Iatrogenic sciatic nerve injury in eighteen dogs and nine cats (1997-2006)

Objective— To report clinical features associated with iatrogenic peripheral nerve injury in dogs and cats admitted (1997–2006) to a referral teaching hospital.
Study Design— Retrospective study.
Animals— Dogs (n=18), 9 cats.
Methods— Patients had acute signs of monoparesis attributable to sciatic nerve dysfunction that developed after treatment. Neurologic examination and electrodiagnostic testing were performed. Surgical therapy was used for nerve entrapment and delayed reconstructive surgery used in other cases.
Results— Of 27 nerve injuries, 25 resulted from surgery (18 with treatment of pelvic injuries). Iliosacral luxation repair resulted in tibial (4 cats) and peroneal (3 dogs) nerve dysfunction. Other causes were intramedullary pinning of femoral fractures (3), other orthopedic surgery (cemented hip prosthesis [2] and tibial plateau-leveling osteotomy [1]), and perineal herniorrhaphy [1]. Nerve injury occurred after intramuscular injection (1 cat, 1 dog). Immediate surgical treatment was removal of intramedullary nails, extruded cement, or entrapping suture. Delayed nerve transplantation was performed in 2 dogs. Within 1 year, 13 patients recovered completely, clinical improvement occurred in 7, and there was no improvement in 7. Five of the 7 dogs that did not recover had acetabular or ilium fracture.
Conclusion— Iatrogenic sciatic nerve injury occurred most commonly during treatment of pelvic orthopedic diseases and had a poor prognosis. Clinical variation in sciatic nerve dysfunction in dogs and cats can be explained by species anatomic differences.
Clinical Relevance— Iatrogenic sciatic nerve injury leads to severely debilitating locomotor dysfunction with an uncertain prognosis for full-functional recovery.     

Pathogenic variability of Plasmopara halstedii infecting sunflower in the Czech Republic

Plasmopara halstedii was isolated from diseased sunflowers collected from eight locations in the Czech Republic from 2007 to 2014. Races of the pathogen were determined based on 84 isolates collected during the study. In total, eight races of P. halstedii were detected using a set of nine sunflower differential lines. Races 700, 704, 705, 710, 714 and 715 were proven by soil drench inoculation, and two additional races (730 and 770) proposed by the previously applied leaf disc inoculation method. Race 700 was the most dominant in the Czech P. halstedii populations, with race 710 being the second most frequent. Races 704 and 714 were found over three seasons, while other races were recorded only in one growing season (race 730 in 2010, and the new races 705 and 715 in 2014). A comprehensive study was further conducted for isolates collected in 2013–14 using an extended differential set consisting of 15 sunflower lines. According to the latter methodology which marks races with five‐digit virulence codes, races 70060, 70471, 70571, 71060, 71461 and 71571 were recorded. The growing complexity of P. halstedii pathogenicity exhibited by the ability to infect higher numbers of differential genotypes and resulting in determination of the new pathogen races (virulence profiles) 70571, 71461 and 71571 is alarming. Although the limited number of isolates studied cannot characterize the entire pathogen diversity in the Czech Republic, the trend towards more diverse virulence in P. halstedii populations is clearly demonstrated by the new records of races 704, 705, 714 and 715, all capable of overcoming the resistance gene Pl₆.     

The biological and chemical variability of yacon

This paper focuses on the biological and chemical variability of four yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) accessions cultivated under field conditions. Significant variations in tuber shape, weight, content of oligofructans, as well as in leaf isozymes, phenolics, and relative DNA contents were found. Accessions 6 and 88 were the most productive (up to 3.01 and 3.74 kg/plant); accession 48 was the most balanced from the yield aspect in three vegetative periods. A significantly higher content of beta-(2-->1) oligofructans was noted in accessions 48 and 88 as compared to 6 and 60. No difference in sucrose, glucose, and fructose level was observed. Only accession 6 exhibited separate acid phosphatase and esterase isoforms. Accessions 6 and 60 had the highest content of phenolics, and accession 88 had the lowest relative DNA content. Large yacon intraspecific variation may be useful in future detailed research as a good background for breeding, growing, and utilization in industrial processing.     

Plant response to heavy metals and organic pollutants in cell culture and at whole plant level

Background  Increasing awareness in the last decade concerning environmental quality had prompted research into ‘green solutions’ for soil and water remediation, progressing from laboratoryin vitro experiments to pot and field trials. In vitro cell culture experiments provide a convenient system to study basic biological processes, by which biochemical pathways, enzymatic activity and metabolites can be specifically studied. However, it is difficult to relate cell cultures, calli or even hydroponic experiments to the whole plant response to pollutant stress. In the field, plants are exposed to additional a-biotic and biotic factors, which complicate further plant response. Hence, we often see thatin vitro selected species perform poorly under soil and field conditions. Soil physical and chemical properties, plantmycorrhizal association and soil-microbial activity affect the process of contaminant degradation by plants and/or microorganisms, pointing to the importance of pot and field experiments. Objective  This paper is a joint effort of a group of scientists in COST action 837. It represents experimental work and an overview on plant response to environmental stress fromin vitro tissue culture to whole plant experiments in soil. Results  Results obtained fromin vitro plant tissue cultures and whole plant hydroponic experiments indicate the phytoremediation potential of different plant species and the biochemical mechanisms involved in plant tolerance. In pot experiments, several selected desert plant species, which accumulated heavy metal in hydroponic systems, succeeded in accumulating the heavy metal in soil conditions as well. Conclusions and Recommendations   In vitro plant tissue cultures provide a useful experimental system for the study of the mechanisms involved in the detoxification of organic and heavy metal pollutants. However, whole plant experimental systems, as well as hydroponics followed by pot and field trials, are essential when determining plant potential to remediate polluted sites. Multidisciplinary research teams can therefore increase our knowledge and promote a practical application of phytoremediation.     

Interdependence of the level of total proteins, magnesium and beta-carotene in the plasma of dairy cows

The degree of dependence of the concentration of total protein, magnesium and beta-carotene in the blood plasma of over 3,400 dairy cows in the first and second phases of lactation and in months 8 and 9-9.5 of pregnancy was attested statistically. It was shown that in late pregnancy the concentration of all three indices drops both with winter and summer feed rations and that the connection between all three pairs of indices is positive. The highest values of the linear correlation coefficient were ascertained between the total protein and magnesium of blood plasma (+0.87 in the winter period, +0.63 in the summer period and +0.75 in both periods), the correlation was somewhat lower between magnesium and beta-carotene (+0.56, +0.75 and +0.36) and it was lowest between total protein and beta-carotene (+0.45, +0.41 and +0.42). The discussion deals with the causes of the stochastic correlation of these components of blood plasma.     

Blood sugar in dairy cows

Glycemia was found in 1270 cows and high-pregnant heifers fed summer feed rations and in 1981 cows fed winter feed rations, with the known levels of energy-yielding nutrients in feed rations for cows in the first (I) and in the second (II) lactation phases and cows and heifers in the eighth to ninth and a half month of pregnancy (III). The levels of glycemia were significantly lower after the summer feed rations than after the winter feed rations, both in the whole population and in all groups. The basic type of feed rations has a stronger influence on the level of glycemia than the phase of the reproduction cycle. In all groups, hypoglycemic deviations prevail over hyperglycemic ones. Hypoglycemia is most expressive in group I, least expressive in group III. The coefficient of glycemia variability is high (26.5 to 34.6); it is higher after the winter feed rations. Covering of the nutrient need is significantly higher in the summer period than in the winter period, the narrow calorie-protein ratio prevails over the increased ratio and is most obvious in groups II and III. Gaussian character of the glycemia distribution curves suggests a large number of independently acting factors, none of them prevailing over the others; the effects of these factors are mostly additive. This phenomenon limits strongly the employment of glycemic values as indicators of the energy balance in the organism. Glycemia is to be judged within the framework of the metabolic profile and nutritive indicators. Further study of glycemia should be performed by means of multivariate statistical methods.     

Influence of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species on development of lettuce downy mildew in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactuca</Emphasis> spp.

The role of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species, molecules indispensable for plant-pathogen signalling, was studied in the Lactuca spp.-Bremia lactucae pathosystem. Using a leaf disc model the translaminar effect of various compounds affecting their metabolism was studied by light microscopy. Time course studies revealed a slowdown in the development of B. lactucae (race BL16) infection structures by rutin (scavenger of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species) and SNP (NO donor) within 48 h post inoculation, followed by a retardation of sporulation. Application of the specific NO scavenger, PTIO, accelerated penetration of B. lactucae but had no further effects on the plant-pathogen interaction. Inhibitors of NO synthase (L-NAME) and nitrate reductase (sodium tungstate) did not influence pathogen development. Our results suggest that drastic change in the NO: hydrogen peroxide ratio seems to determine the pathogen’s fate. NO synthase-like activity significantly increased early after B. lactucae challenge in resistant L. virosa. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed the accumulation of nitric oxide in the penetrated cells, pointing to a role in the initiation of the hypersensitive reaction. The tips of germ tubes and appressoria of B. lactucae also accumulated NO, suggesting an essential role for this molecule in penetration of the biotrophic pathogen. Additionally, temporal changes in endogenous levels of rutin and quercetin in extracts from Lactuca spp. leaves will be discussed in connection to their role as part of the antioxidative machinery that influences the plants’ susceptibility/resistance to lettuce downy mildew.     

Ketonuria in dairy cows

In 3337 dairy cows, urine was examined for ketone bodies by help of Bililabstix during the first and second phase of lactation and in the eighth to the ninth and a half month of pregnancy; at the same time needed supply of energetic nutrients in 175 summer and 308 winter feed rations was calculated. Intensity and frequency of ketonuria in lactating cows fed winter rations is significantly higher than in those fed green feeds; it decreases significantly with a phase of lactation and with milk production. On the contrary, cows in late pregnancy have higher intensity and frequency of ketonuria (32.9%) when fed green feeds than when fed winter rations (30.7%). In winter feed rations energy input was significantly lower, percentage of deficient feed rations at a relatively broader caloric-protein ratio was higher than in summer season. The highest deficits of energy and digestible nitrogen compounds were observed in cows in the first phase of lactation. Discussion concerns the causes and mechanisms of different ketonuria in groups of dairy cows in relation to deficit of energetic nutrients, caloric-protein ratio, to the level of glycaemia, non-esterified fatty acids in plasma, triglycerides of plasma and to the state of liver function.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility of coagulase-positive and coagulase-variable Staphylococci from various indications of swine, dogs and cats as determined in the BfT-GermVet monitoring program 2004-2006

A total of 248 coagulase-positive and coagulase-variable staphylococci from two indications of swine (infections of the urinary/genital tract including strains from the mastitis metritis agalactia syndrome as well as infections of the skin) as well as two indications of dogs/cats (respiratory tract infections and infections of skin/ear/mouth) were investigated for their susceptibility to numerous antimicrobial agents. Regardless of the animal origin and indication, the most frequently detected resistance properties were resistances against penicillin G (53-77%) and ampicillin (42-75%), tetracycline (33-52%) as well as erythromycin (13-27%). Oxacillin-resistant staphylococci were rarely detected.     

Virulence variation of cucurbit powdery mildews in the Czech Republic – population approach

Kosman diversity models were applied to analyses of virulence (disease reaction patterns) variation of 115 isolates of two cucurbit powdery mildew (CPM) species, Golovinomyces orontii (Go) and Podosphaera xanthii (Px), collected in the Czech Republic from 2010 through 2012. Diversity within and distances between Go and Px populations and each other in a spatio-temporal context and with regard to original host plant species were analyzed based on virulence patterns of individual isolates on a set of 21 melon (Cucumis melo L.) race differential genotypes. Significant differentiation among the Go and Px pathogen populations was revealed, and the results clearly demonstrate and confirm that the set of differential C. melo genotypes is well composed because of high differentiation capacity. Differentiation of pathogens among years was significant for both species. No significant difference between Go isolates from different host plant species was established due to high variability among Go isolates, but there was significant host-specific differentiation among Px isolates. Differentiation of pathogens among regions was not detected. These results revealed high virulence variation in isolates of Go and Px, and their spatio-temporal fluctuations. High diversity in virulence of Go isolates supports the treatment of Go as a complex of different (sub)species with distinct virulence factors. Similar relationships of selected Go isolates in a UPGMA dendrogram in a previously reported multigene phylogenetic tree support the logic and suitability of the Kosman assignment based approach to population studies of organisms with asexual or mixed modes of reproduction. The approach applied in this study provides a complex view of virulence structures of powdery mildew populations, and when combined with race determination and denomination on melon, it may serve as a base to understandvirulence variation of these CPM species from a spatio-temporal viewpoint.