Incidence of seizures associated with iopamidol or iomeprol myelography in dogs with intervertebral disk disease: 161 cases (2000–2002)

Objective – To compare the incidence of seizures in dogs with intervertebral disk disease after iopamidol or iomeprol myelography, and to assess whether the incidence of seizures differed between the 2 agents when severity of neurological deficits, location of cord compression, duration of anesthesia, site of myelogram, volume of contrast, and concentration of contrast were evaluated. Design – Retrospective study. Setting – Veterinary teaching hospital. Animals – One hundred and sixty‐one client‐owned dogs with intervertebral disk disease. Interventions – Subarachnoid injection of contrast medium. Measurements and Main Results – One hundred and sixty‐one dogs with intervertebral disk disease were subjected to myelography using iopamidol (n=74) or iomeprol (n=87). Cranial myelography was performed in 31 dogs, caudal myelography in 125 and both cranial and caudal myelography in 5. Seizures occurred in 23 of 161 (14%) dogs. There was no significant difference overall between iopamidol and iomeprol myelography. However, in dogs with thoracolumbar disk extrusion and paraplegia, seizures occurred more frequently after caudal myelography using iopamidol compared with iomeprol. Conclusions – Both iomeprol and iopamidol are suitable for myelography in dogs. Iomeprol is recommended for caudal myelography in paraplegic dogs with thoracolumbar disk extrusion due to the higher incidence of seizures in this group when iopamidol was used.     

Direct and indirect impacts of pumping station operation on downstream migration of critically endangered European eel

Downstream passage of European eel Anguilla anguilla (L.) in catchments with pump(s) for water level management is a major concern. Catchment‐wide acoustic telemetry revealed silver eels quickly migrated downstream through unobstructed reaches (n = 12; mean ± SD = 17.9 ± 1.9 km/day). Fourteen of 17 acoustic‐tagged eels detected at the pumping station (82.1%) retreated back upstream and ten (58.8%) passed through pumps after delays (9.5 ± 11.0 days). Multi‐beam sonar imaging across the intake screen (55‐mm gaps) revealed that peaks in migration occurred during the nights preceding the new moon but 76.7% retreated back upstream. All passive integrated transponder (PIT)‐tagged eels recaptured (n = 56) downstream of a large (2.23‐m diameter) mixed flow pump survived but 96.5% had minor injuries, reduced physical condition and/or abnormal behaviour. By contrast, 64.7% of PIT‐tagged eels recaptured (n = 17) downstream of a small (0.8‐m diameter) axial flow pump died. No acoustic‐tagged eels that passed through the small axial flow pump (n = 10) performed onward migration at sea, unlike “control” eels released downstream (n = 11). This evidence may help develop effective remediation measures, such as operational changes, to maximise escapement of catadromous eel species at pumping stations.     

Fate of the herbicides glyphosate, glufosinate-ammonium, phenmedipham, ethofumesate and metamitron in two Finnish arable soils

The fate of five herbicides (glyphosate, glufosinate-ammonium, phenmedipham, ethofumesate and metamitron) was studied in two Finnish sugar beet fields for 26 months. Soil types were sandy loam and clay. Two different herbicide-tolerant sugar beet cultivars and three different herbicide application schedules were used. Meteorological data were collected throughout the study and soil properties were thoroughly analysed. An extensive data set of herbicide residue concentrations in soil was collected. Five different soil depths were sampled. The study was carried out using common Finnish agricultural practices and represents typical sugar beet cultivation conditions in Finland. The overall observed order of persistence was ethofumesate > glyphosate > phenmedipham > metamitron > glufosinate-ammonium. Only ethofumesate and glyphosate persisted until the subsequent spring. Seasonal variation in herbicide dissipation was very high and dissipation ceased almost completely during winter. During the 2 year experiment no indication of potential groundwater pollution risk was obtained, but herbicides may cause surface water pollution.     

Decarboxylation activity of enterococci isolated from rabbit meat and staphylococci isolated from trout intestines

The aim of the study was to explore production of seven biogenic amines (phenylethylamine, histamine, cadaverine, tyramine, putrescine, spermine and/or spermidine) by selected staphylococci and enterococci. Thirty three enterococcal strains isolated from rabbit meat (Oryctolagus cuniculus f. domesticus) and 21 staphylococcal strains isolated from intestinal content of trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario) were tested. Production of biogenic amines was evaluated after cultivation of the tested microorganisms in the de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe Broth (enterococci) or in the Brain Heart Infusion Broth (staphylococci). Both the above cultivation media were enriched with selected amino acids (histidine, tyrosine, arginine, ornithine and lysine; 2g/L each) serving as precursors of biogenic amines. After cultivation, levels of the monitored biogenic amines in broths were analysed by a high performance liquid chromatography equipped with a UV/VIS DAD detector. Among 21 staphylococci, 18 strains produced tyramine or cadaverine, 13 strains formed putrescine or phenylethylamine and only one strain generated histamine. Two staphylococcal strains produced cadaverine levels above 1000mg/L. Among 33 enterococcal strains, 27 formed cadaverine, 18 strains produced tyramine, 10 strains generated phenylethylamine, and 2 strains gave putrescine. Most of the tyramine producing enterococci generated more than 1000mg/L of this biogenic amine. Production of spermine or spermidine by the studied strains was not proved.     

Geochemical tools for the stratigraphic correlation of floodplain deposits of the Morava River in Strážnické Pomoraví, Czech Republic from the last millennium

The floodplain of the Morava River in Strá?nické Pomoraví, south-east Moravia, Czech Republic contains a very valuable record of regional environmental change, which goes back to several thousand years. Its interpretation has been limited by poor stratigraphic correlation and dating of the sediments. We present a geochemical solution to this challenge. We studied 8 outcrops of floodplain deposits from 4 localities along a 6 km long part of the current meander belt of the Morava River in Strá?nické Pomoraví using geochemical proxy analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements, ¹⁴C dating of wood remnants, and sediment micromorphology. The proxy methods are based on elemental analysis (EDXRF) and analysis of the cation exchange capacity of clay minerals; granulometric analyses provided the basis for lithological and facies assignment of the sediments. Our geochemical and mineralogical interpretations have further been tested by microstratigraphically studying the optical properties of the fine fraction. Horizons older than about 3 centuries were ¹⁴C dated using wood remnants and the age of deposits from the last century was determined on the base of several proxies reflecting their industrial contamination by heavy metals and magnetic particles. The mean depositional rate over the period from about 1000 to about 1900 AD ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 mm y^− 1, depending on the sedimentary facies. The coeval lithological change in the majority of the studied sections indicated a change of the meander belt structure at between ~ 1200 AD and ~ 1600 AD probably as a consequence of changes of channel structure. The alluvial deposition in the 20th century was strongly affected by the river regulation.