Effects of long-term administration of enalapril on clinical indicators of renal function in dogs with compensated mitral regurgitation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of long-term administration of enalapril on renal function in dogs with severe, compensated mitral regurgitation. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS: 139 dogs with mitral regurgitation but without overt signs of heart failure. PROCEDURE: Dogs were randomly assigned to be treated with enalapril (0.5 mg/kg [0.23 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h) or placebo, and serum creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations were measured at regular intervals for up to 26 months. RESULTS: Adequate information on renal function was obtained from 132 dogs; follow-up time ranged from 0.5 to 26 months (median, 12 months). Mean serum creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations were not significantly different between dogs receiving enalapril and dogs receiving the placebo at any time, nor were concentrations significantly different from baseline concentrations. Proportions of dogs that developed azotemia or that had a +/- 35% increase in serum creatinine or urea nitrogen concentration were also not significantly different between groups. Conclusions: And Clinical Relevance: Results suggest that administration of enalapril for up to 2 years did not have any demonstrable adverse effects on renal function in dogs with severe, compensated mitral regurgitation.     

Preparation of photonic crystals made of air spheres in titania

Three-dimensional crystals of air spheres in titania (TiO2) with radii between 120 and 1000 nanometers were made by filling the voids in artificial opals by precipitation from a liquid-phase chemical reaction and subsequently removing the original opal material by calcination. These macroporous materials are a new class of photonic band gap crystals for the optical spectrum. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and optical microscopy confirm the quality of the samples, and optical reflectivity demonstrates that the crystals are strongly photonic and near that needed to exhibit band gap behavior.     

Nonstationary Phase of the Plio-Pleistocene Asian Monsoon

Paleoclimate records indicate that the strength of the Asian summer monsoon is sensitive to orbital forcing at the obliquity and precession periods (41,000 and 23,000 years, respectively) and the extent of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Over the past 2.6 million years, the timing (phase) of strong monsoons has changed by approximately 83 degrees in the precession and approximately 124 degrees in the obliquity bands relative to the phase of maximum global ice volume (inferred from the marine oxygen isotope record). These results suggest that one or both of these systems is nonstationary relative to orbital forcing.     

Reduction of in vitro growth in Flavobacterium columnare and Saprolegnia parasitica by products containing peracetic acid

Commercial products containing peracetic acid (PAA) are strong disinfectants with a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity and have been suggested as potential therapeutic agents in aquaculture. The aim of this study was to compare the in vitro reduction of growth on two fish pathogens, Flavobacterium columnare and Saprolegnia parasitica, by seven commercial PAA‐containing products. Flavobacterium columnare was exposed to 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mg L^?1 PAA and S. parasitica was exposed to 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mg L^?1 PAA in petri dishes for 24 h incubation. The reduction of growth was measured in comparison to a PAA‐free control. A reduction of the growth was observed for both pathogens with increasing PAA concentration. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) possibly has a role in the effectiveness of the products, since products with lower PAA concentrations had a higher concentration of H₂O₂. The commercial products with a low concentration of PAA and a low PAA:H₂O₂‐ratio were generally more effective against pathogens. The practical application of the products with low PAA concentration should be prioritized.     

Conglutinin and immunoconglutinin titers in stressed calves in a feedlot

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether increased conglutinin titers are evident in stressed calves that do not develop respiratory tract disease in feedlots, compared with respiratory tract disease, and to determine the increase in immunoconglutinin titers. ANIMALS: 101 mixed-breed beef calves. PROCEDURE: Calves were processed at 4 farms of origin and allowed to remain with their dams for another 100 days. Calves from each farm were brought to a centrally located order-buyer barn. In a feedlot, 101 calves were assigned to pens and observed daily for clinical signs of acute respiratory tract disease. When sick calves were detected, they were treated with antibiotics and isolated in a pen for 4 days. Conglutinin and immunoconglutinin titers were determined for all calves. RESULTS: During the 28-day study, 73 calves developed respiratory tract disease, whereas 28 calves remained healthy. Mean conglutinin titers differed significantly among calves from the 4 farms. Significant differences were not detected in conglutinin titers among calves on the basis of sex, morbidity, or vaccination status against Mannheimia haemolytica at each farm, the order-buyer barn, or the feedlot on days 8, 15, and 28 after arrival. Immunoconglutinin titers in calves differed significantly among farms and morbidity status. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Mean conglutinin titers in calves do not appear to be associated with the incidence of acute respiratory tract disease; however, increased immunoconglutinin titers appear to be associated with recovery of stressed calves from respiratory tract disease during the first 15 days after arrival in a feedlot.