Prevalence of Cysticercus bovis in Australian cattle

Objective The first national abattoir survey of Cysticercus bovis (‘beef measles’) in cattle was conducted in February 2008. Methods During the data collection period, 493,316 cattle were subjected to standard postmortem procedures, including incision of the masseter and heart muscles. On-site veterinarians were asked to record the location of any C. bovis cysts, as well as the National Livestock Identification System ear tag numbers of infected animals. Veterinarians were asked to submit samples for laboratory confirmation by histology and polymerase chain reaction testing. Results Of the 23 samples submitted, none was positive for C. bovis by either diagnostic method. Conclusions Occasional, isolated diagnoses of beef measles are still made in most states of Australia, but since the last regional surveys were conducted 30 years ago, when the estimated prevalence was 50 to 200 per 100,000 cattle slaughtered, the parasite has become extremely rare.     

Physiological and biochemical consequences of electroimobilisation in conscious sheep

An electroimmobilisation device has been developed to facilitate the automated shearing of sheep, but there is little information on its effects on the body. We have studied its effects on the cardiovascular system and on intermediary metabolism in sheep. Electroimmobilisation caused statistically significant increases in mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, renal and hepatic and hindquarter glucose and lactate flux, organ and whole body oxygen flux, hindquarter blood flow and core temperature and decreases in arterial and posterior vena cava blood pH, renal and hepatic blood flow and PaCO2. Notably, no change occurred in PaO2. The metabolic changes demonstrated the capacity of sheep to respond to the increased muscular and cardiovascular work induced by electroimmobilisation. Pulmonary function was not compromised during electroimmobilisation as judged from blood gas changes, and the acid/base changes were rapidly reversed after electroimmobilisation. The recovery to control conditions for all perturbations generally took no longer than 30 min, consistent with a rapid and physiologically adequate reversal by the animal's homeostatic mechanisms.     

Changes in North Atlantic radiocarbon reservoir ages during the Allerød and Younger Dryas

Estimates of the radiocarbon age of seawater are required in correlations between marine and terrestrial records of the late Quaternary climate. We radiocarbon-dated marine shells and terrestrial plant remains deposited in two bays on Norway's west coast between 11,000 and 14,000 years ago, a time of large and abrupt climatic changes that included the Younger Dryas (YD) cold episode. The radiocarbon age difference between the shells and the plants showed that sea surface reservoir ages increased from 400 to 600 years in the early YD, stabilized for 900 years, and dropped by 300 years within a century across the YD-Holocene transition.     

Multicentric papillary cystadenoma in the udder of a cow

A mammary gland neoplasm was identified at necropsy in a 9-year-old ovariectomized Holstein cow with a 1-year history of an enlarged left hindquarter. A sterile serous secretion was expressed from the quarter. The cow developed Corynebacterium pyogenes infection in the quarter one year later and died of secondary complications. The left hindquarter was found to contain multiple cysts. The histologic diagnosis was multicentric papillary cystadenoma.     

Gas exchange in boars of different development stages during motor activity

Continuous measurements were performed on 16 untrained boars for VO2, VCO2, and rectal temperature, prior to, during, and after running exercises on an horizontal exercise belt, with speeds set to 1.3 m.s-1 corresponding to something between 23 and 43 kg of body weight b.wt. or 0.7 and 1.3 m.s-1 corresponding to 76 to 86 kg of b.wt. The highest values of VO2 and VCO2 (ml.min-1/kg-1 b.wt.) and of rectal temperature (degrees C) were 36.78 +/- 3.57, 40.23 +/- 6.17, and 41.9 +/- 0.6 in younger animals or 21.49 +/- 2.46, 22.53 +/- 3.12, 40.8 +/- 0.5, 29.3 +/- 5.15, 30.6 +/- 4.77, and 40.7 +/- 0.45 for somewhat older animals for belt speeds of 0.7 and 1.3 m.s-1. Exercise belt speeds of 0.7 to 1.3 m.s-1 were found to be suitable for testing aerobic metabolic capacity of untrained young boars.     

Measurements of the equation of state of deuterium at the fluid insulator-metal transition

A high-intensity laser was used to shock-compress liquid deuterium to pressures from 22 to 340 gigapascals. In this regime deuterium is predicted to transform from an insulating molecular fluid to an atomic metallic fluid. Shock densities and pressures, determined by radiography, revealed an increase in compressibility near 100 gigapascals indicative of such a transition. Velocity interferometry measurements, obtained by reflecting a laser probe directly off the shock front in flight, demonstrated that deuterium shocked above 55 gigapascals has an electrical conductivity characteristic of a liquid metal and independently confirmed the radiography.     

Organic Glasses: A New Class of Photorefractive Materials

The performance of amorphous organic photorefractive (PR) materials in applications such as optical data storage is generally limited by the concentration of active molecules (chromophores) that can be incorporated into the host without forming a crystalline material with poor optical quality. In polymeric PR systems described previously, performance has been limited by the necessity of devoting a large fraction of the material to inert polymer and plasticizing components in order to ensure compositional stability. A new class of organic PR materials composed of multifunctional glass-forming organic chromophores is described that have long-term stability and greatly improved PR properties.     

The clinical, cerebrospinal fluid, and histopathologic effects of epidural ketorolac in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and histopathologic effects of epidural ketorolac. STUDY DESIGN: Blinded, randomized, placebo controlled study. ANIMALS: Twenty-two adult mixed breed dogs with 16 treatment and 6 control dogs, weighing 14.4 to 29.8 kg. METHODS: Dogs were anesthetized and epidural catheters were placed at the lumbosacral space. Catheter placement was evaluated fluoroscopically. Ketorolac (0.4 mg/kg) or placebo (5% ethanol) was administered epidurally over a 52-hour period, with 5 injections given at 12-hour intervals. At 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours after the first and last injection of ketorolac, dogs were anesthetized and CSF was obtained. Control dogs had CSF sampled 1 hour after the first and last ethanol injection. Neurologic function and pain responses were evaluated before and during the study. Selected dogs were then killed and necropsies performed. RESULTS: None of the dogs exhibited any clinical or neurologic abnormalities during the study. No statistical difference was noted in pain response or CSF analysis between treatment and control dogs. Gross necropsy revealed gastrointestinal ulceration of varying degrees in all treatment dogs. Histopathologic analysis of the spinal cord and meninges revealed minimal focal leptomeningeal phlebitis in 2 of 8 treatment dogs and minor subdural inflammation in 1 control dog. No changes to the neural structures were noted in any dogs. CONCLUSIONS: Epidural administration of ketorolac did not cause clinical signs, alteration in CSF values, or pathologic changes to the spinal cord when used for short duration. Gastrointestinal ulceration was common when ketorolac was administered epidurally at 0.4 mg/kg every 12 hours for 5 treatments. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study documented the neurologic safety of epidural ketorolac in dogs before an efficacy trial can be performed. Gastrointestinal ulceration may limit use to short duration or a single injection.