Recent advances in external skeletal fixation

While the use of external skeletal fixation was once associated with substantial postoperative morbidity, clinical and experimental studies have led to technological advances and modifications in application techniques that have greatly improved the results obtained with this treatment modality. The past decade saw numerous advances in external skeletal fixator implants, components and instrumentation, including improvements in fixation pin design, and the development of new linear external skeletal fixation systems and economical circular external skeletal fixation systems specifically engineered for use in dogs and cats. In addition, a greater understanding of fixator biomechanics and the pathobiology of the bone-fixation pin interface have improved fixator application practices. This article reviews many of the more significant recent advances in external skeletal fixation.     

Changes in the glucosinolate content of oilseed rape plants following infection with turnip mosaic virus

Low and high glucosinolate cultivars of oilseed rape were analysed for variation in both individual and total glucosinolate content up to 27 days after inoculation with turnip mosaic virus. Both infected and control plants of the two cultivars differed in the concentration of aliphatic, aromatic and indole glucosinolates. The biggest differences in glucosinolate content between the cultivars were found in the aliphatic and aromatic glucosinolate groups. Infected plants of the high glucosinolate cultivar, Solida, possessed lower amounts of glucosinolates, than did healthy control plants. Similar results were obtained with a low glucosinolate cultivar, S1. No significant difference was found between the two cultivars in resistance to turnip mosaic virus, using qualitative and quantitative ELISA to determine virus content in their tissues.     

Canine Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Canine idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a disease in which antibodies bound to the surface of platelets mediate premature platelet destruction by macrophages. ITP in dogs and chronic ITP in humans are analogous diseases. This article draws on information from the literature on ITP in dogs and in humans, and reviews the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of ITP in dogs. J Vet Intern Med 1996;207–218. Copyright © 1996 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine .     

Amino acid interactions in chick nutrition. 3. Interdependence in amino acid requirements

The quantitative nature of specific interactions between certain indispensable amino acids has been examined in a series of factorial experiments with young chicks.

It was demonstrated that when the dietary concentration of lysine was 1.10 per cent, the arginine requirement of the chick was 0.80 per cent. When the lysine concentration was raised to 1.35, 1.60 or 1.85 per cent of the diet, the arginine requirement was increased to 0.92, 1.04 and 1.15 per cent of the diet respectively. In another experiment, it was found that when due importance had been attached to the interaction between lysine and arginine, the requirements for these amino acids could be lowered to 0.94 per cent and 0.81 per cent respectively. These concentrations are considerably lower than those normally recommended for young chicks.

The interrelationship between leucine and isoleucine has also been defined in quantitative terms. At concentrations of 1.40, 2.15 or 2.90 per cent leucine, the isoleucine requirement was 0.58, 0.62 and 0.65 per cent of the diet respectively.

In a further study, a similar dependence of valine requirements upon the dietary concentration of leucine was observed: at concentrations of 1.40, 2.40 or 3.40 per cent leucine, the valine requirement was shown to be 0.77, 0.89 and 1.01 per cent respectively. The results of the experiment on the threonine‐tryptophan interaction indicated that at concentrations of 0.80, 1.30, 1.80 or 2.30 per cent threonine, the tryptophan requirement was 0.17, 0.18, 0.19 and 0.20 per cent of the diet respectively.

The results of the present study permit the general conclusion that the requirements of amino acids are interdependent.