Potential of a recombinant antigen as a prophylactic vaccine for day-old broiler chickens against Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria tenella infections.

A genetically engineered Eimeria tenella antigen (GX3262), produced as a fusion protein with beta-galactosidase and identified with a monoclonal antibody, induced partial but significant protection in young broiler chickens against experimental E. tenella and Eimeria acervulina infections. The antigen appears to share a T-helper cell epitope with the parasite as evidenced by (a) booster inoculation with either the recombinant antigen or with a small number of live oocysts enhanced the protective immunity in GX3262 primed chickens, and (b) ability of the antigen to induce in vitro stimulation of T-cells from chickens immunized with antigen or parasite. These observations suggest the feasibility of a single vaccination of 1 or 2-day-old broilers with GX3262 to induce an acceptable degree of protective immunity. The implications of the observations reported here are far reaching in terms of a practical coccidiosis vaccine for poultry, and show for the first time that 1-day-old broiler chickens can be efficiently vaccinated with a recombinant antigen against one or more species of Eimeria.     

Nutritional support of hospitalized patients

Effective nutritional support requires sound knowledge of both basic and clinical nutrition of dogs and cats as well as familiarity with products and delivery systems. Case management includes assessment of nutritional status and estimation of fuel sources. Most starved or stressed patients use fatty acids for over 70 per cent kcalME and protein for over 20 per cent kcalME. Approximate kcal needs are calculated from maintenance energy equations. Most patients respond best to enteral nutrition. Meat-based pet foods, liquid enteral products, and nutrient modules are offered in slurries or are tube-fed. Management includes careful monitoring of patients and gradual transitions to diets with more complex nutrient sources.     

Plasma triglyceride concentration during intravenous infusions of propofol and Intralipid in sheep

Plasma triglyceride concentrations were measured in sheep given Intralipid or propofol, which is carried in a vehicle very similar to 10% Intralipid. A bolus dose was administered followed immediately by an infusion of the same agent for 2 h. In the animals that received propofol, the measured concentration increased by a mean amount of 3.39 mmol/l when the infusion rate was l ml/min (Group Pl) and by 7.13 mmol/l when it was 2 ml/min (Group P2). When 10% Intralipid was administered and infused at 1 ml/min (Group I10), the measured concentration increased only by 0.95 mmol/l. One hour after stopping the infusion, the excess of measured concentration over baseline had decreased in the Pl and I 10 groups to 0.52 and 0.13, respectively, of the corresponding maximum excess. The method adopted for measuring plasma triglycerides is widely used in hospitals; however, an incidental observation revealed that it is inappropriate in the presence of injections of propofol or Intralipid. Despite this, evidence and argument are presented to support the conclusion that, with propofol, plasma triglyceride concentrations increased more rapidly during the infusions and returned to baseline more slowly than with a corresponding amount of Intralipid.     

Anesthesia for patients with severe systemic debilitation.

Any patient presenting for anesthesia and surgery who has a severe debilitating problem is at great risk for a prolonged recovery, renal failure, or hypotension. A stable hemodynamic state should be maintained. Fluid homeostasis should be ensured. Anesthetic induction techniques using narcotics and benzodiazepines are my preferred approach, with maintenance of anesthesia incorporating isoflurane, narcotics, or both or the use of regional anesthesia.     

Die Wurzelentwicklung von Zuckerrübenpflanzen auf einem Sandlöß-Standort und ihre Bedeutung für die Stickstoffernährung

Root development of sugar beet plants on a sandy loess site with regard to nitrogen nutrition.
Root development of sugar beet plants in a sandy loess soil (Haplic Phaeozem) was observed from the early seedling stage up to harvest by measuring at first the greatest vertical and lateral extension of the root systems of single plants and later the rooting density of the whole plant stands (auger method, profile wall method).
During the seedling stage not only the subsoil, but also large parts of the topsoil between the plants remained unoccupied by the root systems. In this phase the greatest lateral extension of single roots reaches nearly the length of the greatest leaf of the plant. With the closure of the canopy the rooting density in the topsoil accounts to 1–2 cm cm⁻³.
In summer roots penetrate to a depth of 100–150 cm with rooting densities of 0.1 to 1 cm - cm⁻³. Thus, the plants gain not only access to water reserves, but sometimes meet remarkable amounts of nitrate which under the relatively dry conditions of the region tends to accumulate in 60–120 cm depth and – when taken up by the beet plants in the late stage of growth – affects crop quality negatively.     

High-resolution computed tomography of the mammalian lung.

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was performed in 21 isolated animal lungs, from 4 mammalian species (pigs, rabbits, dogs, sheep). Gross and subgross central and peripheral lung morphology was determined by HRCT. Three distinct types of lungs can be identified, principally based on the extent of interlobular septal development; the relationship of major vessels to airways; and the thickness of the visceral pleura. Type-I lung is found in pigs, sheep, and cattle; type-II lung is found in rabbits, dogs, cats, and monkeys; and type-III lung is found in human beings and horses. These mammalian lungs were compared with human lungs. The potential use of HRCT to investigate specific human lung diseases in the aforementioned species also was considered.     

Diagnosis of sarcocystosis in sheep using the indirect fluorescence test and ELISA]

The indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was compared with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of specific antibodies to Sarcocystis sp. A set of 275 ovine blood samples was examined by both reactions. Cystozoites of Sarcocystis gigantea were used as the corpuscular antigen for the IFAT. For the diagnostics of sarcocystosis by the ELISA technique used the sandwich test of the antibody titration with a soluble antigen which was also prepared from S. gigantea macrocysts. Our studies confirmed that this antigen did not cross-react with Toxoplasma gondii. Titre 40 was determined as the limit one for the IFAT and titre 80 for the ELISA; which was confirmed by the direct detection of cysts in the muscles (Svobodová, 1989). The results of both methods are shown in Table I. 76.7% of the blood samples reacted positively in the IFAT and 83.6% in the ELISA. These methods were found to be suitable and can be utilized for the intravital routine diagnostics.     

Actinomycin D for Reinduction of Remission in Dogs With Resistant Lymphoma

Twenty-five dogs with malignant lymphoma refractory to chemotherapy were treated with actinomycin D at a median dose of 0.7 mg/m² (range, 0.5 to 0.9 mg/m²) every 3 weeks. The dogs treated had received between 2 and 8 chemotherapeutic agents (median 7), for a median of 266 days before being treated with actinomycin D. For 23 of the 25 dogs, previous chemotherapy included doxorubicin. No dog responded to actinomycin D chemotherapy.