Evaluation of intra-articular injection of autologous platelet lysate (PL) in horses with osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint

Background: Regenerative medicine has become one of the most promising therapies of equine osteoarthritis. Platelet lysate (PL) is rich in bioactive proteins and growth factors that play a crucial role in tissue healing.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intra-articularly injected autologous PL in equine athletes with naturally occurring osteoarthritis.

Animals and methods: Fifteen warmblood geldings aged 8–19 years with osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint were included in this study. They were randomly divided into two groups; 10 horses received intra-articular injections of PL and 5 of normal saline (controls). Before treatment, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) levels in basal plasma and prepared PL were estimated. Each joint was injected twice within a three-week period. Lameness was evaluated using the American Association of Equine Practitioners grading system, before treatment and 10 days after each intra-articular injection. Horses were examined fortnightly for one year. Radiographic examination was performed six months post-treatment. The generalized estimating equation test was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Acceptable levels of PDGF were detected in PLs (mean ± SD: 258.0 ± 52.3 pg/ml). The majority of horses (9/10) responded positively to PL treatment presenting lower lameness grades (p < 0.0005) compared to controls 10 days after the second injection, and returned to normal athletic activity. Radiographs revealed no changes in osteoarthritis lesions six months after treatment. One year post-injections, however, all horses relapsed to their initial degree of lameness.

Conclusion: Intra-articularly injected autologous PL is an efficient method for temporarily managing osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint in athletic horses.     

Proposed Indices for Assessing Soil Pollution Under the Application of Sludge

The assessment of soil pollution with heavy metals has been studied, based on experimental soil and plant analytical heavy metal data obtained by a pot experiment conducted during 2010?C2011 in a green house. A completely randomized block design was used, including the following sludge treatments (in tons per hectare): 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and (30+treated wastewater) in four replications. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) var. longifolia was used as a test plant. Three indices were proposed, i.e., (1) elemental pollution index, (2) heavy metal load, and (3) total concentration factor. They were found to be linearly and statistically significantly related to the pollution load index, which was used as a reference index, and curvilinearly related to lettuce dry matter yield. It was concluded that the above indices could be used for the assessment of soil pollution level.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine sediments of the Hellenic coastal zone, eastern Mediterranean: levels, sources and toxicological significance

Purpose  

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread in sediments, particularly near areas of intense human activities. Due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic behaviour, PAHs are classified as priority contaminants to be monitored in environmental quality control schemes. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of PAHs in major coastal areas of Greece that receive various pressures, investigate their sources and evaluate their potential toxicity by comparison against effects-based Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQG).     

Simulation of Groundwater Flow in a Sedimentary Aquifer System Subjected to Overexploitation

Groundwater flow models are applied to a large variety of hydrogeological conditions in different aquifer types, in order to simulate the groundwater flow of the investigated system. This paper aims to present the application of a groundwater flow model for the simulation of a sedimentary aquifer, located in Northern Greece. The simulation involves the period between April 2003 and April 2004, and the model is divided into two distinct stress periods, each containing two different time steps. The simulation of the aquifer is found to be satisfactory, conclusion which is based on both graphical as well as arithmetical verifications. The groundwater flow simulation was achieved by the application of the MODFLOW code.     

Successful resuscitation from cardiac arrest associated with extradural lidocaine in a dog

BACKGROUND: Extradural lidocaine exerts several adverse effects which are seldom fatal. While cardiac arrest following extradural lidocaine injection has been reported in human beings, it has not hitherto been reported in dogs. OBSERVATIONS: The emergency management of a dog with complete urethral obstruction is described. We intended to perform vaginoscopy and cystostomy under extradural lidocaine anaesthesia, but cardiac asystole occurred a few minutes after injection. Resuscitation was successful. About 20 minutes later cardiac arrest recurred, and was treated successfully. The dog remained hypothermic for approximately 7 hours. Complete recovery without neurological deficit occurred the next day and the dog remained normal for at least 3 months. The probable cause of the problem was cranial lidocaine dispersion causing a drop in cardiac preload and cardiac arrest. The successful neurological outcome was attributed to early diagnosis and effective treatment. Hypothermia may have conferred cerebral protection during ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: Extradural local anaesthetic administration is not without risk and the technique should be tailored to individual animals. Constant monitoring is required to detect potentially fatal complications and increase the likelihood of successful outcome.     

Encapsulation of olive leaf extract in beta-cyclodextrin

Olive leaf extract, rich in oleuropein, formed an inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) upon mixing of the components in aqueous media and subsequent freeze-drying. Inclusion complex formation was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC thermograms indicated that the endothermic peaks of both the olive leaf extract and the physical mixture of olive leaf extract with beta-CD, attributed to the melting of crystals of the extract, were absent in DSC thermogram of inclusion complex. Moreover, DSC studies under oxidative conditions indicated that the complex of olive leaf extract with beta-CD was protected against oxidation, since it remained intact at temperatures where the free olive leaf extract was oxidized. Phase solubility studies afforded A L type diagrams, 1:1 complex stoichiometry, a moderate binding constant ( approximately 300 M (-1)), and an increase of the aqueous solubility by approximately 50%. The formation of the inclusion complex was also confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of beta-CD solutions in the presence of both pure oleuropein and olive leaf extract. The NMR data have established the formation of a 1:1 complex with beta-CD that involves deep insertion of the dihydroxyphenethyl moiety inside the cavity from its secondary side.     

Activity, adsorption and mobility of three acetanilide and two new amide herbicides

Activity, adsorption, and mobility of emulsifiable concentrate (EC) and microencapsulated (ME) formulations of alachlor and acetochlor as well as of metolachlor, S-metolachlor, dimethenamid and flufenacet were studied. Petri-dish bioassay, based on root response of oats ( Avena sativa L.), was used for their activity in sand and in a silty clay loam soil, and for determination of herbicide concentrations in soil solution (not adsorbed) and in column leachates of the adsorption and mobility studies respectively. Flufenacet and both acetochlor formulations showed the highest activity in both soils and ME-alachlor and metolachlor the lowest; the activity of dimethenamid, EC-alachlor and S-metolachlor was intermediate. Activity of both formulations of alachlor and acetochlor decreased with increasing organic matter content, but alachlor activity was reduced more than that of acetochlor. Lower amounts of dimethenamid and S-metolachlor were adsorbed by soil compared with the other herbicides and, consequently, greater amounts of these two herbicides were leached through that soil. None of the herbicides tested was detected below 30 cm. Less alachlor and acetochlor were biologically available in soil solution after their application as ME-formulations and, therefore, lower amounts of both ME-alachlor and ME-acetochlor were leached through the soil compared with those applied as EC-formulations.     

光照对断奶仔猪早期饲料采食量的影响

断奶后最初两周的饲料采食量对后来整个保育期的性能都有重要影响 ,甚至对直到上市日龄的性能也具有重要的后续影响。例如 ,早期的研究表明 ,断奶后第一周内采食足够的饲料以至每天生长 2 5 0克的猪与同一时期勉强维持其断奶体重的仔猪相比 ,可提早 10天达到上市体重。因此 ,应该把可提高早期断奶仔猪早期采食量的营养和管理措施看作是对猪一生的投资。光照和光照周期对断奶后早期饲料采食量产生的影响不太清楚 ,但最近的研究得出了足以提出一些初步的实用建议。荷兰的第一项试验荷兰的研究人员对断奶后单独饲喂的仔猪研究了其早期采食量与…