The use of growth promoters in animal husbandry to increase weight gain and efficiency of feed conversion into muscle has been banned in the European Union since 1988, and under Directive 96/23/EC, surveillance for anabolic steroid hormones is obligatory. The hormones present in animal tissues may be of endogenous origin or may result from illegal administration. Steps have been taken to determine selected steroids in the form of esters in the alternative matrix of animal hair. Their detection in biological material is direct proof of the illegal use of anabolics. The procedure for the determination of steroid esters in animal hair, based on digestion, extraction, purification, and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was validated under the current regulations. In total, 348 samples of animal hair were examined using this method. Good recoveries and precision values (RSD) were obtained during validation. Decision limits (CCα) and detection capabilities (CCβ) were in the ranges of 2.57–4.18 μg kg⁻¹ and 4.38–7.12 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The method met the criteria for confirmation techniques with respect to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Testing for steroid esters in animal hair was introduced into the National Residue Control Programme in 2017. Steroid esters were not found in any hair samples above the CCα, which indicates that illegal use of anabolics was not confirmed.

The efficacy of GI24-lysed Brucella abortus cells as a vaccine candidate against brucellosis in goats was evaluated on 2 groups of Korean black goats. Group A goats were immunized subcutaneously (SC) with sterile phosphate-buffered saline, whereas group B goats were immunized SC with approximately 3 × 10(9) lysed B. abortus cells. Subcutaneous immunization with the lysed cells did not cause any negative impact on the overall clinical status, such as behavior and appetite, throughout the study period. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) optical densities values for B. abortus lipopolysaccharide in serum were considerably higher in group B than those in group A. Also, the levels of the cytokines interleukin 4 (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) were significantly elevated in group B compared with those in group A. Following intraconjunctival challenge with B. abortus strain 544, the severity of brucellosis in terms of infection index and colonization of B. abortus in tissues was significantly lower in group B than in group A. The present study concluded that 3 of 5 goats immunized with GI24-lysed bacteria were completely protected against challenge. Future investigations are required to improve the protective efficacy offered by lysed B. abortus cells for practical applications in small ruminants.

With acrylic external-fixation frames for fracture repair the acrylic columns can be contoured to allow greater versatility in the placement of transfixation pins, thus minimizing damage to the surrounding soft tissue and making mandibular and transarticular fixation easier. However, contouring affects the stiffness and ultimate strength of the construct under axial compression. In this study, polymethylmethacrylate columns 21 mm in diameter angled at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, or 90° with clamps were constructed. For each angulation group, pins 3.2-mm long were placed in 6 columns, 2 pins at each end, 1.5 cm from each other, and 6 columns had no pins. Each column was allowed to polymerize for a minimum of 10 min, then was placed in a biomechanical-testing machine, the load cell at the bottom end of the column and the actuator on top, with a preload of 10 to 12 N to prevent slippage. The columns underwent axial loading at a rate of 8 mm/s until catastrophic failure occurred. Data on force and deformation were collected every 0.025 s. Both stiffness and ultimate strength of the column decreased significantly (P < 0.01), up to 77% and 70%, respectively, with each increase of angulation. The columns with pins were significantly less stiff (P < 0.05) than those without pins at angulations of 45° and 60°. However, the columns with pins did not show significant differences in ultimate strength from the columns without pins at any of the angulations. The point of failure was always at the angle of the column, demonstrating that in axial compression the weakest point is not the pin-acrylic interface when pins are eccentrically located within the column.