heering David C. , Peeper Thomas F.
Published: January 2018

Postemergence spring applications of picloram and picloram plus 2,4-D frequently reduced mature height and peduncle length of hard red winter wheat in field experiments. Yield reductions were more severe from picloram applied alone to the first joint growth stage than late tillering stage wheat. In two of six experiments picloram plus 2,4-D reduced yield more than picloram alone. Yields of four wheat cultivars were reduced by picloram and picloram plus 2,4-D at one of two locations. At the second location only the yield of ‘Chisholm’ and ‘Rohm and Haas Seed 7837’ were reduced by those herbicides.
Carbamothioate and Chloroacetamide Herbicides for Woolly Cupgrass (Eriochloa villosa) Control in Corn (Zea mays)
Authors: Schuh Joseph F. , Harvey R. Gordon
Published: January 2018

Field experiments were conducted to compare herbicides applied preplant incorporated (PPI), preplant incorporated/preemergence (PPI/PRE), and preplant incorporated/early postemergence (PPI/early POST) to control woolly cupgrass in corn. Although good early-season control of woolly cupgrass from PPI cycloate plus cyanazine, EPTC plus dietholate or SC-0058, and butylate plus cyanazine sometimes was observed, middle- and/or late-season control was often limited. Generally, better woolly cupgrass control and higher corn yields were obtained from split PPI/PRE applications rather than from single PPI applications of alachlor, metolachlor, and acetochlor. The highest and most consistent full-season woolly cupgrass control resulted when cycloate or EPTC plus dietholate applied PPI was followed by cyanazine plus either pendimethalin, alachlor, metolachlor, or acetochlor applied early POST. However, in 1989 adverse weather conditions near the early POST application timing injured corn and reduced yields.
Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) Differ in Response to Bentazon
Authors: Motsenbocker Carl E. , Monaco Thomas J.
Published: January 2018

Selected sweet potato clones were evaluated in greenhouse and field trials to identify clones with superior tolerance to bentazon. ‘Julian’ and NC 1519 were the most tolerant in the greenhouse. ‘Sweet Red’ exhibited foliar injury in the field, but yields were not reduced. The clone 79-BM-17 was equally tolerant in the field as Sweet Red, but in the greenhouse exhibited only intermediate tolerance. ‘Jewel,’ a widely grown commercial cultivar, was sensitive to bentazon in both the greenhouse and field. When averaged over all clones sweet potato injury increased as bentazon rate was increased from 1.1 to 2.2 kg ai ha-1, but it decreased as the season progressed. Bentazon did not reduce marketable yields at Clayton, NC. Bentazon as a split or late application at the 2.2 kg ha-1rate, reduced yields at Clinton, NC. Percent culls among bentazon treatments did not differ at either location.
Optimizing Diluent Volume Improves Johnsongrass Control in Sugarcane (Saccharumsp.) with Asulam
Authors: Richard Edward P.
Published: January 2018

Field studies were conducted in second-ratoon crops of sugarcane infested with rhizome johnsongrass to determine the effects of aqueous diluent volumes ranging from 47 to 561 L ha-1on the performance of asulam. Trend analyses of johnsongrass recovery, based on panicle numbers late in the growing season, indicated a quadratic response with panicle numbers being lowest when asulam at 2.8 kg ai ha-1was applied in a diluent volume approaching 187 L ha-1. The response was similar regardless of whether droplet size or number was altered to obtain these diluent volumes. Differences in late-season johnsongrass control were reflected in harvested sugarcane stalk populations and net cane yields. In greenhouse studies, johnsongrass plants were thoroughly washed with water 24 h after treatment with asulam at 2.8 kg ha-1at water volumes ranging from 47 to 374 L ha-1. Asulam absorption, as evidenced by reduction in the growth of johnsongrass, was higher when surfactant was included, but was not affected by diluent volumes in the range evaluated.
Feasibility of Non-irrigated Soybean (Glycine max) Production in the Semi-arid Central Great Plains
Authors: Wicks Gail A. , Klein Robert N.
Published: January 2018

We conducted research to determine if soybeans can be grown successfully in a no-till environment, in the semi-arid areas of the central Great Plains near North Platte, NE. Soybeans planted no-till into winter wheat stubble that was sprayed with glyphosate yielded more than when planted into soil that was rototilled in a winter wheat-soybean-fallow rotation. However, grain yield averaged only 420 kg ha-1during 1975, 1976, and 1977. No-till soybean grown in a winter wheat-grain sorghum-soybean rotation during 1982 through 1985 yielded an average of 1370 kg ha-1. Low yields were associated with lack of precipitation during the fallow period after winter wheat harvest or grain sorghum harvest and during the soybean pod elongation and filling period. Several herbicides gave excellent weed control in soybeans when applied either after wheat harvest, early preplant, or at planting time. None of the herbicides persisted long enough to reduce grain yields of winter wheat planted into the soybean residue. With present production costs these nonirrigated rotations are not economical in the semi-arid region of the central Great Plains of the United States.
Vegetation Management in the Cross Timbers: Response of Understory Vegetation to Herbicides and Burning
Authors: Engle David M. , Stritzke Jimmy F. , McCollum F. Ted
Published: January 2018

Understory vegetation was studied following treatment by herbicides and fire on grazed pastures within the Cross Timbers vegetation type. Tebuthiuron and triclopyr at 2.2 kg ha-1were applied in March and June of 1983, respectively. The pastures were burned in late spring of 1985, 1986 and 1987. Frequency of horseweed, rosette panicgrass, and little bluestem increased with both herbicides, but the increase was usually larger with tebuthiuron than triclopyr. Burning as a follow-up to either herbicide had little effect on frequency of rosette panicgrass and little bluestem. Horseweed increased following burning in 1985 and 1987. Standing crop of grasses and forbs increased dramatically following herbicide treatments. Grass production was greater with tebuthiuron, whereas production of forbs and browse was generally greater with triclopyr.
Economic Yield Response of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) to Postemergence Herbicides
Authors: Wilcut John W.
Published: January 2018

Field experiments were conducted in 1988 and 1989 to evaluate timing of POST herbicide application in peanut for annual broadleaf weed control, peanut yield, and net returns. Bentazon tank-mixtures with either acifluorfen or paraquat controlled common lambsquarters, prickly sida, and morningglory species equally when applied either at ground-cracking (GC) or 2 wk after ground-cracking (2WGC). Paraquat controlled common lambsquarters least (32 to 33%). Bentazon plus acifluorfen plus BCH 81508S controlled 82% common lambsquarters at 2WGC compared with 66% control from bentazon plus acifluorfen plus a crop oil concentrate. Lactofen controlled 86% common lambsquarters when applied at GC compared to 34% at 2WGC. All applications applied at 4 wk after GC (4WGC) controlled essentially no annual broadleaf weeds. Higher yields and net returns were generally obtained with earlier herbicide applications. Bentazon tank-mixtures with acifluorfen provided equivalent peanut yields and net returns for GC and 2WGC applications.
Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Growth Stage Effect on Paraquat Bioactivity
Authors: Anderson Randy L. , Nielsen David C.
Published: January 2018

Paraquat was applied at 0.28 and 0.56 kg ai ha-1to winter wheat at five growth stages at 0800, 1300, and 1600 hr to determine whether growth stage or time of application influenced winter wheat response to paraquat. Paraquat bioactivity was affected by growth stage. Biomass reduction by paraquat was 84% when winter wheat was in the 1 to 3 leaf stage, but only 68% when application was delayed until tillering. Paraquat bioactivity continued to decrease at later growth stages. The time of day when paraquat was applied did not affect its bioactivity on winter wheat.
Errors in diagnosis of infective endocarditis
Authors: Naderi HR. , Sheybani F. , Erfani S.S.
Published: January 2018

Infective endocarditis (IE) is now the third or fourth most common life-threatening infectious disease. The high morbidity and mortality rates in the absence of appropriate care necessitate a thorough understanding of the obstacles towards the early diagnosis and management of IE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of discrepancy in diagnosis (i.e. discrepancy between the reason for admission and discharge diagnosis) and associated factors in patients with IE. It was a retrospective review of hospital records of all adult patients admitted in a 1000-bed academic general hospital in Mashhad, Iran with the discharge diagnosis of IE. Discrepancy in diagnosis on admission was observed in 64 (54.2%) of 118 episodes of IE. For patients with discrepant diagnosis, the odds of poor outcome were more than two times higher than the odds of those with the non-discrepant diagnosis. Multivariate analysis identified the only history of prosthetic valve replacement as an independent factor in predicting non-discrepant diagnosis. We suggest that in facing a patient with the complex clinical scenario, proposing a comprehensive clinical syndrome that includes predisposing factors instead of a symptom or finding-based diagnosis can help making the differential diagnosis more accurate.
Financial crises at insurance companies: learning from the demise of the National Surety Company during the Great Depression
Authors: Rose Jonathan D.
Published: January 2018

This article explores the economic issues related to financial crises at insurance companies, using an example from the Great Depression, the National Surety Company. National Surety was a large and diverse American insurance company that experienced a major crisis in 1933 due to losses from its guarantees of mortgage-backed securities. I find that policyholders were able to stage a massive run on the company by demanding the return of their unearned premiums. A key dynamic of the crisis was that policyholders at an insurance company have a dual role as holders of liabilities and as providers of income. In addition, I establish that government officials believed National Surety to be systemically important, due to the size of its insurance business and because many of its counterparties were societal actors that these officials sought to protect. As a result, the New York State Insurance Commissioner used emergency powers to reorganize the company, with the goal of providing continuity to its business lines outside mortgage-backed security insurance.
Early Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: Faunal Changes Among Vertebrates
Authors: Fraser Nicholas C.
Published: January 2018

The past decade has seen many advances in research on vertebrate faunas of the Triassic period. The end of the Triassic now is cited widely as the dawn of modern terrestrial ecosystems, and currently the earliest mammals, turtles, lissamphibians (frogs, toads and salamanders), lizards, and crocodiles are all documented from this period. Admittedly many of these early members of present day higher order taxa were very different from their modern counterparts. For instance, the earliest crocodiles were highly active cursorial forms (e.g., Crush, 1984), and the mammals were very different to the living placentals and marsupials. Nevertheless, they possessed many of the key morphological characteristics that diagnose the group and that may well have contributed to their ultimate success. However, the Triassic was also a time of bizarre and enigmatic tetrapods, some of whose relationships are the subject of considerable debate. Indeed, in the last year this debate has reached new heights with suggestions that certain rather unusual Triassic non-dinosaurian tetrapods may have more bearing on bird origins than theropod dinosaurs. This debate has been fueled by the discoveries of feathered dinosaurs from China which, on the face of it, one might expect to dampen the search for alternative hypotheses regarding bird origins.
Coming in from the cold. From psychiatric to general hospital. The Irish experience
Authors: Walsh Dermot
Published: January 2018

The metamorphosis from an extensive mental hospital system of care, rooted in a culture and tradition of self-sufficiency and isolation, to the concept and practise of delivery of psychiatric care in general hospitals is described. The obstacles, psychological and practical, to be overcome in this change process are outlined. The place of the general hospital psychiatric unit in psychiatric and general medical care is outlined. Relevant matters of design and management are briefly explored.
How should financial support for research be distributed to Universities? The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in England and Wales
Authors: Goldberg David , Mann Anthony
Published: January 2018

In the United Kingdom, the “Research Assessment Exercise” is used by central government as a way of distributing infra-structure funds to University departments to support research. Departments with the highest ratings get extra support, while departments with low ratings may have their existing support withdrawn. The paper describes an exercise aimed at improving the rating obtained by one such department.
A fixed axis coiling model for the living planktonic foraminifer Globigerinella siphonifera
Authors: Bijma Jelle , Huber Brian T. , Hemleben Christoph
Published: January 2018

Two morphotypes of Globigerinella siphonifera (Types I and II) can be clearly distinguished in their natural environment based on differences in symbiont distribution, which is dependent on the structure of the pseudopodial network. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that the life cycle and ecological requirements of Types I and II differ considerably as well. However, qualitative observation of the empty shells reveals no significant differences between these two morphotypes. Therefore, a “fixed-axis” coiling model has been developed to simulate foraminiferal shell morphology with a computer. The model is based on the assumption that isometry is the primary rule implemented in planktonic foraminiferal development. Four parameters (rate of radius increase, number of chambers per whorl, translation rate, and relative distance from the center of any chamber to the coiling axis) and two scaling factors (initial chamber size and number of chambers) suffice to generate geometric models of the shells of these planispirally coiled organisms.

Values for the four parameters extracted from digitized SEM microphotographs of dissected specimens of G. siphonifera demonstrate significant differences between the Types I and II. These are primarily due to a different rate of radius increase and a different number of chambers per whorl. Type I has a higher rate, which in combination with its lower number of chambers per whorl results in a more lobate test and a 22% smaller adult shell size than Type II. We suggest that the smaller surface area-to-volume ratio in the Type I population can be explained by increased respiration due to higher oxygen production during symbiotic photosynthesis; TEM has demonstrated that Type II contains twice as many symbionts than Type I and each symbiont contains a higher concentration of chloroplasts.

The fixed axis model was also used to describe the ontogeny of G. siphonifera. The model shows that early chambers in log-spirally coiled structures must deviate from a strict isometric arrangement. To maintain exponential growth, the juvenile stage of Types I and II is more planispiral, more umbilicated, and contains more chambers per whorl than the adult stage. Future investigations will focus on the transformation of the shape parameters during later ontogenetic development and during cladogenesis.
Biological basis for taphonomic patterns in the trilobite fossil record
Authors: Brandt Danita
Published: January 2018

Appreciating the biological component of taphonomic patterns is necessary for accurately interpreting the mode of formation of fossiliferous assemblages. This study documents taphonomic patterns in three Late Ordovician trilobite genera (Flexicalymene, Isotelus, Ceraurus) and identifies four biological factors that affect incorporation of trilobite exoskeletal elements into the fossil record:

1) Exoskeletal architecture. Recurring patterns of displaced tergites and points of disartiuclation indicate differential susceptibility of the exoskeleton during ecdysis, and presumably also during decay of a carcass. Disolcations are most common at articulation points, e.g., between cephalon and thorax, among thoracic segments, and between the thorax and pygidium. There is no evidence that facial sutures were lines of weakness except during ecdysis.

2) Exoskeletal thickness. Thickness is a better predictor of preservation potential than the position, shape, function, or size of a tergite. For example, Ceraurus and Flexicalymene have hypostomata of similar shape and size, but the thicker Ceraurus hypostoma is more frequently preserved (or at least identified) than the thin ventral plate of Flexicalymene.

3) Ecdysis. Molting potentially releases the greatest number of trilobite tergites to the fossil record. Molt ensembles are recognized by recurring assemblages of tergites (e.g., thoracopygidia, cephalothorax, multiple thoracic segments) although individual elements (e.g., hypostomata and librigenae) are shed as well. Distinguishing individual molt elements from tergites disarticulated via scavenging or post-mortem transport of carcass or exuvia is problematic. Ecdysis often releases intact exoskeletal elements: most breakage probably occurs later. during post-ecdysial transport or scavenging of the exuvia.

4) Predation/scavenging. These effects are characterized by broken (vs. disarticulated) exoskeletal elements. The impact of these processes on the trilobite fossil record is difficult to assess: sublethal wounds are easiest to recognize, the product of successful predation/scavenging is most often unidentifiable comminuted trilobite debris. The products of successful predation/scavenging are identified as such indirectly by their association with the remains of possible predators or by their presence in coprolites.
The genesis and preservation of biomarkers in the sedimentary record: an experimental study of the alga Emiliania huxleyi
Authors: Briggs Derek E.G. , Getliff John M. , Leftley John W. , Maxwell James R. , Parkes R. John. , Teece Mark
Published: January 2018

The distribution of molecular markers in sediments provides a reservoir of unique information concerning biogeochemical processes in the geological past, and how these processes respond to environmental change. However, sedimentary systems themselves are biologically dynamic and these markers, and their precursors, have been subjected to bacterial degradation and modification. Recent research indicates that key changes in sedimented organic matter take place during the earliest stages of sediment burial and diagenesis where bacterial activity is also intense. Hence, effective interpretation of the distribution of biomarkers from deep sediment layers and sedimentary rocks requires knowledge of the rates and processes of bacterial decomposition under a range of environmental conditions.

Algae are important primary producers in the marine environment. The prymnesiophyte alga Emiliania huxleyi was selected as a subject for study as it is a source of long chain ketones which are geochemically important biomarkers. The ratio of the ketones C37:2 to C37:3 is temperature sensitive and has been used as a palaeotemperature indicator (UK37).

Preliminary sediment slurry incubations were carried out to optimize experimental design (concentration of decay organism, concentration of sediment in slurry, ability to obtain defined microbial environments over long term incubations, aerobic and anaerobic), and quantitative analytical scheme (extraction and separation technique, type and concentration of internal standards). Subsequent experiments on aerobic bacterial degradation of E. huxleyi demonstrated rapid increase in bacterial activity and biomass. This was accompanied by major changes in lipid classes. The dominant aliphatic hydrocarbons, three isomers of nC31:2, were rapidly degraded and completely removed by 78 days. In contrast, in preliminary anaerobic incubations, the same compounds remained unchanged. By 78 days a significant reduction in the total algal sterols was accompanied by a small increase in total stanols; hence the cholestanol/cholesterol ratio increased markedly. The abundance of the long chain unsaturated ketone C37:3 decreased relative to C37:2 resulting in an increase in the UK37 ratio. The reasons for these changes are unclear. However, they indicate that bacterial degradation may have to be taken into account in the interpretation of UK37 ratios in terms of paleotemperatures.

Further experiments are in progress to clarify the interpretation of these results and provide information on the more recalcitrant biomarkers.
New material of the ichthyosaur

Mixosaurus nordenskioeldii

from the Triassic of British Columbia, and the interspecific relationships of

Mixosaurus
Authors: Brinkman Donald B. , Nicholls Elizabeth L. , Callaway Jack M.
Published: January 2018

New material of Mixosaurus nordenskioeldii from the Middle Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation of Wapiti Lake, British Columbia, includes cranial elements with complete upper and lower dentitions, and associated post-cranial material. It demonstrates that skulls with a Phalarodon-like dentition are associated with a Mixosaurus type of post-cranium. The upper and lower dentitions differ in the degree of anteroposterior elongation of the molariform teeth and in the rate of tooth differentiation. These new specimens demonstrate that the separation of the Svalbard material into Phalarodon and Mixosaurus (Merriam, 1911; Wiman, 1916) represents a separation of upper and lower dentitions and confirms that Phalarodon fraasi is the junior synonym of Mixosaurus nordenskioeldii.

Mixosaurus nordenskioeldii is more derived than M. cornalianus in the following characters: 1) Anterior end of both jaws edentulous, 2) Posterior crushing teeth laterally compressed domes, elongate anterolaterally, 3) Skull with large parietal crest, extending well forward between the orbits, 4) Sixth digit present in manus (developed from a neomorph in M. cornalianus).

A well preserved stapes is present in the new material of Mixosaurus from British Columbia. This is one of the oldest preserved ichthyosaur stapes and demonstrates that this element was primitively long and slender in the Ichthyopterygia.

The cheek region in Mixosaurus is formed by two large bones traditionally identified as the quadratojugal and the squamosal. The homologies of these elements are reinterpreted as the squamosal and the supratemporal.
Late Cenozoic turnover in the Caribbean reef coral fauna
Authors: Budd Ann F. , Stemann Thomas A. , Johnson Kenneth G.
Published: January 2018

Study of the stratigraphic ranges of reef coral species in scattered sequences (Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Florida) suggests that a major episode of faunal turnover occurred in the Caribbean region between early Pliocene and mid Pleistocene time. In a data set composed of all reef corals except the families Mussidae and Oculinidae and the genera Cladocora and Madracis, approximately 90% of the Mio-Pliocene fauna, composed of as many as 65–70 species, became extinct during this time interval. Ten of 27 genera became extinct. Despite the high numbers of extinctions, the total number of species in the Caribbean reef coral fauna dropped only slightly over the time interval, due to similar numbers of originations and extinctions in the fauna. With one possible exception, new species arose in surviving genera, and no new genera formed.

Although similar numbers of species became extinct within early Pliocene, late Pliocene, and early Pleistocene time units, shallow water communities experienced higher numbers of extinctions during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Deeper water communities experienced higher numbers of extinctions during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene. Species surviving the turnover episode occur in deeper water communities and belong predominantly to the family Agariciidae. Nearshore grass flat communities contain the highest number of early extinctions. No difference in extinction patterns could be detected between taxa which reproduce primarily by fragmentation and those that reproduce primarily by larval recruitment. Although originations appear evenly distributed among community types, a large number occur in Florida along the northern margin of faunal distribution.

The increased extinctions in shallow water communities and increased originations in the north suggest that turnover occurred primarily in response to change in abiotic factors such as temperature and siltation, and not in response to species-area effects associated with sea level change.
Arthropods from North Greenland: exceptional data in the ‘Cambrian explosion’ debate
Authors: Budd Graham E.
Published: January 2018

'Sirius Passet’ fauna arthropods from the Lower Cambrian Buen Formation of North Greenland form the major component of this exceptionally preserved biota. Early mineralisation of body cavities led to internal anatomy being preserved more readily than external structures such as limbs. Musculature and gut are known in three dimensional form. Many of the taxa present are more easily compared to extant arthropods than to flattened fossil material such as from the Burgess Shale.

The most common arthropod is represented by some 1600 specimens. Although widely differing in preservational style, these specimens may be reconciled to provide a coherent model of the three-dimensional anatomy of the arthropod. The affinities of this arthropod lie with the ‘Cheliceromorph’ rather than the Crustacean biramous-limbed arthropods, and may represent a fairly advanced lineage within the clade.

Recent discussions of the patterns produced by the early metazoan radiations have concentrated on data available from the Burgess Shale. The continuing discovery and description of other Cambrian lagerstätten such as from North Greenland and Chengjiang has highlighted the degree to which the Burgess Shale fauna should be considered to be an aliquot taken from the foment of the ‘Cambrian Explosion’. The discovery of more taxa is tending to flesh out the bare bones of the Burgess fauna. Conclusions about phylogentic patterns drawn from the Burgess Shale alone may thus be premature.

Body patterning in the arthropods, and the validity of the ‘Bauplan’ concept may be investigated by consideration of the actual mechanisms available for profound morphological change. One promising route is provided by the ‘homeotic’ and other hierarchically arranged developmental genes. When the mode of action of these genes is considered in conjunction with phylogenetic methods, it may prove possible to assess evolutionary pathways in terms of the feasibility of the morphological changes required by them rather than relying on what seems inherently reasonable or on marginal advantages in parsimony. Exceptionally preserved biotas also contain the evidence for the evolution of the developmental mechanisms themselves.