Financial Crisis, Financial Systems, and the Performance of the Economy

Research Study Two: Financial Crisis, Financial Systems and the Performance of the Economy. A Study Prepared for Task Force D of the Commission on Money and Credit

Behavior and Weight Loss of Feeder Calves in a Railcar Modified for Feeding and Watering in Transit

The behavior of 164kg Angus and Hereford calves was studied in a double deck 26m x 2.6m jumbo railcar equipped with feed and water. A 4,180 liter water tank positioned in the center of each deck divided the car into four compartments. Fifty head were loaded into the lower and upper forward compartment (252kg/m2floor space], each containing 675kg of hay in racks. The two rear compartments served as quarters for equipment and researchers. Two video cameras were mounted in the upper forward compartment containing calves. Behavior of the calves was monitored, with portions video taped during rail transport from Memphis, Tennessee to Amarillo, Texas (57 hr) in June, 1979. The calves commenced eating and drinking immediately after being loaded in the railcar. Up to 75% of the cattle could lie down while the car was not in motion (14.4 hr of trip]. Calves stood at high speeds (80km/h] on unimproved track but continued to eat, drink and move about. Self and mutual grooming commonly occurred while traveling up to 40km/hr. Railcar temperature and relative humidity ranged from 17.8 to 41.1°C and 54 to 99%, respectively, and was identical to outside. Weight loss for 50 similar calves shipped by truck was 10.6% while rail calves lost 4.5% during truck transport to the railcar (11.3 hr) and 2.1% during rail transport for a total of 6.6%. Average daily gain (ADG) from initial weight to 7 days postshipment was .45kg for rail and -.02kg for truck, but ADG became similar at 30 days indicating full recovery. One truck calf was dead on arrival and 8% of the truck and 5% of the rail calves were treated for shipping fever. Excluding feedcosts, rail transport at 252kg/m 2 floor space costs 30% less per calf than transport in fully loaded trucks

Behavior and Weight Loss of Feeder Calves in a Railcar Modified for Feeding and Watering in Transit

The behavior of Angus and Hereford calves was studied in a double deck 26m x 2.6m jumbo railcar equipped with feed and water. A 4,180-liter water tank positioned in the center of each deck divided the car into four compartments. Fifty heads were loaded into the lower and upper forward compartments (252kg/m2 floor space], each containing 675kg of hay in racks. The two rear compartments served as quarters for equipment and researchers. Two video cameras were mounted in the upper forward compartment containing calves. The behavior of the calves was monitored, with portions video-taped during rail transport from Memphis, Tennessee, to Amarillo, Texas (57 hours) in June 1979. The calves commenced eating and drinking immediately after being loaded in the railcar. Up to 75% of the calves could lie down while the car was not in motion (14.4 hours of the trip]. Calves stood at high speeds (80km/h] on an unimproved track but continued to eat, drink and move about. Self and mutual grooming commonly occur while traveling up to 40km/hr. Railcar temperature and relative humidity ranged from 17.8 to 41.1oC and 54 to 99%, respectively, and were identical to the outside. Weight loss for 50 similar calves shipped by truck was 10.6%, while rail calves lost 4.5% during truck transport to the railcar (11.3 hours] and 2.1% during rail transport for a total of 6.6%. Average daily gain (ADG) from initial weight to 7 days post shipment was .45kg for rail and -.02 kilograms for truck, but ADG became similar at 30 days indicating full recovery. One truck calf was dead on arrival, and 8% of the truck and 5% of the rail calves were treated for shipping fever. Excluding feed costs, rail transport at 252kglm 2-floor space costs 30% less per calf than transport in fully loaded trucks

A History of Drug Discovery for Treatment of Nausea and Vomiting and the Implications for Future Research.

The origins of the major classes of current anti-emetics are examined. Serendipity is a recurrent theme in discovery of their anti-emetic properties and repurposing from one indication to another is a continuing trend. Notably, the discoveries have occurred against a background of company mergers and changing anti-emetic requirements. Major drug classes include: (i) Muscarinic receptor antagonists-originated from historical accounts of plant extracts containing atropine and hyoscine with development stimulated by the need to prevent sea-sickness among soldiers during beach landings; (ii) Histamine receptor antagonists-searching for replacements for the anti-malaria drug quinine, in short supply because of wartime shipping blockade, facilitated the discovery of histamine (H1) antagonists (e.g., dimenhydrinate), followed by serendipitous discovery of anti-emetic activity against motion sickness in a patient undergoing treatment for urticaria; (iii) Phenothiazines and dopamine receptor antagonists-investigations of their pharmacology as "sedatives" (e.g., chlorpromazine) implicated dopamine receptors in emesis, leading to development of selective dopamine (D2) receptor antagonists (e.g., domperidone with poor ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier) as anti-emetics in chemotherapy and surgery; (iv) Metoclopramide and selective 5-hydroxytryptamine3(5-HT3) receptor antagonists-metoclopramide was initially assumed to act only via D2 receptor antagonism but subsequently its gastric motility stimulant effect (proposed to contribute to the anti-emetic action) was shown to be due to 5-hydroxytryptamine4 receptor agonism. Pre-clinical studies showed that anti-emetic efficacy against the newly-introduced, highly emetic, chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin was due to antagonism at 5-HT3 receptors. The latter led to identification of selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonists (e.g., granisetron), a major breakthrough in treatment of chemotherapy-induced emesis; (v) Neurokinin1receptor antagonists-antagonists of the actions of substance P were developed as analgesics but pre-clinical studies identified broad-spectrum anti-emetic effects; clinical studies showed particular efficacy in the delayed phase of chemotherapy-induced emesis. Finally, the repurposing of different drugs for treatment of nausea and vomiting is examined, particularly during palliative care, and also the challenges in identifying novel anti-emetic drugs, particularly for treatment of nausea as compared to vomiting. We consider the lessons from the past for the future and ask why there has not been a major breakthrough in the last 20 years