An unusual presentation of granulocytic anaplasmosis in a young dog

Canine granulocytic anaplasmosis is a disease diagnosed in many areas of the United States, with the highest prevalence reported in dogs in the upper midwestern, northeastern, and western states. It is also found in several European countries. Anaplasmosis can manifest with a wide range of clinicopathologic findings. A 20 wk old puppy was presented with physical examination and laboratory findings atypical of the disease. In addition to other signs, abdominal effusion was detected. Diagnostic evaluation confirmed that the puppy was positive for anaplasmosis. No morulae were found in peripheral white blood cells, but morulae were apparent in the white cells of the abdominal effusion. Leukopenia was observed, characterized by neutropenia, as opposed to the lymphopenia and eosinopenia typically seen with the disease. Blast cells were also seen in the peripheral blood, and reactive lymphocytes were noted in the bone marrow. The patient responded well to doxycycline therapy. All hematologic and physical abnormalities resolved.     

Antagonism of detomidine with tolazoline in isoflurane-anaesthetised ponies

The effects of tolazoline (4.0 mg/kg iv) antagonism of detomidine (0.02 mg/kg iv) were evaluated in isoflurane-anaesthetised, ventilated ponies. Each of 6 ponies received both tolazoline and saline treatment during separate anaesthetic episodes only (no surgery was performed). Detomidine administration produced an increase in blood pressure, decrease in heart rate and decrease in P_aO₂ Tolazoline treatment transiently increased heart rate while blood pressure returned to baseline after both treatments. Arterial oxygenation decreased further after tolazoline treatment while oxgenation recovered towards baseline with saline treatment. No other cardiopulmonary effects were detected. Recovery from anaesthesia tended to be more rapid when detomidine was antagonized. The potential benefit of antagonizing detomidine-induced bradycardia with tolazoline, during isoflurane anaesthesia should be weighed against the potential to produce a decrease in arterial oxygenation. The mechanism for this effect is not clear.     

Visceral mast cell tumour with eosinophilia and eosinophilic peritoneal and pleural effusions in a cat

Summary A cat with weight loss, pyrexia and recurrent lethargy and depression was found to have pleural and peritoneal eosinophilic effusions, peripheral eosinophilia, eosinophilic lymphadenitis and a massively enlarged mesenteric lymph node. Visceral mast cell neoplasia was diagnosed after histopathological examination of a biopsy of the mass. Palliative chemotherapy was attempted unsuccessfully and the cat was euthanased.     

牛血浆中Leptin营养调控的进展

Leptin对哺乳动物整个生命过程中的能量代谢调节起着关键作用.据认为,在奶牛生长阶段对生殖系统和乳腺发育起着一定营养调节作用.然而,通过营养调控增加血浆Leptin的发育阶段没有确定.还不清楚奶牛血浆中Leptin浓度是否影响初情期的开始.设计两个试验研究这些问题.试验中分别饲喂新生犊牛不同水平的代乳品,使犊牛的平均日增重分别达到平均570 g/d或1210 g/d.每周都采取血样直到犊牛体重达到105kg屠宰时为止.低日增重组的Leptin和肥胖素含量一直保持不变,而高日增重组的Leptin和肥胖素含量在试验的第3周开始增加.在第2个试验当中3～5月龄的后备牛饲喂加入棕榈酸钙盐或共轭亚油酸(CLA)的TMR,保证后备牛的平均日增重水平达到1 kg/d.一直采取血样直到第3个初情期黄体出现为止.脂肪来源对与生长有关的参数、体组成、初情期、血浆Leptin含量没有影响.因此,从试验开始直到屠宰,按日龄因素对血浆Leptin含量重新分析.在奶牛1岁前,血浆Leptin浓度一直几乎保持在2.3 ng/ml这一水平,此后血浆Leptin含量明显增加.在奶牛1岁左右血浆Leptin含量几乎保持不变的阶段或者以后血浆Lep-tin含量急剧增加阶段,初情期开始的频率几乎与之相等.可以得出这样的结论,血浆Leptin含量在犊牛出生后的早期阶段受营养因素的调控,Leptin含量的急剧增加并不是奶牛初情期开始所必需的.     

Biomimetic Pathways for Assembling Inorganic Thin Films

Living organisms construct various forms of laminated nanocomposites through directed nucleation and growth of inorganics at self-assembled organic templates at temperatures below 100°C and in aqueous solutions. Recent research has focused on the use of functionalized organic surfaces to form continuous thin films of single-phase ceramics. Continuous thin films of mesostructured silicates have also been formed on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces through a two-step mechanism. First, under acidic conditions, surfactant micellar structures are self-assembled at the solid/liquid interface, and second, inorganic precursors condense to form an inorganic-organic nanocomposite. Epitaxial coordination of adsorbed surfactant tubules is observed on mica and graphite substrates, whereas a random arrangement is observed on amorphous silica. The ability to process ceramic-organic nanocomposite films by these methods provides new technological opportunities.     

Pressure measurement made by the utilization of ruby sharp-line luminescence

A rapid, convenient technique for precision pressure measurement in the diamond-anvil high-pressure cell, which makes use of the sharp-line (R-line) luminescence of ruby, has been developed. The observed shift is -0.77 +/-0.03 reciprocal centimeters per kilobar for R(1) and -0.84+/- 0.03 reciprocal centimeters per kilobar for R(2) to lower energy and is approximately linear in the range studied (to 22 kilobars). Line-broadening has been observed in some instances and has been tentatively identified with nonhydrostatic conditions surrounding the ruby sample.     

Ion neutral mass spectrometer results from the first flyby of Titan

The Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) has obtained the first in situ composition measurements of the neutral densities of molecular nitrogen, methane, molecular hydrogen, argon, and a host of stable carbon-nitrile compounds in Titan's upper atmosphere. INMS in situ mass spectrometry has also provided evidence for atmospheric waves in the upper atmosphere and the first direct measurements of isotopes of nitrogen, carbon, and argon, which reveal interesting clues about the evolution of the atmosphere. The bulk composition and thermal structure of the moon's upper atmosphere do not appear to have changed considerably since the Voyager 1 flyby.     

The Seismic Structure of the Sun

Global Oscillation Network Group data reveal that the internal structure of the sun can be well represented by a calibrated standard model. However, immediately beneath the convection zone and at the edge of the energy-generating core, the sound-speed variation is somewhat smoother in the sun than it is in the model. This could be a consequence of chemical inhomogeneity that is too severe in the model, perhaps owing to inaccurate modeling of gravitational settling or to neglected macroscopic motion that may be present in the sun. Accurate knowledge of the sun's structure enables inferences to be made about the physics that controls the sun; for example, through the opacity, the equation of state, or wave motion. Those inferences can then be used elsewhere in astrophysics.