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Copyright of Archivos de Medicina Veterinaria is the property of Universidad Austral de Chile, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The impact of genotype and of frequency and timing of shearing, on mohair attributes and production of modern Angora goats was studied. Goats in the southern hemisphere grazed pastures between February 2004 and 2006. There were seven shearing treatments by three genetic strains with four or eight replicates of individual goats. Treatments were: three different 6-month shearing intervals and two of 12-month shearing intervals with different months of shearing, a 7-month winter shearing interval and a 3-month shearing interval. Genetic strain was based on sire line: 1·0 South African; 1·0 Texan; and Mixed 0·5 South African and 0·5 Texan. Annual greasy mohair production was 5·08 kg, and average clean fleece production was 4·37 kg. The Angora goats produced an annual clean fleece equivalent to 0·122 of their mean fleece-free live weight which was equal to 0·34 g/kg/day. Measurements were analysed over the period of spring 2004 shearing to spring 2005 shearing, excluding the June–December shearing treatment. Increased frequency of shearing increased fleece growth and affected 13 objective and subjective attributes of mohair that were evaluated including clean washing yield, fibre diameter and fibre diameter variation, incidence of medullated fibres, staple length, fibre curvature, crimp frequency, style, staple definition, staple fibre entanglement and staple tip shape. The direction of these effects were generally favourable and for most attributes the magnitude of the response was linear and commercially important. Each additional shearing resulted in an additional 149 g of clean mohair representing 0·034 of the annual clean mohair production. This increase was associated with a 0·6 cm increase in staple length and 0·32 μm increase in mean fibre diameter. In conclusion, Angora goats shorn less frequently grew less mohair that was more likely to be entangled in spring. Managers of Angora goats should take note of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigated the effects of raw cashmere attributes on the efficiency of dehairing and on dehaired cashmere length. The results show that the following attributes of raw cashmere were associated with more efficient processing and/or the production of longer cashmere: white color; longer raw cashmere; greater fiber curvature; lower vegetable matter; normal length guard hair; absence of visible cotting. Raw cashmere with a higher cashmere content and higher fiber diameter processed less efficiently than raw cashmere with a lower cashmere content and finer fiber diameter. This work identifies the value of using raw cashmere staple length and cashmere fiber curvature measurements, and shows that the variation explained by known attributes on cashmere processing efficiency was high. These results are applicable to cashmere classing, breeding, processing, and the value of the final product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body condition scoring is widely used for sheep and cattle but the practice is included in only one Code of Practice for the welfare of goats in Australia. There is no published scientific evidence to support or defend its use in the assessment of welfare risks to farmed goats. Procedure The significance of stocking rate, grazing system, body condition score (CS) and live weight were investigated in explaining the risk of mortality of individual and flocks of grazing Angora goats from hypothermia following a severe weather event in April. This event occurred 5 weeks after shearing the goats. Angora goats and Saxon Merino sheep were grazed alone, or mixed together in equal numbers at each of three stocking rates. Results There was no mortality amongst Angora goats provided they grazed at the lowest stocking rate even when their CS was ≤ 2.0. Mortality in flocks of Angora goats was most related to the CS reached during the preceding 2 months. For flocks of Angora goats there was no mortality at CS ≥ 2.5 and mortality increased sharply at mean CS < 2.0. For individual Angora goats, mortality increased as CS declined and stocking rate and grazing combinations were additive in effect on mortality. Grazing with sheep increased mortality of Angora goats at higher stocking rates. The individual goat mortality rate was not dependent on individual plot effects suggesting that these results are applicable widely. Live weight loss was not related to mortality rates of goats once CS had been accounted for. Conclusion It was concluded that CS and stocking rate were highly significant determinants of welfare risk in Angora goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this replicated experiment, we investigated the impact of cashmere on blends with superfine wools on the quality of tops, rovings, and worsted spun yarns. We also investigated the relative performance of soft, low crimp/low fiber curvature superfine wool when compared with cashmere and also when compared with traditional high crimp/high fiber curvature superfine wool in pure and blended yarns. The results indicate both the cashmere blend ratio and fiber curvature/crimp of wool affected processing requirements and the attributes of worsted pure and blended tops, rovings, and yarns. Adding wool to cashmere improved the processing of cashmere roving and reduced yarn faults. Mean fiber curvature was a good predictor of yarn hairiness and yarn tenacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the type and quantity of naturally occurring extraneous matter of commercial main line (ML) and vegetable matter contaminated (VMC) lots of Australian cashmere is reported. There were significant differences between the two categories of sale lots in respect to attributes studied and their measured levels: clean washing yield (ML 96.5, VMC 94.2%); vegetable matter (VM) content (ML 0.8 to 1.1, VMC 12.4%); VM base (ML 0.7 to 0.9, VMC 10.0%); wool base (ML 80.4, VMC 69.3%); ash (ML 1.9 to 2.2, VMC 3.2%). There was no difference between ML and VMC cashmere for mean fibre diameter, cashmere fibre curvature and cashmere resistance to compression. The mean wax content of main line cashmere was 3.0% and the suint content was 4.2% giving a wax:suint ratio of 0.71. Lice egg casings were seen in 3% of samples. Skin debris was seen in 8% of the samples, all originating from one lot. In the main line cashmere bales more than half of the VM was seed and shive whereas in the VMC bales more than half of VM was burr. For each 1% increase in the VM base, the predicted cashmere yield declined by 0.39%, and for each 1% increase in the wool base the predicted cashmere yield increased by 0.35%. It was concluded that a) main line commercial Australian cashmere had low levels of naturally occurring extraneous matter; b) the quality control procedures used were effective in removing vegetable matter from the higher quality main line cashmere; c) the difference between the quality of main line and vegetable matter contaminated Australian cashmere is largely explained by differences in vegetable matter base and not in other quality attributes and d) this data could be used to further develop decision support systems and strategies to improve the price of main lines of cashmere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effects of a 10-week, group-based cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention on serum testosterone levels in women with Stage 1 or 2 breast cancer. At 4 to 8 weeks postsurgery, participants were randomized to CBSM (n = 24) or to a wait-list control group (n = 10). Free and total testosterone was assessed via radioimmunoassay before and after the study period. The participants also completed a questionnaire assessing the degree to which living with breast cancer had led to social and emotional benefits in their life. We observed significant decreases in testosterone levels in the CBSM group and no change in the controls. Decreases in testosterone were related to increases in positive contributions. These findings suggest that a short-term psychological intervention can help modulate androgen functioning, and these changes are related to enhanced benefit finding observed among women with breast cancer participating in CBSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the effects of a cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) group intervention on serum cortisol levels in women being treated for stage I or II breast cancer.Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to undergo a 10-week intervention (N = 24) within 8 weeks after surgery or were placed on a waiting list (N = 10). Cortisol was assessed by means of a radioimmunoassay of blood samples collected at the same time of day just before the start of the intervention and immediately after its completion. The women also reported the degree to which breast cancer had made positive contributions to their lives.Results: Intervention participants showed increased benefit finding and reduced serum cortisol levels, whereas control subjects experienced neither change. Path analysis suggested that the effect of CBSM on cortisol was mediated by increases in benefit finding.Conclusions: These findings suggest that positive growth enhanced during a time-limited intervention can influence physiological parameters such as cortisol among women with early stage breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma is an aggressive disease with high rates of relapse. Whether pembrolizumab as adjuvant therapy would be effective in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma after radical surgery is unknown. METHODS In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive pembrolizumab at a dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks for 1 year or to undergo observation. Randomization was stratified according to pathological stage, centrally tested programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status, and previous neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The coprimary end points were disease-free survival and overall survival in the intention-to-treat population. We considered the trial to be successful if either disease-free survival or overall survival was significantly longer with pembrolizumab than with observation. RESULTS A total of 702 patients underwent randomization; 354 were assigned to receive pembrolizumab, and 348 were assigned to observation. As of July 5, 2024, the median duration of follow-up for disease-free survival was 44.8 months. The median disease-free survival was 29.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.0 to 40.7) with pembrolizumab and 14.2 months (95% CI, 11.0 to 20.2) with observation (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.90; two-sided P = 0.003). Grade 3 or higher adverse events (regardless of attribution) occurred in 50.7% of the patients in the pembrolizumab group and in 31.6% of the patients in the observation group. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma after radical surgery, disease-free survival was significantly longer with adjuvant pembrolizumab than with observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation between age and CSF protein in 38 patients with pathologically proven motor neurone disease was the reverse of that described for normal subjects by Tibbling et al in 1977. Eight had CSF protein ranging from 0.75 g/1 to 1.52 g/L. These patients were younger, but other clinical and gross and light microscopy pathological features were not significantly different from those with lower CSF protein. Transudation from serum may be only one of the mechanisms underlying this elevation in CSF protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

- Fifty new cases of carcinoma of the prostate were assessed prior to treatment to determine the incidence of bony metastases. The radioisotope bone scan was the most sensitive method of detecting metastases and of localising them. It was twice as accurate as the serum acid phosphatase estimation. Skeletal X-rays were the least accurate method. Forty-six per cent of patients had abnormal bone scans at presentation. The histological grade of the tumour correlated well with the bone scan. The higher the grade, the more likely was the bone scan to be abnormal. There is need for greater accuracy in detecting metastases, and the bone marrow acid phosphatase estimation, either alone or in conjunction with the bone scan, may provide this accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]