Surgery of the upper respiratory system.

Surgery of the respiratory tract often is considered a last resort. However, these surgeries can be performed successfully, allowing for preservation of genetics and productivity. This article discusses surgery of the upper respiratory system. Aspects of physical, radiographic, endoscopic, and ultrasonographic examination are explored. Conditions of the nares, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, palate, nasolacrimal duct, pharynx, and larynx are covered.     

Towards a dengue vaccine: progress to date and remaining challenges

The increased incidence and extended geographical reach of Dengue virus over the past two decades have made the development of an effective vaccine an international urgency. Various strategies are being pursued, including live, vectored and killed/recombinant preparations. For all approaches, the challenge is to induce a broad durable immune response against all four serotypes of Dengue virus simultaneously whilst avoiding the possible exacerbation of risk of developing the severe forms of disease through incomplete or modified responses. This review presents the current state of knowledge and discusses the challenges of further clinical development.     

Field observations during the bluetongue serotype 8 epidemic in 2006. I. Detection of first outbreaks and clinical signs in sheep and cattle in Belgium, France and the Netherlands

Starting August 2006, a major epidemic of bluetongue (BT) was identified in North-West Europe, affecting The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg and the North of France. It was caused by BT virus serotype 8 (BTV-8), a serotype previously unknown to the European Union (EU). In this outbreak, the virus caused clinical disease in a few individual animals within cattle herds, whereas overt clinical disease was usually restricted to sheep. Investigations in Belgium suggested that the first clinical signs of BTV-8 appeared mid July 2006 in a cattle herd, while the first suspicion of a BT-outbreak in Belgium was reported on 17 August 2006. In the first 10 BTV-8 outbreaks in the Netherlands, the owners indicated that the first clinical signs started approximately 12-17 days before a suspicion was reported to the veterinary authorities via a veterinary practitioner. In BTV-8 affected sheep flocks, erosions of the oral mucosa, fever, salivation, facial and mandibular oedema, apathy and tiredness, mortality, oedema of the lips, lameness, and dysphagia were among the most frequent clinical signs recorded. The most prominent clinical signs in BTV-8 affected cattle herds were: crusts/lesions of the nasal mucosa, erosions of lips/crusts in or around the nostrils, erosions of the oral mucosa, salivation, fever, conjunctivitis, coronitis, muscle necrosis, and stiffness of the limbs. Crusts/lesions of nasal mucosa, conjunctivitis, hyperaemic/purple coloration and lesions of the teats, and redness/hypersensitivity of the skin were relatively more seen on outbreak farms with cattle compared to sheep. Mortality, oedema of the head and ears, coronitis, redness of the oral mucosa, erosions/ulceration of tongue mucosa, purple coloration of the tongue and tongue protrusion and dyspneu were relatively more seen on outbreak farms with sheep compared to cattle.     

Field observations during the Bluetongue serotype 8 epidemic in 2006. II. Morbidity and mortality rate, case fatality and clinical recovery in sheep and cattle in the Netherlands

Data collected in the Netherlands during the Bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8) epidemic indicated that in outbreak cattle herds, predominantly dairy and nursing cows were clinically affected and not young stock, beef cattle, beef calves, or breeding animals. In outbreak sheep flocks, mainly ewes and - if present - rams, were clinically affected and not the lambs. Median morbidity rate in outbreak herds was 1.85 per 100 sheep-month at risk and 0.32 per 100 cattle-month at risk for sheep and cattle, respectively. The mean proportion of BT-affected animals in outbreak herds that recovered from clinical disease was approximately eight times higher for cattle compared to sheep in the Netherlands. Median mortality rate in outbreak herds was 0.5 per 100 sheep-month at risk of dying and 0 per 100 cattle-month at risk of dying for sheep and cattle, respectively. Median recovery time of both sheep and cattle that recovered from clinical disease in outbreak herds was 14 days. Median case fatality was 50% in sheep outbreak flocks and 0% in outbreak cattle herds. It is concluded that morbidity and mortality in outbreak cattle herds was very limited during the BTV-8 epidemic in the Netherlands in 2006. In outbreak sheep flocks, morbidity was limited, with exceptions for a few flocks. However, almost 50% of the clinically sick sheep died in outbreak sheep herds.     

What is your diagnosis? Preputial mass in a ferret

Abstract: A 7‐year‐old neutered male polecat‐type ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented for evaluation of a cutaneous mass close to the preputial orifice. Cytologic examination of a fine‐needle aspirate revealed numerous large clumps of amorphous pink mucinous material and numerous large clumps of slightly pleomorphic epithelial cells. The cells were arranged in papillary structures, palisades, and loosely cohesive sheets with a vaguely honeycomb appearance. Occasional acinar formations were also seen. The cells had moderate to large amounts of finely granular gray to gray–blue cytoplasm. The cells were round to wispy and elongated, with indistinct borders. Often, anuclear cytoplasmic clumps were seen free in the background or adjacent to intact cells. Nuclei were round to oval and usually off‐center. Chromatin was finely stippled and contained 1–3 indistinct nucleoli. Anisokaryosis and anisocytosis were moderate. Binucleated cells were noted occasionally. The cytologic features were consistent with a carcinoma of probable apocrine origin. Histopathologic examination supported a diagnosis of secretory apocrine adenocarcinoma of the preputial skin. Secretory apocrine adenocarcinomas of the prepuce are seen relatively frequently in ferrets, although their cytologic appearance has not been described widely. These neoplasms carry a poor prognosis although prompt surgical removal with wide and deep surgical margins and adjunctive radiotherapy may improve survival.     

Quantitative structure–activity studies of insect growth regulators: XVI. Substituent effects of dibenzoylhydrazines on the insecticidal activity to Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Insecticidal activity against the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, was measured for a series of substituted N-tert-butyl-dibenzoylhydrazines, in which one of the benzoyl moieties closer to the tert-butyl group was fixed as being 2-chloro-substitued and the other variously substituted singly or doubly. The effects of substituents on the activity were quantitatively analysed using the classical quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) procedure. The activity against the Colorado potato beetle increases with the molecular hydrophobicity. In addition, various types of steric effect are at work, depending upon the positions. Hydrogen-bonding acceptor substituents at the para position enhance the activity. There seem to be threshold (or optimum) values, albeit position-dependent, in the molecular hydrophobicity, above which the activity starts to decrease. This biphasic contribution of the molecular hydrophobicity to activity against coleopterous larvae is the most conspicuous difference in substituent effects from those found for similar compounds against lepidopterous pest insects, and may be the basis of the variations in the activity spectrum for certain compounds in this series. The introduction of bulkier substituents into the meta- and para-positions of the benzene ring, apart from the tert-butyl group, is unfavorable to activity. LD₅₀ values against Colorado potato beetle larvae of methoxyfenozide (RH-2485) and tebufenozide (RH-5992) were in the order of 10⁻⁷ mol per insect, whereas those of RH-5849, and halofenozide (RH-0345) were very low, 10⁻⁹–10⁻¹⁰ mol per insect being selective to the coleopterous larvae. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Quantity and transmission efficiency of an isolate of the Potato virus Y–Wilga (PVYN−Wi) by aphid species reared on different host plants

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Potato virus Y (PVY) is a destructive plant virus causing important damage in different crops, particularly in potato. PVY is transmitted in a...     

Microbial N-dealkylation of atrazine: Effect of exogeneous organic substrates and behaviour of the soil microflora

It has been demonstrated that atrazine side-chain mineralisation could be substantially stimulated by addition of carbon-containing substrates such as cellulose, green manure, straw or sawdust in the presence of NH₄⁺ nitrogen but poorly affected by amendments with glucose. Cellulose has the most beneficial effect. For that substrate it has been shown that (i) simultaneous application of the organic amendment and atrazine results in kinetics for side-chain dealkylation showing a lag phase which is reduced or even eliminated by preliminary incubation with the amendment, (ii) rate and extent of mineralisation of the ethylamino side chain are significantly accelerated by decreasing the C/N ratio of the amendment. By comparison, mineralisation of the isopropylamino side chain is not appreciably affected by a change in the value of the C/N ratio as far as atrazine is applied within a two- to three-week period following the organic treatment after which a small deficit in N supply has a definite beneficial effect on mineralisation. Cellulose and, to a lesser extent, straw induce a biphasic change in bacterial number with more numerous and/or active atrazine degraders being predominantly found in the later-developing bacterial community. The fungal microflora is relatively unaffected by all types of carbon substrates but glucose and, unexpectedly, by atrazine at high ratio of application. Activation of atrazine mineralisation seems to be a co-metabolic process which is kinetically controlled by the rate of release from polymerised C substrates of easily available and readily metabolisable low-molecular-weight co-substrates. Transient production of glucose as an end-product of cellulose depolymerisation might induce catabolic repression of dealkylation enzyme systems and be responsible for a lag in atrazine side-chain mineralisation. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry