Histologic and histomorphometric analysis of bone regeneration with bovine grafting material after 24 months of healing. A case report

Anorganic bovine bone mineral matrix (ABBMM) has been reported to have osteoconductive properties and no inflammatory or adverse responses when used as grafting material in sinus augmentation procedures. However, controversy remains in regard to degradation rate of ABBMM. The aim of this study was to histologically and histomorphometrically evaluate the degradation of ABBMM in human bone samples obtained in one patient 24 months after sinus augmentation. Materials and Methods: The histologic and histomorphometric analysis was performed by means of light microscopy in three specimens harvested from the same patient, Results: After 24 months the tissue pattern appeared to be composed of residual particles, some in close contact with the newly formed bone, others separated by translucent areas and osteoid tissues. Newly-formed bone presented different levels of maturation and numerous osteocytes, with greater numbers in bone closer to the grafted particles (27.3% vs. 11.2%, p < 0.05). The histomorphometric analysis showed mean values of 40.84% newly-formed bone, 33.58% residual graft material, 23.84% marrow spaces, and 1.69% osteoid tissue, Conclusions: Even though ABBMM underwent considerable resorption, a great amount of residual grafting material was still present after two years of healing following sinus augmentation. This study confirms that the bovine grafts can be classified as long-term degradation materials

A Qualitative Approach to Transfer of Training for Managers in Leadership Development

Learning and development (L&D) professionals in a Fortune 500 company were unable to determine whether managers who completed leadership development courses were transferring what they learned to their work practices. The purpose of this qualitative single instrumental case study was to uncover the factors that accelerated or impeded the transfer of training for employees in the workplace. The conceptual framework was social cognitive learning theory with emphasis on the triadic reciprocal causation model. Guiding questions were used to explore 2 areas: (a) how managers described their preparedness to transfer the training to their jobs, and (b) how managers described their perceptions of the transfer of training from the concepts learned in class to practical job application. Data were collected through one-on-one online interviews with 12 managers who had completed a leadership development course. Data analysis included organizing the data; reading them multiple times; developing codes, categories, and themes; and interpreting the findings. Over 90% of the participants stated that they felt prepared to implement the training after the class. However, only half reported a moderate to high level of confidence incorporating the training into their work. A 3-day professional development project was designed to heighten awareness of the benefits of advancing the transference and application of training with a strong focus on driving social change in the workplace through improved interpersonal skills between managers and their direct reports

The Louisiana Calf-to-Carcass program: growth and carcass traits

Feedlot and carcass data from 1,533 weanling steers consigned to the Louisiana Calf-to-Carcass program from 1992 to 1998 were used to evaluate the influence of feeder calf grade, sire breed, and initial feedlot weight on growth and carcass traits. Each October, spring born calves were delivered to Clinton, Ruston, or Lake Charles loadout sites. Steers were identified by sire breed, tagged, weighed, assigned a feeder calf grade. Forty-six, 18, 26, and 10 percent of the steers graded large frame-thick muscle, large frame-moderate muscle, medium frame-thick muscle, and medium frame-moderate muscle, respectively. Steers were trucked to a commercial feedlot and sorted into pen lots based on predicted harvest weight and grade. Steers were harvested at approximately 1 cm fat thickness. Steers were grouped by breed of sire origin into American (Beefmaster, Braford, Brahman, Brangus, Gelbray, Red Brangus, Simbrah), English (Angus, Hereford, Red Poll), and European (Braunvieh, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Limousin, Salers, Simmental) sire breed groups. Growth and carcass traits were analyzed with a linear mixed model that included year-location as random and feeder calf grade, sire breed group, and feeder calf grade x sire breed group as fixed sources of variation. Large frame steers had .05 ± .02 kg greater feedlot average daily gain, 21 ± 4 and 10 ± 3 kg heavier harvest and hot carcass weights, 3.3 ±.8 cm2 larger ribeye areas and lower yield and quality grades than medium frame steers (P \u3c.01). Thick muscled steers were similar to moderate muscle steers for most traits. European-sired steers had larger ribeye area (P \u3c .05), larger ribeye area per 100 kg of carcass (P \u3c .05), lower yield grade (P \u3c .05), and less fat thickness (P \u3c .05) than English- and American-sired steers. English-sired steers had higher marbling score (P \u3c .05) than American- and European-sired steers. Light weight steers had lower harvest weight (P \u3c .05) and smaller ribeye area (P \u3c.05) than moderate and heavy weight steers. Generally, large frame steers and European-sired steers produced higher yielding carcasses and medium frame steers and English-sired steers produced carcasses with higher quality grade

Clay as a Control Technique for Karenia brevis: Water Chemistry Dynamics and Physiological Impacts on Benthic Invertebrates

Clay-based compounds are globally the most advanced and widely used method of direct suppression of marine harmful algal blooms, and are currently undergoing investigation as an option to control Karenia brevis blooms in Florida. Before clay may be accepted for widespread use, there are multiple concerns and challenges that must be addressed regarding the environmental safety of this method, such as effects on water quality, the fate of toxins, and potential impacts of clay treatment to non-target organisms. To contribute to ongoing assessments of clay as a potential control method for K. brevis blooms, we conducted experiments with a formulation of kaolinite clay modified with polyaluminum chloride known as Modified Clay II (MC II). In these experiments, we evaluated water chemistry dynamics and physiological responses in several bottom-dwelling marine species with ecological and economic significance, including blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus), and hard clam (Mercenaria campechiensis). First, we conducted an experiment with blue crabs in 20 L aquarium tanks (N = 48), exposing the animals to cultured K. brevis (1 x 106 cells L-1) and MC II (0.5 g L-1) and measuring mortality and reflexes over 192 hours. In our second experiment, K. brevis (1x106 cells L-1) and MC II (0.2 g L-1) were applied to 1,400 L mesocosms (N = 9) containing blue crabs, sea urchins, and hard clams, which were observed over 96 hours. In our final experiment, we modified the methods of the previous experiment to again examine K. brevis (1x106 cells L-1) and MC II (0.2 g L-1) with the same model species in 1,400 L mesocosms (N = 12) over 72 hours. In these two mesocosm experiments, we observed cell and toxin removal, changes in water quality characteristics including nutrients and carbonate chemistry, and measured mortality, respiration rate, reflexes, and internal toxin content. Our results were congruent across our three experiments. Treatment with MC II significantly reduced cell concentrations but did not reduce toxin concentrations in the water column. We found no notable impacts of clay treatment to reflexes, respiration rates, or internal toxin content for either of our three species. No significant differences in mortality were found for our three species, excluding crabs in the first mesocosm study, which were found to have pre-existing infections that confounded our results. Analyses of nutrients indicates MC II may remove dissolved phosphorus from the water column, and the potential to improve water quality which may make this formulation of clay desirable to managers. Overall, treatment with this formulation of clay did not appear to induce any significant measured effects on the model species within the observed time frames of these experiments. Clay appears to be a promising option to treat K. brevis blooms given its low cost, ease of application, and negligible impacts to the environment, and its use may relieve the damaging effects of K. brevis blooms by preventing mortalities that would otherwise occur were blooms allowed to persist. We therefore recommend that clays, including MC II, be considered for additional laboratory and field tests, with the goal of obtaining further information on potential ecological impacts so that managers and researchers can make informed decisions on the use of bloom control technologies in Florida waters

Evaluation of the Effects of Bioaugmentation and Biostimulation on Natural Attenuation and Biodegradation Pathways of Chlorinated Compounds in a Tidal Wetland

The usefulness of bioaugmentation and biostimulation in enhancing the natural attenuation of chlorinated compounds at a seep site at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD was tested. The biodegradation of (1) a mixture of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, tetrachloroethene, and carbon tetrachloride, or (2) TeCA alone was compared in microcosms amended with chlorinated substrates alone, chlorinated substrates and electron donor, and chlorinated substrates, electron donor, and a TeCA-degrading enrichment culture. A third experiment evaluated the usefulness of H2 thresholds in determining the importance of co-metabolic and metabolic processes in biodegradation. TeCA biodegradation was significantly enhanced by bioaugmentation and biostimulation. However, the presence of other contaminants inhibited TeCA biodegradation, even in the presence of electron donors and the enrichment culture. H2 thresholds did not prove useful in determining the importance of metabolic and co-metabolic processes; however, evaluating each chlorinated compound individually provided insight regarding biodegradation pathways and the effects of electron donor substrates on degradation rates