Biomedical subjects

J L Albright

Publications and source records attributed to J L Albright.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Operative mortality rates after elective infrarenal aortic reconstructions.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to test the hypothesis that cardiac complications (myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, fatal arrhythmias) are no longer the leading cause of death after elective aortic reconstructions. METHODS: The medical records of all elective infrarenal aortic reconstructions performed between January 1982 and June 1994 were retrospectively reviewed. All perioperative deaths were analyzed to determine the cause of death and were compared with a subset of 266 survivors to identify any associated preoperative or intraoperative factors. RESULTS: Seven hundred twenty-two aortic reconstructions were performed for aneurysmal or occlusive disease, and there were 44 deaths (overall mortality rate of 6.1%). The mortality rate after aortic reconstruction alone was 4.9% and increased with the addition of renal (8.9%, p = 0.16) or lower extremity vascular procedures (15.8%, p = 0.01). Multisystem organ failure (MSOF) was the cause of death in 56.8%, of the patients (3.5% overall mortality rate) followed by cardiac events in 25% (1.5% overall mortality rate). Visceral organ dysfunction was the most common cause of MSOF leading to death in 14 patients (56.0%), and postoperative pneumonia was responsible for the fatal MSOF in nine patients (36.0%). Patient age, history of myocardial infarction/congestive heart failure, ejection fraction less than 50%, duration of operative time, and performance of additional procedures were associated with increased operative mortality rates by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: MSOF, predominantly from visceral organ dysfunction, was the leading cause of death after elective infrarenal aortic reconstruction. The risk of MSOF and operative death increases with the complexity of the procedure and the number of comorbid conditions.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

Effects of isolation of calves on growth, behavior, and first lactation milk yield of Holstein cows.

Holstein (n = 323) calves in the herds of four experiment stations were reared individually (control) or in isolation to 70 d of age to determine whether isolation affected growth, behavior, and first lactation yield. Treatment differences were not observed for average daily gain for BW at d 28, 56 or 70. Postweaning approach distance was measured in two herds (n = 122; n = 28). Detailed pre and post-weaning behaviors were reported in one herd (n = 26). Isolation did not affect subsequent milk yield or culling percentages. In a second experiment, seven pairs of monozygous twins and a set of identical triplet calves were obtained by transferring split embryos into recipients, one member of each pair was reared in a group, and the twin was reared in isolation. Early rearing previously had been found to affect growth, feed intake, dominance rank, and learning ability of calves, and, in our study, the subsequent milk yield of calves reared in isolation tended to average more than for calves in groups. Intraclass correlations between monozygous twin pairs for milk, fat, relative value milk, and relative value fat were lower than anticipated. These data indicate that preweaning isolation did not affect first lactation milk yield traits.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed1990

Effect of particle size of forage and rumen cannulation upon chewing activity and laterality in dairy cows.

Three ruminally cannulated Holstein dairy cows housed in free stalls (with .7% slope) were fed three total mixed rations, differing in silage particle size, in a 3 x 3 Latin square design. Observations on cow behavior were made every 5 min during 24 h for each of three periods. Additional observations of six cows (three intact, three cannulated) housed under identical conditions yielded information concerning recumbent rumination activity and laterality. Results indicated that decreasing particle size of forage reduced time spent ruminating, whether standing or recumbent, and had no effect upon rumination rate or number of rumination bouts per 24-h period. Eating time was unaffected by treatment. Effect of forage particle size upon baseline rumination activity appeared to be most pronounced from 0800 to 2000 h, although maximum rumination activity occurred during nighttime hours. Ruminally cannulated cows demonstrated increased right-side laterality (70%) compared with intact cows (47%), but the cows tend to ruminate while lying on their left side. The percentage of time spent ruminating while recumbent on the left side was similar (55%) for intact and cannulated cows.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Early experience.

Because regulatory mechanisms are not fully developed in neonates, they are particularly susceptible to environmental influences on behavior. Events early in life have the potential for multiplicative effects. Perinatal stress appears to alter the function of the HHA axis in an adaptive manner. Optimal levels of stress might therefore be used in the rearing of domestic animals. Further research, including an assessment of animals' welfare, is needed. The early social environment is of critical importance in behavioral ontogeny. Social conditions other than those with which a species has evolved, such as isolation, rearing without conspecifics, or rearing in single-sex groups, can alter later behavior. Effects on agonistic and sexual behavior, in particular, have been well researched. The types of learning involved in primary socialization are not directly known for most farm species, although other features of socialization are well documented. Nutrition plays an obvious role in physical development. Less obviously, it appears that a low plane of nutrition or protein deficiency can permanently impair learning ability through a decrease in the number of brain neurons.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

PubMed1987

Dairy animal welfare: current and needed research.

Of 25 milestones in dairy animal welfare, 10 were linked to laws and regulations, 9 to research, education, and development, 4 to books and publications, and 2 to human error (accidents). Animal rightists have attacked the dairy industry because of farm conditions, bovine somatotropin, overproduction of milk, dairy lobbies, and advertising of milk products. Evidence from Europe suggests that animal welfare has been largely promoted as a sociopolitical issue by nonagriculturalists. Codes, guidelines, and recommendations are well-established for northern Europe. The American Veterinary Medical Association Animal Welfare Committee has prepared the pamphlet on food animal welfare and addressed specific bovine welfare issues in its guide for veal calf care and production. From 1978 to 1986, only four US experiment station projects were concerned with dairy animal welfare. Needed research includes studying learned helplessness; analysis and economics of alternative husbandry systems for veal calves (and cows) freestall design and surfaces; and shade, cooling, and misting of mangers and holding pens prior to entering the parlor. Alert caretakers are encouraged to read behavior signals of cattle. Increased standing of cattle is often taken now as a sign of discomfort or discontent in studies of cow and calf confinement. Criteria that should be considered in assessing welfare or well-being are behavior, health, musculoskeletal soundness, productivity, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and reproduction.

Animal Welfare↗

PubMed1986

Influence of feeding time and diet on time of parturition in multiparous ewes.

Three hundred three pregnant ewes were randomly allotted to treatments in a 2 (diet) X 2 (feeding time) factorial arrangement 10 d before the first lambs were due in two lambing seasons to study the effect of time of feeding and diet on time of lambing. Behavioral activities were observed to determine if there was a relationship to time of parturition. All ewes were fed .5 kg ground whole corn per day plus either: alfalfa hay fed at 2200 each day, alfalfa hay fed at 1000 each day, alfalfa haylage fed at 2200 each day or alfalfa haylage fed at 1000 each day. Lambing data from 1983 and 1984 were combined across years because no treatment X year interactions (P greater than .05) were detected. Average time of day for lambing did not differ (P greater than .05) among treatments. In general, no differences due to treatments were observed in lambing time or behavioral activities studied. When data were pooled across treatments, two peak lambing times were observed. These peak times for lambing were from 0300 to 0700 (22.1%) and from 1500 to 1900 (22.5%). During these two 4-h periods (8 h total) 44.6% of the ewes gave birth.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed1986

Relationships of sexual activities in estrous cows to different frequencies of observation and pedometer measurements.

Sexual activities were observed continuously for 120 h in Holstein dairy cows during moderate climate. Pedometer measurements of motor activity were correlated with total activities initiated, total activities received, mounts received, and time in estrus. Twelve of 14 individual sexual activities also were correlated on a within-cow basis with pedometer-measured increases in motor activity; disoriented mounts and licking front were not correlated to pedometer increases. Although observations of four 1-h and four or six 30-min observations accounted for greater variation, pedometer increases in activity accounted for as much variation in total sexual activities as periodic observations of 30 min or 1 h for 1 to 3 X /d. Combining periodic observations with pedometer measurements resulted in greater coefficients of determination for analyses of sexual activities than with each individual factor. Sexual activities and pedometer increases also were correlated positively with body condition score and day postpartum, and they were correlated negatively with milk production and body weight change since calving. Although mounting and total sexual activities were shifted significantly from expected on a quartile basis, shifts were probably not of practical significance and provided little evidence for more frequent occurrence of estrous activity during nocturnal periods. Rather, the most marked decrease in mounting and total sexual activities occurred at milking and feeding times, indicating that dairy farmers should be more concerned with disruptions of activities by management practices rather than nocturnal occurrence of estrus.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Sexual activity of Holstein cows: seasonal effects.

Continuous observations of Holstein dairy cows during natural and prostaglandin-induced estrus were conducted to determine effects of cold and hot weather on the degree and pattern of sexual activities, circadian profile of activities, and location of activities. Mounts with pelvic thrusts and mounts plus 12 other estrous-related activities for 73 cows were monitored for 96 h in cold weather and 120 h in hot weather. Eleven cows in hot weather with more than one mount were in estrus longer with less intensity of mounting than 16 cows in cold weather; climate did not affect mounts received or total activities initiated per cow. Number of cows in standing estrus affected mounts received per cow, total activities received per cow, and time in estrus but not activities initiated per animal. Two estrual cows in cold weather and 6 cows in hot weather received less than 2 mounts. Cows in cold weather had more (28%) total estrous activity as mounting activity than cows in hot weather (14%); cows in hot weather interacted more by rubbing and licking than cows in cold weather. Cows in cold weather had more mounting activity from 0600 to 1759 h (73%) than from 1800 to 0559 h (27%) and had more mounts from 1200 to 1759 h than cows in hot weather. During both cold and hot weather, sexual activities decreased at milking time. In the freestall housing with drylot, 80% of the mounting activity in both climates occurred in an outdoor drylot and feed manger area, which had best footing. These data indicate that climate affected mounting and total sexual activity of lactating dairy cows.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Raising dairy replacement heifers: a review of NC-119 cooperative research.

Scientists at 16 experiment stations have been involved in cooperative research to study methods of increasing efficiency and for improving management of dairy replacements. This research is part of the Regional Research Project NC-119 "Improving Large Dairy Herd Management Practices." Research objectives have concerned means of increasing efficiency of producing replacements for large dairy herds. Through cooperative research, important answers were found to questions involving nutrition, housing, and management for replacement animals. Between 1977 and 1982, over 50 articles have been published in journals and trade magazines on replacement animal rearing from research of the NC-119 project. These results should have wide impact and use on livestock management.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1983

Status of animal welfare awareness of producers and direction of animal welfare research in the future.

Most producers are as humane in their thinking and care of animals as are those people involved in the many activist organizations springing up around the United States. That there are no major problems of animal welfare with the dairy cow posed by changes of systems has been suggested. However, veal producers have been criticized for their production practices. The major areas to be resolved between animal welfare advocates and commercial veal producers is the matter of individual pens versus group systems that permit general freedom of movement. Recent developments of dairy cattle management that have improved the comfort and well-being of dairy cattle include raising of calves in individual pens or hutches; exercise prior to calving; change of flooring (grooving of concrete, use of dirt exercise lots, elimination of slats); use of free stalls rather than loose housing; use of materials to keep cows dry, clean, out of the mud, cool, and free from flies and pests; and elimination of stray voltage. Design of a system for animal welfare is only part of the solution. The most important factor in determining stress in the herd is the behavior, attitude, and consistency of the caretaker.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed1981

Cattle behavior.

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Animals↗

PubMed1976

Social rank and physiological traits of dairy cows as influenced by changing group membership.

Social behavior was observed in two groups of 17 cows during 13 wk to determine dominance rank. On the basis of dominance ranking during two bi-weekly intervals (wk 3 and 4, 7 and 8), a total of six cows was exchanged between groups (two during the first and four during the second exchange). The effect on milk yield, milk leucocyte concentration, and milk prolactin of dominance rank and introduction of "strange" cows into a group was studied. Dominance rank was greater for older, heavier, taller cows in a later stage of lactation. Fat-corrected-milk yield was greater for dominant cows but milk prolactin was lower. Dominace rank for cows moved to a new group did not change appreciably. Persistency of milk yield was associated negatively with dominance rank for five of six exchanged cows. Since the average persistency of milk yield for all cows dropped 5% from wk 7 to wk 8, it appears exchange of cows between groups affected both exchanged and nonexchanged cows in a random manner. Neither dominance rank nor exchanging cows between groups had a significant effect on leucocyte concentrations in milk. Milk-prolactin concentrations were most highly correlated with dominance rank, stage of lactation, body weight, and height at withers.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1974