Leptospirosis in a Small Animal Veterinarian: Reminder to Follow Standardized Infection Control Procedures

A small animal veterinarian in Washington State developed leptospirosis after an occupational exposure. Approximately 10 days prior to the onset of illness, he examined a healthy appearing pet rat for fleas, which urinated on his un‐gloved hands. Although the veterinarian washed his hands after the examination, his hands had abrasions from gardening. The veterinarian was hospitalized for 12 days and was able to return to work part‐time 1 month following discharge. This illness may have been prevented if the veterinarian had been wearing gloves during the examination as recommended by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV), Veterinary Infection Control Committee, in its Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel (2008). This case alerts us to the need for small animal veterinarians to minimize their infection risk by practising recommended infection control procedures. Veterinarians should establish and follow a written infection control plan based on the standardized infection control approach adopted by the NASPHV to minimize their risk of occupational zoonotic infections.     

DDGS和酵母培养物对奶牛生产性能和乳成分的影响

选择16头泌乳天数为127±52d经产荷斯坦泌乳牛用于评价酵母培养物(达农威益康XP)和玉米酒糟及其可溶物(DDGS)在试验日粮中含有限草料纤维数量(草料中的中性洗涤纤维含量为19.3%,干物质基础)之情况下对产奶量和乳成分的影响及其它们之间的互作效应。本次试验采用4重复4×4拉丁方设计,试验时间为4个星期。处理组均按照2×2因子排列而设定,其中:1)日粮中不含酵母培养物和DDGS(对照组);2)日粮中含有20%DDGS,无酵母培养物(DDGS组);3)日粮中含有60g/d的酵母培养物益康XP(XP组);4)日粮中含有20%DDGS和60g/d的益康XP(XP+DDGS组)。本次试验结果表明:各处理组之间对奶牛体重和体况评分无显著的影响。日粮的处理并不影响干物质采食量(DMI),在使用草料纤维含量较低且添加20%DDGS的日粮情况下乳脂率会降低。添加益康XP的确能够提高产奶量及乳蛋白产量,但却不能够完全阻止因DDGS所造成的乳脂率下降的趋势。无论日粮中是否含有DDGS,益康XP都能够提高奶牛的生产性能。     

Mono- versus polyubiquitination: differential control of p53 fate by Mdm2

Although Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination is essential for both degradation and nuclear export of p53, the molecular basis for the differential effects of Mdm2 remains unknown. Here we show that low levels of Mdm2 activity induce monoubiquitination and nuclear export of p53, whereas high levels promote p53's polyubiquitination and nuclear degradation. A p53-ubiquitin fusion protein that mimics monoubiquitinated p53 was found to accumulate in the cytoplasm in an Mdm2-independent manner, indicating that monoubiquitination is critical for p53 trafficking. These results clarify the nature of ubiquitination-mediated p53 regulation and suggest that distinct mechanisms regulate p53 function in accordance with the levels of Mdm2 activity.     

Differentiation of Australian isolates of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Objectives To examine strain variation amongst Australian isolates of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis .
Design Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was optimised for differentiation of M paratuberculosis strains, and this typing technique was then applied to a collection of Australian isolates.
Procedure DNAs from 35 Australian isolates of M para-tuberculosis and a UK reference strain were digested with one or other of three restriction endonucleases. The banding patterns obtained after pulsed field gel electrophoresis of the DNA fragments were compared.
Results The Australian isolates were divided into two groups on the basis of their DNA banding pattern. Both were different from the UK reference strain. Seven isolates from cattle in Victoria and the Northern Territory had the same pattern as five isolates from alpacas in Victoria and Western Australia. Another 20 isolates from cattle in Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory had the same pattern as isolates from two sheep and a goat in New South Wales.
Conclusion Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was a useful tool for strain typing of M paratuberculosis , and could be used to study the transmission of strains in Australia.