Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema in a cat associated with necrotizing bronchopneumonia caused by feline herpesvirus-1

This report describes a 1-year-old cat with acute dyspnea. Thoracic radiography revealed a pneumomediastinum and severe subcutaneous emphysema. Lower airway surgical exploration was unable to determine the cause. At postmortem examination, acute necrotizing bronchopneumonia and fibrinonecrotic tracheitis due to feline herpesvirus-1 were diagnosed.     

Impact of climate change on the temporal and regional occurrence of Cercospora leaf spot in Lower Saxony

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The effect of climate change on the temporal and regional occurrence of Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) of sugar beet in Lower Saxony is analysed using the...     

Antiproliferative Properties of Scandium Exopolysaccharide Complexes on Several Cancer Cell Lines

Antimetastatic properties on both murine and human osteosarcoma cell lines (POS-1 and KHOS) have been evidenced using exopolysaccharide (EPS) derivatives, produced by Alteromonas infernus bacterium. These derivatives had no significant effect on the cell cycle neither a pro-apoptotic effect on osteosarcoma cells. Based on this observation, these EPSs could be employed as new drug delivery systems for therapeutic uses. A theranostic approach, i.e., combination of a predictive biomarker with a therapeutic agent, has been developed notably by combining with true pair of theranostic radionuclides, such as scandium ⁴⁷Sc/⁴⁴Sc. However, it is crucial to ensure that, once complexation is done, the biological properties of the vector remain intact, allowing the molecular tropism of the ligand to recognize its molecular target. It is important to assess if the biological properties of EPS evidenced on osteosarcoma cell lines remain when scandium is complexed to the polymers and can be extended to other cancer cell types. Scandium-EPS complexes were thus tested in vitro on human cell lines: MNNG/HOS osteosarcoma, A375 melanoma, A549 lung adenocarcinoma, U251 glioma, MDA231 breast cancer, and Caco2 colon cancer cells. An xCELLigence Real Cell Time Analysis (RTCA) technology assay was used to monitor for 160 h, the proliferation kinetics of the different cell lines. The tested complexes exhibited an anti-proliferative effect, this effect was more effective compared to EPS alone. This increase of the antiproliferative properties was explained by a change in conformation of EPS complexes due to their polyelectrolyte nature that was induced by complexation. Alterations of both growth factor-receptor signaling, and transmembrane protein interactions could be the principal cause of the antiproliferative effect. These results are very promising and reveal that EPS can be coupled to scandium for improving its biological effects and also suggesting that no major structural modification occurs on the ligand.     

Mapping soil Pb stocks and availability in mainland France combining regression trees with robust geostatistics

Maps of lead (Pb) stocks in soils and estimates of its availability are needed to assess risks of contamination. Stocks in soils of total and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) extractable Pb, as well as Pb availability, assessed by EDTA/total Pb ratio, were measured and calculated to a depth of 30 cm with the French soil monitoring network at sites defined by a regular 16 × 16 km grid. Setting aside punctual anomalies by winsorizing, these properties were mapped using linear mixed models (LMM). LMMs combined conditional partitioning trees upon 5 predictors (pH, texture, parent material, land use, population density) with robust geostatistics to avoid distortion due to outlying values. Rather than selecting the fixed effects according to expert-knowledge, regression trees were used to account for explanatory variables in a single classification. This original method stressed both the necessity for a geostatistical component to complement regression tree models when spatial correlation is evident, and the usefulness of these trees to interpret maps. Pb stocks varied widely with peak concentrations and availability in densely populated areas. Lithology, texture and forestation also affected total Pb stocks. With regards to availability, forestation and pH appeared as key factors.     

ULTRASONOGRAPHY OF THE NORMAL FELINE PANCREAS AND ASSOCIATED ANATOMIC LANDMARKS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 20 CATS

The sonographic appearance of the feline pancreas and associated anatomic landmarks including the pancreatic duct, duodenum, duodenal papilla, portal vein, and gastric lymph node were evaluated in 20 healthy, awake cats. The pancreas appeared nearly isoechoic to surrounding mesenteric tissues, isoechoic to slightly hyperechoic to adjacent liver lobes, and hypoechoic to the spleen. The mean thickness measurements for the right pancreatic lobe, body, and left pancreatic lobe were 4.5 mm (range 2.8-5.9), 6.6 mm (range 4.7-9.5), and 5.4 mm (range 3.4-9.0), respectively. The pancreatic duct was consistently visualized in the left pancreatic lobe and had a mean thickness of 0.8 mm (range 0.5-1.3). It could be differentiated from the pancreatic vessel, by its central location, and the duct's lack of Doppler flow signal. The duodenum was used as a landmark to identify the right lobe of the pancreas. The mean duodenal wall thickness measurement was 2.8 mm (range 2.1-3.8) in sagittal section, and 3.0 mm (range 2.2-4.4) in transverse section. The duodenal papilla was identified in 4 of 20 cats. It ranged in size from 2.9 to 5.5 mm in width, and had a maximum height of 4.0 mm in transverse section. The portal vein was used as a consistent anatomic landmark for identification of the left lobe and body of the pancreas. The mean diameter of the portal vein at the level where the pancreatic body joins the left pancreatic lobe was 4.3 mm (range 2.7-5.9) when viewed in sagittal section, and 4.5 mm (range 3.6-6.1) in transverse section. The gastric lymph node was identified cranial and ventromedial to the pyloroduodenal angle in 6 of 20 cats. It had an asymmetrical shape with a larger caudal pole in five of the six cats. The largest dimensions of the gastric lymph node were 10 mm in length, and 6 mm in width for the larger caudal pole, and 5.1 mm in width for the smaller cranial pole.     

Identification of Brucella abortus, B. canis, B. melitensis, and B. suis by carbon substrate assimilation tests

By using the results of seven carbon substrate assimilation tests from the Biotype 100 system (bioMérieux, Marcy-l’Etoile, France), we correctly identified 79 (85.9%) of 92 Brucella strains tested. The specificity of the method varied from 97.4 to 100% depending on the species. Although a biological safety cabinet must be used, this method represents an easy and fast alternative for the identification of Brucella species.     

Rice production and climate change: design and development of a GIS database to complement simulation models

A cooperative project between the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Philippines, and the U.S. EPA Environmental Research Laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon, was initiated to estimate how rice yield in Asia might be affected by future climate change and enhanced UV-B irradiance following stratospheric ozone depletion. A radiative transfer model was used to estimate daily UV-B irradiance levels using remotely sensed ozone and cloud cover data for 1274 meteorological stations. A rice yield model using daily climatic data and cultivar-specific coefficients was used to predict changes in yield under given climate change scenarios. This paper gives an overview of the data required to run these two models and describes how a geographical information system (GIS) was used as a data pre- or postprocessor. Problems in finding reliable datasets such as cloud cover data needed for the UV-B radiation model and radiation data needed for the rice yield model are discussed. Issues of spatial and temporal scales are also addressed. Using simulation models at large spatial scales helped identify weaknesses of GIS data overlay and interpolation capabilities. Even though we focussed our efforts on paddy rice, the database is not intended to be system specific and could also be used to analyze the response of other natural systems to climatic change.