Unusual response of anaesthetised pigs to asphyxia

The effects of vagosympathectomy, asphyxia, hypoxia and hypercapnia on the breathing of anaesthetised pigs are described. Vagosympathectomy caused changes in cardiovascular variables and in the pattern of breathing characteristic of the loss of stretch receptor activity. After vagosympathectomy the linear relationship between tI and tE was abolished. Hypoxia in intact animals produced changes in minute ventilation by peripheral chemoreceptor drive. When this drive was removed by vagosympathectomy the central depressing effects of hypoxia were revealed as a slowing of breathing and reduction in minute volume. The central depressing effect of hypoxia on respiration was very potent in the pig and very clearly seen in asphyxia. Vagosympathectomy caused a reduction in frequency of breathing and respiratory arrest occurred when a dead space of only moderate size was used. Breathing slowed from the moment of connection of the dead space to produce respiratory arrest within 2 min. The pig lung has been considered similar to the human lung on morphometric and physiological grounds but these results show that there are very important species differences in response to asphyxia.     

Cocontamination of swine diets by aflatoxin and diacetoxyscirpenol

The effects of dietary aflatoxin (AF) and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), singly and in combination, were evaluated in growing crossbred barrows. The experimental design consisted of 4 treatments of 9 barrows each fed diets containing 1) 0 mg AF and 0 mg DAS/kg feed (control), 2) 2.5 mg AF/kg feed, 3) 2.0 mg DAS/kg feed, or 4) 2.5 mg AF + 2.0 mg DAS/kg feed for 28 days (10-14 weeks of age). Production performance, serum biochemical, hematologic, and pathologic measurements were made. Body weight and body weight gain were significantly decreased by each toxin but more so by the combination treatment. The effects were additive in nature. Liver and spleen weights, as percentages of body weight, were increased by the AF and AF + DAS treatments, and AF or AF + DAS treatments induced diffuse hepatocellular vacuolar change, early portal fibrosis, and early bile duct hyperplasia. Aflatoxin increased serum values of creatinine and gamma glutamyl transferase, cholinesterase, and alkaline phosphatase activities; increased packed cell volume and hemoglobin; and decreased urea nitrogen and total iron binding capacity. DAS reduced serum iron binding capacity. The AF + DAS treatment increased serum gamma glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, increased hemoglobin, and decreased serum iron binding capacity. Generally, the combination treatment could be described as additive or less than additive, with most of the effects attributable to AF. Under the conditions and parameters monitored in this study, AF and DAS had no synergistic toxic effects when incorporated into diets of growing barrows.     

Respiratory mechanics in Standardbred horses with sub-clinical inflammatory airway disease and poor athletic performance

The aim of this study was to investigate and quantify respiratory mechanical dysfunctions in Standardbred horses with both poor performance and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology characteristic of inflammatory airway disease (IAD). A control group of healthy Standardbred horses was compared. Respiratory mechanics and breathing pattern were examined at rest and during hyperventilation induced using a rebreathing method. At rest, respiratory mechanics and breathing pattern were superimposable in both groups. In IAD horses, rebreathing increased ventilation, with larger tidal volumes and lower respiratory frequencies. During hyperventilation, IAD animals showed frequency-dependent dynamic lung compliance, and had greater viscous lung resistance and rate of dynamic work of breathing. As IAD alters pulmonary mechanics, the ventilatory load increases and horses requiring significantly higher energy for breathing may suffer restrictions in their athletic performance. This rebreathing method permits early evaluation of respiratory mechanical dysfunction in poorly performing horses with sub-clinical IAD.     

Risk factors perceived predictive of ISA spread in Chile: Applications to decision support

Aquaculture is anticipated to be a critical element in future solutions to global food shortage. However, diseases can impede industry efficiency and sustainability. Consequently, diseases can and have led to dramatic re-structuring in industry or regulatory practices. The emergence of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) in Chile is one such example. As in other countries, many mitigations were instituted universally, and many incurred considerable costs as they introduced a new layer of coordination of farming activities of marine sites within common geographic areas (termed ‘neighborhoods’ or ‘barrios’). The aggregate response led to a strong reduction in ISA incidence and impact. However, the relative value of individual mitigations is less clear, especially where response policies were universally applied and retrospective analyses are missing ‘controls’ (i.e., areas where a mitigation was not applied). Further, re-focusing policies around disease prevention following resolution of an outbreak is important to renew sustainable production; though, again, field data to guide this shift in purpose are often lacking. Expert panels can offer timely decision support in the absence of empirical data.     

A tutorial on information retrieval: basic terms and concepts

This informal tutorial is intended for investigators and students who would like to understand the workings of information retrieval systems, including the most frequently used search engines: PubMed and Google. Having a basic knowledge of the terms and concepts of information retrieval should improve the efficiency and productivity of searches. As well, this knowledge is needed in order to follow current research efforts in biomedical information retrieval and text mining that are developing new systems not only for finding documents on a given topic, but extracting and integrating knowledge across documents.     

Levels of bisphenol A in canned liquid infant formula products in Canada and dietary intake estimates

A sensitive, efficient, and reproducible method, based on solid phase extraction and derivatization with acetic anhydride followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected-ion monitoring mode, was developed for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in liquid infant formula. The method quantification limit was 0.5 ng g(-1). Extraction recoveries were 85-94% over the concentration range of 2.5-20 ng g(-1). Good reproducibility of the method was observed at levels of 0.54 and 10.4 ng g(-1) with relative standard deviations of 5.0 and 2.8%, respectively. The method was used to analyze samples of 21 canned liquid infant formula products for BPA. BPA was detected in all samples at levels ranging from as low as 2.27 ng g(-1) to as high as 10.2 ng g(-1). The probable daily intakes of BPA due to consumption of canned liquid infant formula were estimated for infants from premature to 12-18 months of age. The maximum probable daily intake of BPA was 1.35 microg kg(-1) of body weight day(-1) for 0-1-month-old infants with the maximum formula intake, which is below the provisional tolerable daily intake for BPA established by Health Canada, 25 microg kg(-1) of body weight day(-1).     

A comparative analysis of simulated and observed photosynthetic CO2 uptake in two coniferous forest canopies

Gross canopy photosynthesis (P(g)) can be simulated with canopy models or retrieved from turbulent carbon dioxide (CO2) flux measurements above the forest canopy. We compare the two estimates and illustrate our findings with two case studies. We used the three-dimensional canopy model MAESTRA to simulate P(g) of two spruce forests differing in age and structure. Model parameter acquisition and model sensitivity to selected model parameters are described, and modeled results are compared with independent flux estimates. Despite higher photon fluxes at the site, an older German Norway spruce (Picea abies L. (Karst.)) canopy took up 25% less CO2 from the atmosphere than a young Scottish Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) plantation. The average magnitudes of P(g) and the differences between the two canopies were satisfactorily represented by the model. The main reasons for the different uptake rates were a slightly smaller quantum yield and lower absorptance of the Norway spruce stand because of a more clumped canopy structure. The model did not represent the scatter in the turbulent CO2 flux densities, which was of the same order of magnitude as the non-photosynthetically-active-radiation-induced biophysical variability in the simulated P(g). Analysis of residuals identified only small systematic differences between the modeled flux estimates and turbulent flux measurements at high vapor pressure saturation deficits. The merits and limitations of comparative analysis for quality evaluation of both methods are discussed. From this analysis, we recommend use of both parameter sets and model structure as a basis for future applications and model development.     

Soluble Mn(III) in suboxic zones

Soluble manganese(III) [Mn(III)] has been thought to disproportionate to soluble Mn(II) and particulate Mn(IV)O2 in natural waters, although it persists as complexes in laboratory solutions. We report that, in the Black Sea, soluble Mn(III) concentrations were as high as 5 micromolar and constituted up to 100% of the total dissolved Mn pool. Depth profiles indicated that soluble Mn(III) was produced at the top of the suboxic zone by Mn(II) oxidation and at the bottom of the suboxic zone by Mn(IV)O2 reduction, then stabilized in each case by unknown natural ligands. We also found micromolar concentrations of dissolved Mn(III) in the Chesapeake Bay. Dissolved Mn(III) can maintain the existence of suboxic zones because it can act as either an electron acceptor or donor. Our data indicate that Mn(III) should be ubiquitous at all water column and sediment oxic/anoxic interfaces in the environment.