Long-term prospective evaluation of intestinal anastomosis using stainless steel staples in 14 dogs

This prospective clinical study evaluated the use, complications, and clinical and ultrasonographic follow-ups of end-to-end intestinal anastomoses with skin staples in naturally occurring diseases in canine small and large intestines. Intestinal anastomoses were performed in 14 dogs and pre-, peri-, and postoperative data were recorded. Postoperative clinical and ultrasound evaluations were performed at regular intervals for 1 year. The mean time taken to construct the anastomosis was 5 min. There were no intraoperative complications. Hemorrhage and colonic stricture were the main postoperative complications. Staple loss occurred in 2 cases. Absence of wall layering and focal wall thickening were observed in all cases at each ultrasonographic follow-up. Hyperechoic fat was observed in all but 1 of the cases at month 1. Nine dogs were alive with normal digestive function at the end of the study. The skin stapler technique enabled rapid construction of consistent anastomoses with inexpensive stapling material.     

Factors influencing pH in lake water

Using an improved titration technique, Lee and Brosset (1978) have established the presence in a number of lake waters of an acid withk _a = 3 × 10^?4. It is shown that higher concentrations of this acid, which seems to correspond to a functional group of humus, may under certain conditions drastically contribute to the lowering of pH of lake water.     

The transfer of methylmercury between ambient air and different lake waters

With the intention to elucidate, at least partly, why lakes situated nearby sometimes exhibit very different concentration of methylmercury in their fish population, two such lakes have been studied. A newly developed bubbling method was applied to determine very low concentrations of airborne methylmercury and the actual distribution constant (air/water). The water in one of the lakes studied was clear. In the other it was brownish. The result of the investigation showed that water in the clearwater lake with respect to the distribution of methylmercury between air and water behaved nearly in the same way as MQ-water. The behaviour of the brownish lakewater was however quite different. It turned out that the bubbling procedure in this case resulted in generation of some methylmercury in this water.     

The slope of Gran's plot: A useful function in the examination of precipitation,the water-soluble part of airborne particles,and lake water

In order to find out how much information could be obtained from an acid-base titration by using the slope of Gran's plot, the titration technique was refined and applied to samples of precipitation, leaching solutions of airborne particles, and lake water. The results indicate a possibility in certain cases to determine, out of an accurate measurement of the slope of the plot, the dissociation constant and concentration of the acids present.     

Total airborne mercury and its possible origin

Total airborne Hg as well as black particles (soot) were monitored in a number of clean air areas in Sweden. For some of the sampling sites, back trajectories for air movements at 850 mb were provided by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. It is shown that the total Hg in air may be divided into two fractions. The most important one may be considered to be a background and is probably the result of re-emission of Hg by the ground and by natural water. The other fraction is highly dependent on wind direction in the same way as black particles. This fraction seems to be of anthropogenic origin.     

Long-term changes in concentration and deposition of atmospheric mercury over Scandinavia

Samples for measurements of total gaseous mercury (Hg) in air have been collected since 1980 in south-western part of Scandinavia. A collection program for precipitation samples used to determine changes in depositional fluxes of total Hg has been in operation since 1987. A comparison of today's total gaseous Hg levels in air and the total Hg concentrations in precipitation with the ones found earlier, shows a clear decrease with time. At the Swedish west-coast, yearly average air concentrations and median levels of 3.3 and 3.1 (1980–1984), 3.2 and 2.8 (1985–1989), and 2.7 and 2.6 ng Hg/m³ (1990–1992), respectively, were found. Increased average and median winter concentrations were always found, with levels at 3.7 and 3.4, 3.7 and 3.3, and 3.0 and 2.7 ng Hg/m³ for the respective time period. Higher winter values were expected due to increased anthropogenic emissions and changes in the mixing height of the atmosphere. The corresponding total wet deposition rates decreased from 27 (1987–1989) to 10 μg Hg/m² yr. (1990–1992). A finding of special interest was the decreased number of episodic events of high total gaseous Hg levels in air, from 1990 and further on. In addition, the frequency distribution of the concentrations of Hg in air seems to be different for these years compared to the other two time periods. A frequency distribution of air concentrations of Hg more resembling a normal distribution was found for the years 1990 to 1992. The decrease of the atmospheric burden of total gaseous Hg and deposition of total Hg are most probably connected to lower emissions in source areas on the European continent. It seems logical to state that the problem of high Hg depositional fluxes to Scandinavia, is best solved by abatement strategies on the regional scale.     

Nasal-skin-fold transposition flap for upper lip reconstruction in a French bulldog

Upper-lip reconstruction after mast-cell tumor-resection in a French bulldog was achieved by using a transposition flap from the nasal-skin-fold and an oral mucosal flap. The new technique is an alternative for reconstruction of extensive upper-lip defects in brachycephalic dogs and achieves satisfactory functional and cosmetic results.