The level of protein in the diet both before and during treatment with @-adrenergic agonist (BAA) was investigated with regard to its effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics of pigs. A total of 76 pigs were divided into two groups and given ad libitum access to diets containing either 12 or 18% crude protein ( C P during growth from 15 to 60 kg. At 60 kg, six pigs from each group were slaughtered and carcass composition was determined. For the test period (growth from 60 to 90 kg) the remainder of the pigs were divided into eight groups of eight pigs each. Half of the pigs from each of the two dietary pretreatment groups were switched to the other diet and half remained on the same diet. Of the four dietary groups, half were fed 0 m&g (controls) or 1 mgkg of BRL 47672. During the test period, all pigs were fed at 90% of their calculated ad libitum DE intake. All pigs were slaughtered at 90 kg and carcass composition was determined. Addition of BRL 47672 to the diet resulted in an overall improvement (P < .05) in daily gain (.72 vs .64 kg) and gaidfeed (.28 vs .26); the greatest improvement occurred with pigs fed the 18% CP diet (24 and 14% for daily gain and gain/ feed, respectively). Pigs that had received BRL 47672 also had 12% less backfat, 10% less carcass lipid, 16% larger longissimus muscle area, and 5% more carcass protein (P c .05 for each), and the greatest changes occurred in pigs fed the 18% CP diet (-26, -16, +21, and +lo%, respectively). However, comparing the two groups that had been fed the 18% CP diet, those pigs that had received the 12% CP diet before treatment responded less to BAA treatment than those that had received the 18% CP diet throughout the study. This suggests that pretreatment diet may influence subse- quent response to BAA treatment.

The aim of this study was to design and evaluate an audit structure for day case maxillofacial surgery, which may be applied to other surgical specialities. Retrospective and prospective data collection over a 3-month period revealed that the clinical standards set in advance of the audit procedure were achieved in five of the 11 criteria. In only two instances were the standards not met, only 46% of patients were seen within 3 months of the referral, against the 95% desired standard, and only 50% had surgery within 3 months of being seen, against the 95% standard. Future audit should be prospective but action should be taken as necessary to address the significant failure in achieving the set standards, thus completing the audit cycle.

The effect of ractopamine, a beta-adrenergic agonist, on growth, nutrient utilization, and carcass composition was studied in pigs fed either 18% CP, 12% CP, or 18% CP restricted (RES = 67% of ad libitum) diets. The 18 and 12% CP diets provided 3.52 and 3.68 Mcal of DE/kg, respectively. All pigs were fed a low-protein (12% CP) diet during pretreatment growth from 15 to 60 kg. Ractopamine at 20 or 30 ppm (30 ppm for RES pigs) in the diet was fed from 60 kg live BW until slaughter at 105 kg (9 pigs/treatment). No ractopamine treatment effect (P greater than .05) was observed for either daily gain or gain/feed, although gain/feed was improved by 8% in both of the ad libitum groups. Ractopamine treatment resulted (P less than .01) in an overall reduction of carcass lipid by 8%, an increase of carcass protein by 5%, and a 21% improvement in the efficiency of protein utilization; the greatest changes occurred in the pigs fed the 12% CP diet (-17%, +11%, and +32%, respectively). The ad libitum daily feed intake was 15% less for pigs fed the 12% CP diet than for those fed the 18% CP diet (P less than .01), and there was a 10% reduction in intake of both diets with the addition of ractopamine (P less than .05). Both carcass lipid and protein deposition seemed to be closely related to energy intake (P less than .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An experiment with crossbred swine was conducted over six generations of selection based on an index (Index) of average daily gain in weight (ADG) in a test period from 56 d of age to 91 kg gross weight and average backfat thickness (ABF) measured from ultrasonic scans at 91 kg. Test pigs of the high protein select (HS) and control (HC) lines were fed a 24% crude protein (CP) diet and pigs of the low protein select (LS) and control (LC) lines were fed a 12% CP diet during the test period. The extent of genetic (selection line) x environmental (dietary) interaction effects was determined based on feeding closely related boars and gilts from both the HS and LS lines on both diets. Tests were conducted in 1986 and 1987 with progeny of the fifth and sixth generations of selection. Records for 472 pigs sired by 37 boars and out of 101 dams were analyzed for effects of selection and diets on AGE of pig at 91 kg, ADG, ABF, LMA (longissimus muscle area at the last rib) and Index. Statistically significant interactions effects of line x diet were noted (P less than .01) for AGE, ADG and Index, traits with low to moderate heritabilities (h2). For ABF and LMA, body composition traits with moderate or higher h2, interaction effects of line x diet were near zero. These results suggest that for best all-around future performance, traits such as AGE and ADG, selection probably should be practiced under dietary conditions under which future populations will be produced. For body composition traits such as ABF and LMA, selection probably would be more effective if pigs were fed a more enriched protein diet. However, as a practical matter, to more rapidly improve the genetic merit of the swine population, both the central station and on-the-farm testing programs should be conducted under standard commercial production systems.

Experiments were conducted with dwarf (dw) and normal lines of chickens to determine the effect of sex, diet and line on lipogenesis in the 28-day-old chick. The chicks were fed diets containing 12, 18, 23 and 30% protein. In the first experiment, in vitro lipogenesis (incorporation of [2-14C] sodium acetate into hepatic fatty acids) as well as growth from 7 to 28 days of age were determined in males and females of both lines. In the second experiment, only males and females of the dwarf line were fed to determine the relative contribution of acetate and pyruvate to in vitro lipogenesis (incorporation of either [2-14C] sodium acetate or [2-14C] pyruvate into hepatic fatty acids). Chicks of the dwarf line were smaller (P less than .01) than were those of the normal line. Females of both lines were smaller (P less than .01) than males. In vitro lipogenesis was lower (P less than .01) in the dwarf line; however, the rate for both sexes within a given line was equal. An increase in the dietary protein decreased (P less than .05) in vitro lipogenesis in both lines. The use of pyruvate as an in vitro precursor indicated that the regulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism may be an integrated process involving pyruvate carboxylation and subsequent flux of pyruvate carbon into either glucose or fatty acids. Based on the data presented, there is no evidence to assume, that the dwarf gene per se influences lipogenesis.

Le pentachloronitrobenzene et l'hexachlorobenzene sont des contaminants potentiels de l'environnement a cause de leur utilisation comme fongicide. Ces composes sont transformes par divers organismes pour donner le pentachloromethylthiobenzene, lequel subit donc un nouveau metabolisme

Hepatitis B markers were determined by radioimmunoassay of serum samples from 1 495 Black subjects representative of the resident population of Kangwane, a rural area with a high incidence of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Pregnant women formed an important part of the study group, since it was intended to assess the frequency of perinatal transmission and the passive immunity of their infants, two factors which would markedly influence an infant immunization programme. A high overall marker positivity rate was found, indicating that hepatitis B is endemic. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier rate was 14,6% in adult males and 4,6% in adult females, while 82.6% of adult males and 69,4% of adult females were positive for at least one marker, indicating that infection had been present at some stage. Of infants under 1 year of age 34,5% were positive for antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs), compared with 9,3% at 13-24 months, which indicates that transplacental transfer of anti-HBs is frequent. Other markers were acquired even in the 1st year of life, with the sharpest increase at 3-11 years. Perinatal transmission was not common, however, and horizontal transmission during early childhood seemed to play an important role. It was concluded that the risk and frequency of infection justified a vaccine trial in this population and that the target group for vaccination should be infants under 1 year of age.

Three injections of 10 μg/ml hepatitis B vaccine (Merck) given in the first week after birth, a month later and again at the age of six months to 63 neonates in a rural African population, elicited an antibody response in 93 per cent. The initial hepatitis B marker status of the babies and mothers did not influence the results at nine months. Side-effects were minor and we conclude that the vaccine can effectively and safely be used from birth in endemic situations.

Isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated for 4 hr with [phenyl-U-14C]2,4,5-trimethyl-N-phenyl-3-furancarboxamide ([14C]methfuroxam). 14C-Labeled metabolites were isolated by solvent extraction, column chromatography, and high-pressure liquid chromatography, and were then characterized by analysis of infrared and mass spectra. Metabolism of [14C]methfuroxam by isolated hepatocytes included: (1) hydroxylation of the 2-, 4-, and 5-methyl groups on the furan ring; (2) hydroxylation at the para position of the benzene ring; (3) combinations of 1 and 2; (4) the addition of a sulfur-containing adjunct to the methylfuran moiety; and (5) conjugation of 1–4. Rats given a single intragastric dose of [14C]methfuroxam excreted 56% of the 14C in the urine and 42% in the feces within 54 hr. Metabolism of [14C]methfuroxam by the intact rats included: (1) hydroxylation of the methylfuran moiety; (2) hydroxylation of the benzene ring; (3) the addition of S-methyl, methyl sulfoxide, and other sulfur-containing groups to methfuroxam; (4) combinations of 1–3; and (5) conjugation of 1–4.