Direct-fed microbials (DFM) supplemented in sow diets may confer health benefits to the host and their piglets by reducing pathogens in the sow and environment. In this study we evaluated the effect of a Bacillus-based DFM on the gastrointestinal microbiota of neonatal piglets. A total of 208 sows were divided into 2 treatments: a control diet and the control diet supplemented with a Bacillus subtilis-based DFM (3.75 × 10(5) cfu/g feed). Twenty-one piglets sampled from each sow treatment group were euthanized on d 3 of lactation followed by an additional 15 piglets per treatment on d 10 of lactation. Litters from DFM-supplemented sows had greater (P = 0.02) weaning weights and a tendency (P = 0.09) for improvement in litter ADG. Sows supplemented with the DFM weaned more pigs (P = 0.06) than control sows which was reflected in numerically lower but not statistically different (P = 0.12) decrease in piglet mortality in DFM litters. Terminal RFLP was used to characterize gastrointestinal (GI) microbial populations in the ileum and colon of the piglets. Terminal restriction fragments (T-RF) were compared between control and DFM treatments. There was a greater incidence and quantity of T-RF B423 and H330 (binary P = 0.01, 0.08; quantitative P = 0.01, 0.05, respectively), putatively identified as Lactobacillus gasseri/johnsonii, in the ileum of pigs nursing sows supplemented with DFM at d 3. Terminal restriction fragment peaks B423 and H330 were also greater (binary P = 0.01, 0.08; quantitative P = 0.01, 0.01, respectively) in the colon of pigs nursing sows supplemented with DFM at d 3. Peaks M495 and B394, putatively identified as E. coli, were greater (binary P = 0.01, 0.04; quantitative P = 0.01, 0.01, respectively) in the colon of the control pigs at d 3. At d 10, both the presence and quantity of Lactobacillus species were greater (P < 0.05) in the colon of pigs with the DFM treatment. Additionally, there was a tendency for T-RF B227 and H257 (binary P = 0.07, 0.07, respectively), putatively identified as Clostridium perfringens, to be present in the ileum of the control pigs at d 10 compared with treated pigs. Results of this study reveal that the developing gastrointestinal microbiota of a neonatal piglet can be affected by DFM supplementation to the sow.

Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile are associated with scours in the neonatal piglet and are an economic concern in swine production. The objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence and diversity of C. perfringens and C. difficile isolates obtained from scouring neonatal piglets in a large integrated production system, as well as in smaller independently owned regional farms. Rectal swabs were collected from 333 pigs at 11 sites in an integrated swine production system and from an additional 180 pigs at 16 regional farms located throughout the Midwest. C. perfringens was isolated from 89.8% of the pigs swabbed at the integrated sites, and C. difficile was isolated from 57.7% of these pigs. Of the pigs from the regional farms sampled, 95.6% were positive for isolation of C. perfringens and 27.2% were positive for C. difficile. Toxigenic isolates were typed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR, and were placed in four dendrograms for C. perfringens and C. difficile populations isolated from the integrated sites and regional farms. Diversity indices showed that there was greater diversity in C. difficile populations and in populations isolated from the regional farms. A subset of isolates from the C. difficile dendrograms were further toxinotyped by amplification of the pathogenicity locus and subsequent digestion by HincII, AccI, and EcoRI. Of the 45 isolates typed, 44 were determined to be toxinotype V. The results of this study illustrate the diversity of C. perfringens and C. difficile isolates and the prevalence of these pathogens in swine production sites.

This paper draws upon interviews with 27 drag kings in the South to examine why individuals perform drag, the range of performance experiences, and how drag kinging challenges dichotomous ideas about gender. We use these interviews to demonstrate the importance of context in understanding the drag king culture. We clearly show that in the South the performance of masculinity in the form of drag differs from other areas of the country. Our findings indicate that Southern drag kings, in general, do not overtly challenge the gender status quo as previous research assumes. Rather, they turn to drag as a safe and fun outlet for female masculinity and as a place to test the waters of transsexuality. Despite their often individualistic rationales, we argue that the act of performing drag still challenges the gender order and enables others to engage in political thought and push for change in our society.

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Background: Children with cancer from rural and non-urban areas face unique challenges. Health equity for this population requires attention to geographic disparities in optimal survivorship-focused care. Methods: The Oklahoma Childhood Cancer Survivor Cohort was based on all patients reported to the institutional cancer registry and &lt;18-years-old at diagnosis between January 1, 2005, and September 24, 2014. Suboptimal follow-up was defined as no completed oncology-related clinic visit five to seven years after their initial diagnosis (survivors were 7-25 years old at end of the follow-up period). The primary predictor of interest was rurality. Results: Ninety-four (21%) of the 449 eligible survivors received suboptimal follow-up. There were significant differences (p=0.01) as 36% of survivors from large towns (n=28/78) compared with 21% (n=20/95) and 17% (n=46/276) of survivors from small town/isolated rural and urban areas received suboptimal follow-up, respectively. Forty-five percent of adolescents at diagnosis were not seen in the clinic compared with 17% of non-adolescents (p&lt;0.01). An adjusted risk ratio of 2.2 (95% CI 1.5, 3.2) was observed for suboptimal follow-up among survivors from large towns, compared with survivors from urban areas. Seventy-three percent of survivors (n=271/369) had a documented survivorship care plan with similar trends by rurality. Conclusions: Survivors from large towns and those who were adolescents at the time of diagnosis were more likely to receive suboptimal follow-up care compared to survivors from urban areas and those diagnosed younger than thirteen. Impact: Observed geographic disparities in survivorship care will inform interventions to promote equitable care for survivors from non-urban areas.