Long-term outcome of horses with a slab fracture of the central or third tarsal bone treated conservatively: 25 cases (1976-1993)

OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical features of horses with a slab fracture of the central or third tarsal bone and to report outcome of horses in which treatment did not include surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 25 horses (14 Standardbreds, 6 Thoroughbreds, 5 Quarter Horses). PROCEDURE: Medical records of horses with a slab fracture of the central (n = 9) or third (16) tarsal bone were reviewed. Only horses for which treatment consisted of confinement to a stall were included in this study. Clinical features and radiographic findings were recorded and summarized. Outcome was determined for racing breeds by obtaining official lifetime race results. Outcome for Quarter Horses was determined by phone survey of the owners. RESULTS: 16 (64%) horses had a successful outcome. Ten of 14 (71%) Standardbreds and 2 of 6 Thoroughbreds returned to racing and started at least 5 races after injury. Four of 5 Quarter Horses for which follow-up information was available successfully returned to their previous activity. Sex, age, limb affected, or gait was not associated with final outcome. Percentage of racehorses with central tarsal bone fractures that had a successful outcome (2/7) was significantly less than percentage with third tarsal bone fractures that did (10/13). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that enforced rest without surgical fixation can be an effective therapeutic option for horses with a slab fracture of the central or third tarsal bone, even if athletic function is expected.     

Histology of two rice bodies isolated from the stifle of an adult draught horse stallion

In the human and equine species, different kinds of free floating intra-articular particles are related to certain disorders. Osteochondral fragments formed during osteochondrosis dissecans are the most common finding in the equine species, whereas in humans rice bodies due to rheumatoid arthritis are more frequent. Herein we report a third type of floating body inside the stifle of an adult draught horse stallion, in macroscopic appearance similar to articular rice bodies known in humans. As revealed by histologic examination, the two particles consist of polypoid degenerated structures derived from synovial villi. Their formation was probably induced by ischemia.     

牦牛大肠埃希氏菌病灭活疫苗的制备

用本实验室分离鉴定的致病性牦牛大肠埃希氏菌，按常规方法制备了4批氢氧化铝胶灭活疫苗。对牦牛大肠埃希氏菌的菌液培养、纯粹检验、活菌计数、灭活等进行了探索，并对用该菌研制成的疫苗进行了常规检验。结果4批灭活疫苗经无菌检验为阴性；经物理性状检验为：静置后上层是淡黄色的澄明液体，下层为灰白色沉淀，振荡后呈均匀混浊液；经牦牛安全检验结果为安全；经牦牛效力试验有效。牦牛大肠埃希氏菌病灭活疫苗为免疫预防该病打下了良好的基础。     

An experimental mycotoxicosis in sheep and goats caused by Drechslera campanulata, a fungal pathogen of green oats

Field outbreaks of a syndrome of unknown aetiology associated with the grazing of green oats (Avena sativa) in the south-western Cape Province were characterized by diarrhoea, photosensitivity and death in goats and by diarrhoea and a reduction in milk production in cows. A phytopathogenic fungus, Drechslera campanulata, was isolated from conspicuous reddish-brown leaf spots on oat plants collected from both outbreaks. Pure cultures on autoclaved maize of D. campanulata isolates from oat leaves implicated in both field outbreaks, as well as a Canadian isolate, proved to be highly toxic to ducklings, goats and sheep. Characteristic clinical signs of the fatal mycotoxicosis caused by D. campanulata culture material in goats and sheep were anorexia, apathy, diarrhoea and ruminal stasis. Photosensitivity, however, was not induced. Necrosis of the forestomach mucosa was the most characteristic gross pathological change. Histopathological findings included mild focal erosions to severe, diffuse, coagulative necrosis of the mucosa in the rumen, reticulum and omasum and congestion and haemorrhages in the abomasum. These results provide circumstantial evidence that green oat leaves infected by D. campanulata may cause outbreaks of a mycotoxicosis in grazing animals.     

Umweltvorsorge über den Tag hinaus

Zusammenfassung Die Erkenntnis, da? die beste Umweltpolitik darin besteht, Umweltbelastungen von vornherein soweit wie m?glich zu vermeiden, statt sie erst nachtr?glich in ihren Auswirkungen zu bek?mpfen, ist unter dem Eindruck bedrohlicher Eingriffe in das „System Umwelt” unterdessen zum wichtigsten Grundsatzprinzip der Umweltaktions-programme—auch dem der EG—erkl?rt worden. Die praxisbezogene Umsetzung dieses Grundprinzips einer vorausschauenden Umweltplanung setzt allerdings voraus, da? zuerst einmal überhaupt genügend geeignete Informationen über Zustand und Leistungsf?higkeit der Umwelt zur Verfügung stehen und da? darüber hinaus eine entscheidungsorientierte Implementierung dieser Informationen auch tats?chlich erfolgen kann. Beide Voraussetzungen sind heute in der Regel kaum erfüllt. Den Bemühungen der EG, hier einen nicht zuletzt auch stimulierenden Beitrag auf Gemeinschaftsebene zu leisten, sollen vor allem die beiden in Angriff genommenen Gemeinschaftsaktionen „?kologische Kartierung” und „Umweltvertr?glichkeitsprüfung” genügen. Beide Aktionen erg?nzen sich in mancher Hinsicht. Für die Aktion „Umweltvertr?glichkeitsprüfung” ist bereits im Laufe des n?chsten Jahres mit geeigneten Vorschl?gen der EG-Kommission an den EG-Ministerrat zu rechnen. Die „?kologische Kartierung” wird im Rahmen eines mehrj?hrigen Arbeitsplanes in vier Programmphasen abgewickelt. Die erste und methodisch wichtigste Programmphase soll Ende n?chsten Jahres mit dem Billigungsvorschlag einer Pilotmethode an den Rat zwecks sukzessiver Erfassung des gesamten Gebiets der EG abgeschlossen werden.

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The prevention of future environmental damage. The European Community is stimulating the development of instruments for a preventive environmental policy

Summary Under the influence of the magnitude of the conflicting influences to which the environmental system is exposed, the recognition that the best environmental policy consists in the prevention as far as possible from the very beginning of environmental pollution, rather than in dealing with its effects after the event, has become the most important basic principle of environmental policy, including the Community's Action Programme. The practical implementation of this principle of preventive environmental planning does, however, depend on the availability of sufficient suitable information on the state and characteristics of the environment and on there existing a mechanism by which this information can be fed into the decision-making process. These preconditions are not usually fulfilled at the present time. The two actions in the fields of “Environmental Impact Assessment” and “Ecological Mapping” represent the main thrust of the Community's efforts to play a catalytic role in this field. The actions are complementary in several respects. It is expected that the Commission will present its first proposals to the EC Council of Ministers on “Environmental Impact Assessment” in the course of the coming year. The “Ecological Mapping” is being developed in a multi-annual work programme, divided into four phases. The first, and methodologically most important phase should end next year with a proposal to the Council to approve a pilot methodology which can be used for the gradual mapping of all Community territory.

     

Gruppenverteidigungsverhalten bei wildlebenden Bienen (Apis cerana Fabr.) in Afghanistan

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Aussetzung vonAphidecta obliterata L. (Coccinellidae) auf der Nordseeinsel Amrum zur biologischen Kontrolle der Sitkalaus (Liosomaphis abietina Walk.Aphididae)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Wood-polymer combinations: Bonding of alkoxysilane coupling agents to wood

Summary Trembling aspen has been impregnated with the coupling agent -methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and the hygroscopicity and antishrink efficiency measured before and after water extraction. There was a hygroscopicity depression with treatment, but not enough to account for the observed antishrink efficiencies. There was limited reversibility after water extraction. This indicated that the wood was interacting with part of the sorbed silane more strongly than with water, and that there was a diversity of sorption environments within the wood-silane complex.The authors are grateful for financial support by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada