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Pregnancy toxemia is a severe problem in sheep in the transition period, which is most likely related to feeding. There is a need to seek alternatives to this problem, and the homeopathic industry has invested in products for this purpose. The product (Figotonus®) tested in this work was added to the diet of dairy sheep at different dosages (1, 5, and 10 g/day/animal) to verify the effects on animal health indicators, focusing mainly on the reduction of cases of ketosis. In all, 32 Lacaune ewes were used, with confirmed pregnancy presenting two to six births during their lifetime. The following blood biochemical indicators—total proteins (PT), albumin (ALB), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (COL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and s-ketone—were measured. The volume of milk produced was measured, as well as the milk composition (protein, fat, lactose, fat-free dry matter, density, total solids, and minerals). As a result, we found significant differences in the s-ketone, ALT, and GGT in day 3 prepartum and day 3 postpartum. We highlight the lower s-ketone levels in the homeopathic-treated animals, as well as reduced ALT and GGT enzyme activity in the treated sheep. Milk production did not differ between groups, nor did milk composition, except for mineral levels in milk (higher levels in treated animals). The commercial product tested had a beneficial effect on health indicators of dairy sheep in the transition period, preventing ketone bodies to increase in the sheep.

The use of microorganisms with hydrocarbon degrading capability and biosurfactant producers have emerged as an alternative for sustainable treatment of environmental passives. In this study 45 bacteria were isolated from samples contaminated with petrochemical residues, from which 21 were obtained from Landfarming soil contaminated with oily sludge, 11 were obtained from petrochemical industry effluents and 13 were originated directly from oily sludge. The metabolization capability of different carbon sources, growth capacity and tolerance, biosurfactant production and enzymes detection were determined. A preliminary selection carried out through the analysis of capability for degrading hydrocarbons showed that 22% of the isolates were able to degrade all carbon sources employed. On the other hand, in 36% of the isolates, the degradation of the oily sludge started within 18–48 h. Those isolates were considered as the most efficient ones. Twenty isolates, identified based on partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, were pre-selected. These isolates showed ability for growing in a medium containing 1% of oily sludge as the sole carbon source, tolerance in a medium containing up to 30% of oily sludge, ability for biosurfactant production, and expression of enzymes involved in degradation of aliphatic and aromatic compounds. Five bacteria, identified as Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila BB5, Bacillus megaterium BB6, Bacillus cibi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus cereus BS20 were shown to be promising for use as inoculum in bioremediation processes (bioaugmentation) of areas contaminated with petrochemical residues since they can use oily sludge as the sole carbon source and produce biosurfactants.

Nine pyrazolone derivatives have been studied by anodic voltammetry using gold self-cleaning rotating electrode (SRE). Voltamograms of good reproducibility are presented. On the basis of voltammetric data a mechanism is proposed for the electrochemical oxidation of sodium 1-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-4-(N-methylamino)pyrazol-5-one-N-methansulphonate and 1-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-4-(dimethylamino)pyrazol-5-one in protic medium.

Summary1. The activity of treptornycin on a susceptible strain of Staphylococczrs aureus was not changed in the presence of serum or whole blood. 2. The addition of fresh whole blood with or without immune serum did not augment streptomycin activity. 3. A resistant strain of Staph?dococcus aurcus was inhibited during the first 24 hours by streptomycin in low concentrations. This effect was augmented when serum was added to the medium. 4. Direct growth curves indicate that this inhibition by streptomycin ofa resistant strain was attributable to interference with growth of the organism rather than inactivation of labile constituents. 5. Phagocytosis in the presence of high concentrdtions of treptonlycin appears to be impaired. o. The bacteriostatic activity of streptomycin mas manifest on both susceptible and resistant strains. With the latter, thisinhibition was transitory. The bacteriostatic mechanisim and bactericidal mechanism aredissociated phenomena.

ConclusionsThe presence of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and biotin could not be demonstrated in significant amounts in moderately concentrated solutions of purified tobacco-mosaic virus.

The pharmacology of this substance was first studied by Loevenhart and Grove1 in the hope of obtaining some experimental evidence as to the mechanism of physiologic oxidation. lodoxybenzoic acid and its salts seemed to be especially suited to this purpose because they can be used for intravenous injection. They found that sodium iodoxybenzoate very readily oxidizes hemoglobin to oxyhemoglobin, showing that the oxygen contained in the molecule is available for physiologic oxidation in the same manner as the oxygen taken up in the lungs. Experiments tending to show the availability of the oxygen for oxidation by the tissues were not conclusive, since sodium iodoxybenzoate was unable to furnish the oxygen necessary for the peroxid reaction. On the other hand, depression of the respiratory center and the production of long periods of apnea indicate the physiologic activity of the oxygen on the respiratory center. Following intravenous injection, there is a moderate leukocytosis which consists for the most part in an increase in the polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The bactericidal action of sodium iodoxybenzoate has been studied by Arkin,a who found that it possesses a marked bactericidal action for B. typhosus, B. pyocyaneus, B. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, its strength as a bactericide was related to its oxidizing power. In experiments with B. typhosus, sodium iodoxybenzoate proved to be 200 times as bactericidal as sodium iodbenzoate and twice as bactericidal as sodium iodosobenzoate. Sodium iodbenzoate contains no available oxygen, while sodium iodosobenzoate contains but one molecule of available oxygen or about one-half the available oxygen of iodoxybenzoate. Sodium iodoxybenzoate in its relation to the biologic reactions has been studied by several authors. Hektoen4 found that dogs which had been injected with goat blood followed by an intravenous injection of sodium iodoxybenzoate

Of fundamental importance in immunity is the question whether only proteins are antigenic. Wells1 says, "as yet, it has not been finally established that any colloids other than proteins can act as antigens." Assuming then, that only proteins possess antigenic properties, it becomes of interest to inquire what there is in the nature or constitution of proteins to which this is due. Two characteristics of proteins have received the greatest attention in this connection; their colloid nature and their huge molecular weight. Attempts to explain the antigenic properties of proteins on the basis of their colloid nature have been largely speculative and consist of the application of the principles of colloid chemistry to theories of immune reactions. The efforts to determine the influence of the size of the molecule on the antigenic properties of proteins have led to numerous attempts to produce antibodies for the products of protein hydrolysis and digestion. Our understanding of the chemistry of immune reactions is limited by our knowledge of the chemistry of proteins. Each new insight into the nature and constitution of proteins is followed by a readjustment of our theories of immuno-chemistry. Underbill and Hendrix2 place the discovery of the phenomenon of anaphylaxis among the more important recent advances in the physiology of proteins. It has also furnished considerable impetus to the study of protein chemistry. For a satisfactory explanation of the anaphylaxis reaction, jt became necessary to determine by what changes proteins were rendered toxic, since it was well known that native proteins were of themselves nontoxic. This led to the theories of Vaughan, Friedmann and Friedberger that anaphylaxis is due to parenteral digestion of proteins, and that the symptoms are due to intoxication with the resulting products. To obtain evidence in support of these theories the products of protein

The biodegradation capacity of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons of petrochemical oily sludge in liquid medium by a bacterial consortium and five pure bacterial cultures was analyzed. Three bacteria isolated from petrochemical oily sludge, identified as Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila , Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus cibi , and two bacteria isolated from a soil contaminated by petrochemical waste, identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus demonstrated efficiency in oily sludge degradation when cultivated during 40 days. The bacterial consortium demonstrated an excellent oily sludge degradation capacity, reducing 90.7% of the aliphatic fraction and 51.8% of the aromatic fraction, as well as biosurfactant production capacity, achieving 39.4% reduction of surface tension of the culture medium and an emulsifying activity of 55.1%. The results indicated that the bacterial consortium has potential to be applied in bioremediation of petrochemical oily sludge contaminated environments, favoring the reduction of environmental passives and increasing industrial productivity.

ConclusionThrough the use of a medium containing tyrothricin in a concentration inhibitory to Gram positive cocci, isolation of H. influenzae from the nasopharynx may be facilitated. This medium is being tested in epidemiological surveys now in progress.

SummaryThe sulfhydryl content of serum proteins has been quantitatively determined through an adaptation of an amperometric titration. Among normal adults, the values noted, expressed as milligrams of cysteine, were uniform, reproducible and averaged 6.5±0.2 mg per 100 ml serum or 5.5±0.3 mg per gram serum nitrogen. The albumin component of serum contained 80% of the total sulfhydryl. The addition of desoxyribonucleic acid, creatine or formaldehyde did not change the sulfhydryl content of the serum. The addition of an SH reagent such as para-chloro-mercuri-benzoate abolished all reactant groups measured with this method.Sera obtained from patients with various diseases showed a significant reduction in the sulfhydryl available for this titration. This quantitative reduction in sulfhydryl was still evident when corrected for differences in the albumin and globulin components and thus represented a qualitative change in the serum proteins. At the present time, the alteration in the sulfhydryl content of ser...