Time-frequency and complexity analyses for differentiation of physiologic murmurs from heart murmurs caused by aortic stenosis in Boxers

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether time-frequency and complexity analyses of heart murmurs can be used to differentiate physiologic murmurs from murmurs caused by aortic stenosis (AS) in Boxers. ANIMALS: 27 Boxers with murmurs. PROCEDURES: Dogs were evaluated via auscultation and echocardiography. Analyses of time-frequency properties (TFPs; ie, maximal murmur frequency and duration of murmur frequency > 200 Hz) and correlation dimension (T(2)) of murmurs were performed on phonocardiographic sound data. Time-frequency property and T(2) analyses of low-intensity murmurs in 16 dogs without AS were performed at 7 weeks and 12 months of age. Additionally, TFP and T(2) analyses were performed on data obtained from 11 adult AS-affected dogs with murmurs. RESULTS: In dogs with low-intensity murmurs, TFP or T(2) values at 7 weeks and 12 months did not differ significantly. For differentiation of physiologic murmurs from murmurs caused by mild AS, duration of murmur frequency > 200 Hz was useful and the combination assessment of duration of frequency > 200 Hz and T(2) of the murmur had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 82%. Maximal murmur frequency did not differentiate dogs with AS from those without AS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that assessment of the duration of murmur frequency > 200 Hz can be used to distinguish physiologic heart murmurs from murmurs caused by mild AS in Boxers. Combination of this analysis with T(2) analysis may be a useful complementary method for diagnostic assessment of cardiovascular function in dogs.     

Evaluation of a combined transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure and pulse oximetry sensor in adult sheep and dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a combined transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure (tcPCO(2)) and pulse oximetry sensor in sheep and dogs. ANIMALS: 13 adult sheep and 11 adult dogs. PROCEDURES: During inhalation anesthesia, for the first 10 minutes following sensor placement, arterial blood gas was analyzed and tcPCO(2) was recorded every 2 minutes. Subsequently, the animals were hyper-, normo-, and hypoventilated. The simultaneously obtained tcPCO(2) and PaCO(2) values were analyzed by use of Bland-Altman statistical analysis. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD overall difference between tcPCO(2) and PaCO(2) 10 minutes after sensor application was 13.3 +/- 8.4 mm Hg in sheep and 8.9 +/- 12 mm Hg in dogs. During hyper-, normo-, and hypoventilation, mean difference (bias) and precision (limits of agreement [bias +/- 2 SD]) between tcPCO(2) and PaCO(2) values were 13.2 +/- 10.4 mm Hg (limits of agreement, -7.1 and 33.5 mm Hg) in sheep and 10.6 +/- 10.5 mm Hg (limits of agreement, -9.9 and 31.2 mm Hg) in dogs, respectively. Changes in PaCO(2) induced by different ventilation settings were detected by the tcPCO(2) sensor with a lag (response) time of 4.9 +/- 3.5 minutes for sheep and 6.2 +/- 3.6 minutes for dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The tcPCO(2) sensor overestimated PaCO(2) in sheep and dogs and followed changes in PaCO(2) with a considerable lag time. The tcPCO(2) sensor might be useful for noninvasive monitoring of changes but cannot be used as a surrogate measure for PaCO(2).     

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes for coagulase-positive staphylococcal isolates from pustules and carriage sites in dogs with superficial bacterial folliculitis

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether coagulase-positive staphylococcal isolates that are genotypically the same strain obtained from pustules and carriage sites of individual dogs with superficial bacterial folliculitis have the same antimicrobial susceptibility phenotype. ANIMALS: 40 dogs with superficial bacterial folliculitis. PROCEDURES: Samples were obtained from 3 pustules and 3 carriage sites (ie, anus, nonlesional axillary skin, and nasal mucosa) for bacterial culture, morphologic identification, Gram staining, catalase and coagulase testing, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, speciation, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: 223 isolates from pustules and carriage sites were included. Seventeen susceptibility phenotypes were found among isolates. One hundred twenty-eight (100%) isolates from pustules and 95 (100%) isolates from carriage sites were susceptible to cephalothin; 128 (100%) isolates from pustules and 94 (98.9%) isolates from carriage sites were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid; 114 (89.1%) isolates from pustules and 82 (86.3%) isolates from carriage sites were susceptible to erythromycin and lincomycin hydrochloride; and 103 (80.5%) isolates from pustules and 70 (73.7%) isolates from carriage sites were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In 37 of 39 (94.9%) dogs, isolates with the same PFGE pattern from multiple pustules had the same susceptibility phenotype. In 21 of 33 (63.6%) dogs, isolates from multiple carriage sites with the same PFGE pattern had the same susceptibility phenotype. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In dogs with superficial bacterial folliculitis, most coagulase-positive staphylococcal isolates from pustules that are genotypically the same strain will have the same susceptibility phenotype and treatment may be based on empiric antimicrobial selection or susceptibility testing of 1 lesional isolate.     

Some serum parameters of first lactation cows in relation to their supply of macro and trace elements as well as of vitamins

At the Institute of Animal Nutrition of the Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL) in Braunschweig a feeding trial with 30 first lactating cows (German Holstein) was realised in 2004 for a complete lactation. All animals received a diet based on maize- and grass-silage ad libitum at the rate of 60:40 (DM-base) and concentrate depending on their milk yield.The animals were fed with energy and protein as recommended (GfE 2001) and were kept in loose housing. After calving they were split randomly into two feeding groups with 15 animals each. Group 1 was fed a concentrate according to the recommendations of the GfE (2001), whereas group 2 was offered the same concentrate with roughly the double amount of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, beta-carotene and vitamins A and E. To study the influence of the different concentrates on the serum concentrations of minerals and vitamins, blood, feed and milk samples were regularly taken and analysed in the course of lactation. Significantly higher blood concentrations were detected for phosphorus, zinc and vitamin E in group 2, but therefore a direct influence of the feeding on the blood concentrations was detected only for zinc and vitamin E. Over the whole lactation the average milk yield of group 1 was 2.6 kg/day higher and the average milk fat content was reduced about 0.6 percent points compared to group 2.     

Evaluation of stocking density and subtherapeutic chlortetracycline on Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica shedding in growing swine

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of stocking density and inclusion of subtherapeutic chlortetracycline in the diet on Salmonella fecal prevalence and antimicrobial resistance in growing swine. A 2 x 2 factorial design was employed on a privately owned commercial swine farm. Four finisher rooms were included in the study. Two of the rooms received 50 g/tonnes of chlortetracycline in the ration, two rooms received no antimicrobials in the feed. In each room, alternate pens were assigned to either high stocking density (0.60 m2/pig) or low stocking density (0.74 m2/pig). Pigs were placed in the finisher rooms at 10 weeks of age and followed for 6 weeks. Individual fecal samples were collected from the floors of each pen and cultured once weekly. Antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were determined. Data were analyzed using multilevel, multivariable logistic regression. Pigs fed chlortetracycline were at increased odds (OR 6.88, 95% CI 2.77-17.12) to shed Salmonellae. No other associations between treatments (CTC and stocking density) and Salmonella prevalence or reduced susceptibility to antimicrobials were identified. Variance in the odds of a fecal sample to be positive was distributed mostly at the lowest level, the individual fecal sample. The increased risk of shedding associated with inclusion of subtherapeutic chlortetracycline in swine diets is discordant with previous results by our group, suggesting farm or strain specific factors may impact this association. Understanding this risk may provide a potential intervention for controlling Salmonella pre-harvest.     

High genetic relatedness among Mycobacterium avium strains isolated from pigs and humans revealed by comparative IS1245 RFLP analysis

Members of the Mycobacterium avium complex cause pig mycobacteriosis and opportunistic human infections. Infections due to environmental mycobacteria are increasing in both industrial and developing countries. Mycobacterium-infected pig carcasses can pass for human consumption due to the poor specificity of meat control by visual detection at the slaughter houses. The genetic relatedness of porcine and human MAC isolates in Finland has been unknown. M. avium isolates isolated from pig organs (n=16) and clinical samples (n=13) were compared by IS1245 RFLP analysis to evaluate the similarity of the isolates obtained from human and porcine samples. Nearly identical multicopy M. avium subsp. hominissuis IS1245 RFLP fingerprints were obtained for isolates of porcine and human origin. IS1245 RFLP patterns of 38% of the porcine and human M. a. hominissuis isolates were >90% similar. The RFLP patterns of two porcine and two human isolates showed >95% similarity. The high similarity of the IS1245 RFLP patterns of the human and porcine M. a. hominissuis isolates indicates close genetic relatedness, suggesting that M. a. hominissuis is transmitted between pigs and humans, or that pigs and humans share common environmental sources of infection. Porcine and human isolates with RFLP patterns differing by only one or two bands were found, which shows that the same M. a. hominissuis strains may infect both humans and pigs.     

Photodynamic therapy of feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma using a newly developed liposomal photosensitizer: preliminary results concerning drug safety and efficacy

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinomas are common skin tumors in cats. We investigated photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a new liposomal photosensitizer as a minimally invasive, effective treatment that can be easily performed while achieving good cosmetic results. AIM: The goal of this study was to assess and describe possible toxicities using a liposomal formulation of the photosensitizer meta-(Tetrahydroxyphenyl)Chlorin (m-THPC) and investigate if favorable pharmacokinetics translate into favorable tumor response and control. ANIMALS: Eighteen client-owned cats with 20 spontaneous cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas were included in the study. METHODS: PDT was performed using a new, liposomal formulation of the photosensitizer. Toxicity, tumor response, and tumor control were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: No general adverse effects were observed in cats treated with the new liposomal formulation. Mild local toxicity such as erythema and edema were seen in 15% of the patients. All cats responded to therapy, with a complete response rate of 100%. The overall 1-year control rate was 75%. The tumor recurrence rate was 20% with a median time to recurrence of 172.25 +/-87.1) days. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: A new liposomal photosensitizer was successfully used for squamous cell carcinoma in cats and was well tolerated. There were no systemic adverse effects observed with the liposomal formulation. The favorable pharmacokinetics of the liposomal drug resulted in a favorable tumor response.