Ventricular rate control using a novel vagus nerve stimulating system in a dog with chronic atrial fibrillation

A 4-year-old, intact male Dogue de Bordeaux dog with congenital valvular pulmonic stenosis, tricuspid valve dysplasia, and chronic atrial fibrillation underwent ultrasound-guided balloon valvuloplasty in addition to pharmacological treatment. Owner compliance to prescribed pharmacotherapy proved very poor, and concerns developed regarding the ability to successfully control heart rate and symptoms using drug therapy alone. These concerns were addressed by the implantation of a novel vagal stimulation system that was programmed to prevent a ventricular rate of >145 bpm. Consequently, post-operative ventricular response rate decreased from up to 250 to 140 bpm. Successful ventricular rate control was maintained for 291 days post-operatively, following which euthanasia was elected by the owner due to persistent right-sided congestive heart failure. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of successful continuous rate control using a vagal stimulating system in a closed-chest, client-owned dog with chronic atrial fibrillation secondary to spontaneously occurring organic heart disease.     

Transmissibility of the contagious equine metritis organism for the cat

A group of SPF cats were moderately susceptible to the causal organism of contagious equine metritis (CEM) following intra-uterine or intrapreputial challenge with an Irish streptomycin resistant strain isolated from a clinically infected mare. Subclinical infections were established in only 50% of the cats, none of which became long-term carriers of the organism. Cytological examination of vaginal smears was of no diagnostic value in confirming infection in inapparently infected cats. Bacteriological responses after primary or secondary challenge with the CEM organism were essentially similar, with one exception, a female cat in which there was possible evidence of local immunity persisting after the primary infection. Efforts to reactivate shedding subsequent to the immediate post-challenge period were unsuccessful. Throughout the experimental period, the cats remained sero-negative to the complement-fixation test, and they failed to develop any significant increase in the levels of antibody activity as measured by the kinetics-based ELISA or KELA system. On day 89 after primary challenge, the cats were euthanized and various sites in the genitourinary tract and the internal iliac lymphatic glands subjected to bacteriological and pathological examination for evidence of CEM infection with negative results. The findings of this study, although establishing the transmissibility of the CEM organism for the cat, demonstrate the limited value of this species as an experimental model system for the disease in the horse.     

Therapeutic effect of anti-TNF-α antibody and levofloxacin (LVFX) in a mouse model of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 infection

The ability of an anti-TNF-α antibody to confer protection against enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 was investigated in germfree IQI mice. The use of an antibiotic levofloxacin (LVFX) alone or with the antibody was also studied. Protection included an increase in survival rate. Treatment with the anti-TNF-α antibody inhibited the histological signs associated with EHEC infection but did not prevent the colonization of EHEC or production of Shiga toxin (Stx). No clinical signs were observed and EHEC was completely eliminated in the mouse model receiving both anti-TNF-α antibody and LVFX. Anti-TNF-α antibody suppressed inflammatory cytokine response in the mouse kidney and brain by EHEC infection.     

Fish catches among riverside communities around Lago Grande de Monte Alegre,Lower Amazon,Brazil

Forty‐six families living around the Amazon floodplain lake of Lago Grande de Monte Alegre, Brazil, were monitored between April 1993 and March 1995 with respect to their fish catches. The average catch per fisherman was 22 kg day^‐1. There were significant differences between subsistence and commercial fishing, and also across different seasons of the year. Catch was higher in the dry season and in the lake environment, followed by the river environment. The flooded forest was exploited in the rainy season. Out of a total of more than 70 fish species, 10 taxa comprised 75% of the catch. The catch in the Monte Alegre region concentrated on smaller species for local consumption. Prochilodus nigricans (Spix & Agassiz) was the most important species, followed by Liposarcus pardalis (Castelnau) and Plagioscion spp. Comparisons between quantities of fish consumed and fish marketed indicated that the fishery has a much more important role in the region than previously thought.     

缅甸烟草霜霉病菌入侵中国云南的风险分析及管理对策

本文分析了缅甸烟草霜霉病菌入侵中国的风险。根据ISPM规定的有害生物风险性分析程序,从烟草霜霉病菌国内外分布、潜在危险性、受害作物的经济重要性、传播扩散可能性及危险性管理难度5个方面对其在中国云南的风险进行了综合分析。结果表明烟草霜霉病在中国云南的综合风险值R为2.56。该病菌在云南是高度危险的检疫性有害生物,本文针对烟草霜霉病提出相应的管理对策。     

Fatal septicaemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila in a patient with cirrhosis

In this case report from Italy we describe a fatal infection caused by A. hydrophila in a 39 yr old cirrhotic patient. This pathogen was isolated as a pure single culture from the patient's blood sample. The patient died on the second day of hospitalization from overwhelming sepsis. The A. hydrophila isolate was tested for different potential virulence properties, such as invasiveness, adherence, exotoxins production, presence of fimbriae and for the patterns of resistance to a variety of antimicrobial agents. Although, the Aeromonas species are infrequently reported as a cause of human infections, the present case study confirms the capability of these pathogens to induce serious human infections.     

德摩根商拓扑代数的拓扑性质

探讨了德摩根商拓扑代数的连通性，可分性等一些拓扑性质，并建立了德摩根商拓扑代数为Ｔ１的一个充分必要条件。     

Heme-iron and ecology of Escherichia coli within the porcine gut

Growth of Escherichia coli was followed in sow whey by a turbidometric technique. Heme-iron clearly promoted bacterial growth, therefore free heme would be dangerous in small intestine by enhancing bacterial growth: duodenal brush border membrane (BBM) was seen to bind heme-iron, thus abolishing the growth promoting effect of this form of iron. Scatchard analysis of heme-binding onto BBM showed that heme became bound by a specific mechanism (K_D ≈ 10^-7 M) as well as non-specifically. The absorption system for iron within the enterocytes should be considered an important antibacterial system within the gut.     

Growth and interaction of Mycoplasma bovirhinis and Mycoplasma dispar in vitro

Two mycoplasmas were grown in pure and mixed cultures in glucose calf-serum broth with initial pH 7.8. Sensitivity to pH was also tested. The main data for Mycoplasma bovirhinis and Mycoplasma dispar, respectively, in pure cultures were as follows: lag phase, days: <1, 1–2; log phase: 1–2, 1–4; relatively stationary phase: 0–1, 2–4; decline phase (to the extent roughly logarithmic): 2–6, 5–10; maximal titers: 5 × 10⁷ to 10⁹, 5 × 10⁶ to 10⁸ color changing units per 0.2 ml; highest pH, approximately, at which decline started: 7.7 and 7.0; definitely toxic initial pH: 5.6, 6.8; relative production of acidity; less, more. Decline either shortly ended in loss of viability or, correlated with higher pH levels, led to a prolonged maintenance in lower numbers. The decline of M. bovirhinis was postulated to be essentially caused by an autotoxic product/products other than H⁺.

In mixed cultures an antagonistic effect due to the faster growing M. bovirhinis against M. dispar was recorded. The effect varied according to the initial numbers of organisms and their ratio. Two mechanisms seemed to be active: 1. decrease of pH somewhat below neutrality led to the death of the sensitive M. dispar; 2. M. dispar, when present in relatively high initial numbers, was inhibited by M. bovirhinis during the latter's logarithmic growth at pH-levels above 7.0, the inhibition ending shortly afterwards. A rapidly inactivated product/products of M. bovirhinis metabolism, inhibitory to M. dispar was posited. The results offer an improved insight into diagnostic practices for M. dispar.     

Contribution to the knowledge of contagious equine metritis in the Federal Republic of Germany

Haemophilus equigenitalis could be isolated repeatedly from seven mares and two stallions (all trotters) of a stud farm in Northern Germany, which had encountered reproductive problems. Morphological, cultural and biochemical identification of H. equigenitalis was confirmed serologically, particularly by positive slide agglutination reactions with specific antibodies adsorbed to protein A-positive staphylococci.