Some clinical aspects of caprine reproduction

Several clinical reproductive problems in the female dairy goat are considered, including estrus detection, artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, abortions, and periparturient difficulties. Sexual behavior of the buck, onset of puberty, techniques for semen collection and evaluation, the production of teaser animals, and methods of castration are also discussed. Recognition of the intersex goat, which may have a masculine, feminine, or intermediate phenotype, is necessary in herds where naturally polled animals are bred.

Mastitis and other diseases of the goat's udder

Udder problems of modern dairy goats are similar to those seen in dairy cows. Anomalies of the goat's udder and teats are common, and many may be hereditary. Skin diseases of the udder include viral infections, mange, sunburn, wounds, and staphylococcal dermatitis. There are numerous known causes of caprine mastitis. These include streptococci, hemolytic and nonhemolytic staphylococci, corynebacteria, and mycoplasmas. Diagnosis of mastitis in goats is often difficult, as the udder secretion may remain grossly normal and somatic cell counts in nonmastitic goats are higher than the recognized normal range for cows. The importance of nonhemolytic staphylococcal cultures remains uncertain. Nonhemolytic staphylococci were isolated at the New York State Mastitis Laboratory from 30% of normal halves and from 22% of halves of udders from goats with assorted clinical problems. Treatment and prophylaxis of caprine mastitis closely parallel the standard technique recommended for bovine mastitis.

Drug product advertising and prescribing: a review of the evidence

A review of the effect of advertising drug products in medical journals on the prescribing of drugs is presented. The scope of advertisiig, the content of advertising, the latent effects of advertising, the effects of advertising on prescribing, and the social costs and benefits of advertising are discussed. Advertising for antibiotic and psychotropic drug products is reviewed in some detail. It is concluded that there is inconclusive evidence that the pharmaceutical industry, through journal advertising, is persuading physicians to prescribe drugs too often or unwisely, or both. It is suggested that pharmacists study the information needs of health care practioners and provide good drug information services.

Government regulation and the believability of prescription drug advertising. An application of attribution theory and test of symbolic impact

An experimental study was undertaken to assess the impact of governmental regulation on the believability of prescription drug advertising. The specific variables investigated were symbolic impact and fair balance. Mock advertisements were developed for four tricyclic antidepressant drugs. Symbolic impact was operationalized by portraying the advertisements as originating from U.S. medical journals (i.e., regulated) or Mexican medical journals (i.e., unregulated). Fair balance was operationally defined as the inclusion of a brief summary in the advertisement. A nonrandom sample of twenty-four physicians saw four advertisements representing the four treatment combinations. On a self-administered questionnaire, they indicated their confidence in the information contained in the advertisement. A two-factor, repeated measures randomized block factorial design was employed in the analysis. The results indicated that the presence of fair balance was significantly associated with higher levels of believability; the symbolic impact factor was non-significantly associated with believability.

Nutrition and responses to zero gravity

Prior to the Mercury program, extensive efforts were undertaken to find ways of minimizing the mass of in-flight food systems. Such efforts were directed to the use of dehydrated, energy-dense foodstuffs and to the possibilities of nutrient recyclization. As the space program became a reality, nutritional scientists were more concerned with the mechanics of food consumption in weightless flight and with the problems of structuring convention foods in a way that would facilitate their use in weightlessness. It soon became clear that there was no substantial impediment to normal gastrointestinal function in flight, and attention was shifted to more subtle metabolic phenomenons. It became apparent that slight changes occurred in skeletal density, muscle mass, and overall body composition. Recognition of these changes led to extensive ground-based simulation studies and carefully designed in-flight experiments. Data are presented on the requirements for metabolic energy in flight and on the losses that have been observed in the major elemental constituents of the body. It is concluded that convincing evidence is not yet avialable on the ability of man to adapt to long-term weightless flight. Although his nutritional requirements are qualitatively similar during flight, the sophisticated manipulation of nutrient profiles shows promise of counteracting some of the deteriorative processes that are known to occur.

Drug therapy of patients treated in hospitals for duodenal ulcers

Drug therapy in hospitalized patients treated for duodenal ulcer disease was reviewed retrospectively. The information was obtained by the means of a medical audit of patient records indexed by the discharge diagnosis of duodenal ulcers. A total of 485 cases were abstracted. Antacids were found to be the cornerstone of duodenal ulcer drug therapy. Anticholinergic drugs occupied a central role throughout the medical treatment of duodenal ulcers. The investigators identified a need for the dissemination of information concerning the use of anticholinergics in duodenal ulcer patients experiencing the complications of hemorrhage and obstruction.

Methyldopa and propranolol or practolol in moderate hypertension

The effect of a low dose of methyldopa combined with (a) a non-selective and (b) a selective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist was studied in a double-blind crossover trial in 24 carefully selected patients with moderate hypertension (mean initial lying blood pressure 189/117 mm Hg). Each patient received methyldopa 750 mg/day, propranolol 240 mg/day, practolol 600 mg/day, methyldopa 750 mg/day combined with propranolol 240 mg/day, methyldopa 750 mg/day combined with practolol 600 mg/day, and placebo for four weeks each according to a random sequence. After four weeks of therapy the most effective treatment, methyldopa combined with propranolol, reduced lying and standing blood pressures by 36-5/21-4 mm Hg and 44-7/25 mm Hg respectively. Thic combination had similar effects to those of the combination of methyldopa with the cardioselective agent practolol except that it reduced lying diastolic pressure further. The combination was more effective than either treatment alone. No significant differences were found between the effects of propranolol, practolol, or methyldopa at the doses used.

Propranolol in hypertension: a dose-response study

The effect of propranolol was studied in a double-blind crossover trial in 24 carefully selected hypertensive outpatients. Each patient received propranolol 60 mg/day, 120 mg/day, 240 mg/day, and placebo for four weeks each according to a randomised sequence. Propranolol 60 mg/day was no better than placebo in reducing blood pressure. The effects of propranolol 120 mg/day and 240 mg/day were not significantly different. Both doses reduced lying blood pressure by about 20/10 mm Hg from an initial level of 173/104 mm Hg. No difference was detected between the effects of the different doses of propranolol and placebo on weight or on the occurrence of adverse reactions.

Patient responses to being transferred during hospitalization

When eight clinical nurse specialists and a nurse research consultant studied within-hospital transfers of patients, they found that most patients knew the reason for transfer and were neutral in reaction about it. There were no differences for sex, previous hospitalizations, frequency of transfer, age, or clinical nursing unit from which they were transferred.

Mineral and nitrogen balance study observations: the second manned Skylab mission

A metabolic study of the effects of space flight on various chemical elements, particularly those with special revelance to the musculoskeletal system, was carried out on the three astronauts of the SL-3 mission for 21 d preflight, during the 60 d flight phase, and for 17 d postflight. The study required of the cooperating crewmen quite constant dietary intake, continuous 24-hour urine collections and total fecal collections. Urinary calcium was significantly increased during flight in all three crewmen with man-to-man variation in pattern and amount; the degree of calcium loss was, in general, similar to that in the prior study of the 28-d Skylab flight (SL-2). The similarity to bedrest immobilization in the pattern of urinary calcium increases and of total calcium shifts suggested that calcium losses would continue for a very long time. Significant losses of nitrogen and phosphorus occurred that were associated with observed reduction in muscle tissue. Both mineral and muscle losses occurred despite vigorous exercise regimens during flight. It was concluded that these studies give warning that capable musculoskeletal function may be significantly impaired during prolonged space flights lasting 1.5 to 3 years unless protective measures are developed.

Constant returns to scale for prescription dispensing in U.S. community pharmacy

By using data from a sample of 1767 community pharmacies, a total cost function was estimated by a polynomial regression of total cost on output. The Cobb-Douglas production function was estimated by a multiple linear regression of natural logarithmic transformations of output on natural logarithmic transformation of labor and capital. No economies of scale were found in prescription departments. Cost data led to a conclusion of constant marginal costs.