Comparison of scratching behaviour of growing pigs with sarcoptic mange before and after treatment, employing two distinct approaches.

In a closed pig breeding and finishing herd suffering from sarcoptic mange, two selected groups of pigs were filmed during a period of 10 days before and after treatment. The observation always commenced each hour and lasted for 15 min. Before treatment, observations was done round the clock, after treatment from 8:00 to 22:15. Before treatment the pens were stocked with 11 (pen A) and 10 (pen B) growing pigs (Large WhitexLandrace sows; 5 months old) with an average weight of approximately 70 kg examined for sarcoptic mange by skin scrapings and ELISA. The animals had never been treated with an acaricide or endectocide before. After 10 days, the pigs were treated twice (18 days interval) with Dectomax 1% solution for pigs (Pfizer, Austria) at a dose of 0.3 mg Doramectin i.m./kg body weight. After treatment, seven pigs were observed in both pens. Most scratching actions both before (83.1%) and after (94.5%) treatment were of one to 10 s. After treatment, the 10 s-scratching episodes decreased by 67.3% (from 21.2 to 6.9 mean SRE/pig), and the scratching actions of longer than 10 s by 91.7% (from 4.3 to 0.4 mean SRE/pig), such that the latter could be observed only occasionally after treatment. A distinct increase in scratching activity both before and after treatment could be observed primarily between 10:00 and 15:00. Significant differences of scratching and rubbing activity between before and after treatment could also be seen at midday. The interpretation of the scratching index values before and after the treatment were carried out according to Cargill et al. [Cargill, C., Davies, P., Carmichael, I., Hooke, F., Moore, M., 1994. Treatment of pigs with doramectin to control sarcoptic mange. Proceedings of the 13th IPVS Congress, Bangkok, Thailand, p. 238] with the maximum and minimal limiting values specified in the literature, and compared with calculations using the method described by Hollanders et al. [Hollanders, W., Harbers, A.H.M., Huige, J.C.M., Monster, P., Rambags, P.G.M., Hendrikx, W.M.L., 1995. Control of Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis with ivermectin: influence on scratching behaviour of fattening pigs and occurence of dermatitis at slaughter. Vet. Parasitol. 58, 117-127]. Depending on the methods used and the limiting values set, 6.7-34.6% of the observations before and 2.0-17.3% of the observations after treatment revealed a "strong evidence of mange" or a "suspicion of mange". All other observations indicated that the pigs were free from mange.

Occurrence of the ear-mite Raillietia auris in cattle in Austria.

We describe here the first documented case in Austria of the cattle ear mite Raillietia auris in a four-year-old dairy cow. The cow was mildly depressed, and keratoconjunctivitis was diagnosed in both eyes with Horner's syndrome in the left eye. The animal showed a mild head tilt to the left and a generalized ataxia with a tendency to move to the right side, which became exacerbated if the animal was blind-folded. Head pressing to the right side, dysphagia and a dropped jaw were also observed. Numerous rather mobile ear mites were observed at necropsy in the basal part of the left ear canal. The clinical significance of the cattle ear mite is uncertain and the clinical signs could have been caused by listerial encephalitis, which was also confirmed histologically in this case.

Induction of a chemoattractive proinflammatory cytokine response after stimulation of keratinocytes with Propionibacterium acnes and coproporphyrin III.

BACKGROUND: The inflammation in acne vulgaris is widely thought to be induced by an immunological reaction, but the role of Propionibacterium acnes is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To examine the local host response mechanism of a keratinocyte cell line 3 h and 6 h after stimulation with viable and heat-killed P. acnes. METHODS: The quantitative expression of cytokines was measured at the mRNA level by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The coincubation of a keratinocyte cell line with viable, but not heat-killed, P. acnes modulated an adequate cytokine response for interleukin (IL)-1beta, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-8. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the in vivo porphyrin pattern secreted by P. acnes revealed a predominance of coproporphyrin III in acne lesions. This same porphyrin fraction also modestly induced IL-8 expression by keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: This cytokine pattern may favour a chemotactic response and implicates P. acnes and coproporphyrin III in the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the site of infection and in the development of acne lesions.

Quantifying stratospheric ozone in the upper troposphere with in situ measurements of HCl.

We have developed a chemical ionization mass spectrometry technique for precise in situ measurements of hydrochloric acid (HCl) from a high-altitude aircraft. In measurements at subtropical latitudes, minimum HCl values found in the upper troposphere (UT) were often near or below the detection limit of the measurements (0.005 parts per billion by volume), indicating that background HCl values are much lower than a global mean estimate. However, significant abundances of HCl were observed in many UT air parcels, as a result of stratosphere-to-troposphere transport events. We developed a method for diagnosing the amount of stratospheric ozone in these UT parcels using the compact linear correlation of HCl with ozone found throughout the lower stratosphere (LS). Expanded use of this method will lead to improved quantification of cross-tropopause transport events and validation of global chemical transport models.

Odynophagia in a woman with known coronary artery disease and ischemia on electrocardiogram.

Esophageal intramural hematoma can mimic other causes of chest pain. When the patient is known to have coronary artery disease, the diagnosis may be difficult. Moreover, the course may be complicated and may harm the patient if antiplatelet drugs, thrombolytics, and anticoagulants are used. The presence of odynophagia should alert the clinician to the possibility of an esophageal origin, even in a patient with known coronary artery disease. We present a case in which early recognition of the clinical presentation prevented potential iatrogenic complications.

Stratospheric Mean Ages and Transport Rates from Observations of Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide

Measurements of stratospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations were analyzed to investigate stratospheric transport rates. Temporal variations in tropospheric CO2 were observed to propagate into the stratosphere, showing that tropospheric air enters the lower tropical stratosphere continuously, ascends, and is transported rapidly (in less than 1 month) to both hemispheres. The mean age A of stratospheric air determined from CO2 data is approximately 5 years in the mid-stratosphere. The mean age is mathematically equivalent to a conserved tracer analogous to exhaust from stratospheric aircraft. Comparison of values for A from models and observations indicates that current model simulations likely underestimate pollutant concentrations from proposed stratospheric aircraft by 25 to 100 percent.

Quantifying Transport Between the Tropical and Mid-Latitude Lower Stratosphere

Airborne in situ observations of molecules with a wide range of lifetimes (methane, nitrous oxide, reactive nitrogen, ozone, chlorinated halocarbons, and halon-1211), used in a tropical tracer model, show that mid-latitude air is entrained into the tropical lower stratosphere within about 13.5 months; transport is faster in the reverse direction. Because exchange with the tropics is slower than global photochemical models generally assume, ozone at mid-latitudes appears to be more sensitive to elevated levels of industrial chlorine than is currently predicted. Nevertheless, about 45 percent of air in the tropical ascent region at 21 kilometers is of mid-latitude origin, implying that emissions from supersonic aircraft could reach the middle stratosphere.

Removal of Stratospheric O3 by Radicals: In Situ Measurements of OH, HO2, NO, NO2, ClO, and BrO.

Simultaneous in situ measurements of the concentrations of OH, HO(2), ClO, BrO, NO, and NO(2) demonstrate the predominance of odd-hydrogen and halogen free-radical catalysis in determining the rate of removal of ozone in the lower stratosphere during May 1993. A single catalytic cycle, in which the rate-limiting step is the reaction of HO(2) with ozone, accounted for nearly one-half of the total O(3) removal in this region of the atmosphere. Halogen-radical chemistry was responsible for approximately one-third of the photochemical removal of O(3); reactions involving BrO account for one-half of this loss. Catalytic destruction by NO(2), which for two decades was considered to be the predominant loss process, accounted for less than 20 percent of the O(3) removal. The measurements demonstrate quantitatively the coupling that exists between the radical families. The concentrations of HO(2) and ClO are inversely correlated with those of NO and NO(2). The direct determination of the relative importance of the catalytic loss processes, combined with a demonstration of the reactions linking the hydrogen, halogen, and nitrogen radical concentrations, shows that in the air sampled the rate of O(3) removal was inversely correlated with total NOx, loading.

In situ observations of aerosol and chlorine monoxide after the 1991 eruption of mount pinatubo: effect of reactions on sulfate aerosol.

Highly resolved aerosol size distributions measured from high-altitude aircraft can be used to describe the effect of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo on the stratospheric aerosol. In some air masses, aerosol mass mixing ratios increased by factors exceeding 100 and aerosol surface area concentrations increased by factors of 30 or more. Increases in aerosol surface area concentration were accompanied by increases in chlorine monoxide at mid-latitudes when confounding factors were controlled. This observation supports the assertion that reactions occurring on the aerosol can increase the fraction of stratospheric chlorine that occurs in ozone-destroying forms.

Chemical loss of ozone in the arctic polar vortex in the winter of 1991-1992.

In situ measurements of chlorine monoxide, bromine monoxide, and ozone are extrapolated globally, with the use of meteorological tracers, to infer the loss rates for ozone in the Arctic lower stratosphere during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition II (AASE II) in the winter of 1991-1992. The analysis indicates removal of 15 to 20 percent of ambient ozone because of elevated concentrations of chlorine monoxide and bromine monoxide. Observations during AASE II define rates of removal of chlorine monoxide attributable to reaction with nitrogen dioxide (produced by photolysis of nitric acid) and to production of hydrochloric acid. Ozone loss ceased in March as concentrations of chlorine monoxide declined. Ozone losses could approach 50 percent if regeneration of nitrogen dioxide were inhibited by irreversible removal of nitrogen oxides (denitrification), as presently observed in the Antarctic, or without denitrification if inorganic chlorine concentrations were to double.

Ozone loss inside the northern polar vortex during the 1991-1992 winter.

Measurements made in the outer ring of the northern polar vortex from October 1991 through March 1992 reveal an altitude-dependent change in ozone, with a decrease at the bottom of the vortex and a substantial increase at the highest altitudes accessible to measurement. The increase is the result of ozone-rich air entering the vortex, and the decrease reflects ozone loss accumulated after the descent of the air through high concentrations of reactive chlorine. The depleted air that is released out of the bottom of the vortex is sufficient to significantly reduce column ozone at mid-latitudes.

Ozone and aerosol changes during the 1991-1992 airborne arctic stratospheric expedition.

Stratospheric ozone and aerosol distributions were measured across the wintertime Arctic vortex from January to March 1992 with an airborne lidar system as part of the 1992 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition (AASE II). Aerosols from the Mount Pinatubo eruption were found outside and inside the vortex with distinctly different distributions that clearly identified the dynamics of the vortex. Changes in aerosols inside the vortex indicated advection of air from outside to inside the vortex below 16 kilometers. No polar stratospheric clouds were observed and no evidence was found for frozen volcanic aerosols inside the vortex. Between January and March, ozone depletion was observed inside the vortex from 14 to 20 kilometers with a maximum average loss of about 23 percent near 18 kilometers.

Airborne tunable diode laser spectrometer for trace-gas measurement in the lower stratosphere.

This paper describes the airborne tunable laser absorption spectrometer, a tunable diode laser instrument designed for in situ trace-gas measurement in the lower stratosphere from an ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft. Laser-wavelength modulation and second-harmonic detection are employed to achieve the required constituent detection sensitivity. The airborne tunable laser absorption spectrometer was used in two polar ozone campaigns, the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment and the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition, and measured nitrous oxide with a response time of Is and an accuracy ≤ 10%.

Stable isotope analysis using tunable diode laser spectroscopy.

Measurements of ratios of stable isotopes are used in such diverse fields as petroleum prospecting, medical diagnostics, and planetary exploration. The narrow emission linewidth available from tunable diode lasers permits high-resolution infrared absorption measurements of closely spaced isotopic rovibrational lines. Our dual beam spectrometer uses the sweep integration technique in a spectral region where adjacent spectral lines are of approximately equal absorbance at the expected isotopic abundances. The experimental results reported here indicate that isotopic ratios of carbon in carbon dioxide can be measured to an accuracy of better than 0.4%. This laser spectroscopic technique offers an alternative to the mass spectrometric technique for in situ isotopic analysis in field studies, as well as flight and space applications.

Serum beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase and bile acid levels in patients with benign and malignant biliary obstruction.

beta-N-Acetyl hexosaminidase (beta-NAH), a lysosomal enzyme, was measured in the plasma of 15 patients with malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction, 14 with benign extrahepatic obstruction, and 15 with long-standing benign intrahepatic cholestasis. beta-NAH was correlated with total serum bile acid levels. The correlation was significant (P less than 0.05) for the malignant and benign intrahepatic obstructions but not for the benign extrahepatic obstructions. This is consistent with the idea that circulating high levels of bile acids in patients with long-standing biliary obstruction may cause damage to Kupffer cell membranes and to their receptors for beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase, impeding the clearance of the enzyme from the circulation resulting in elevated serum levels.

Serum beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase (beta-NAH) as a discriminant between malignant and benign extrahepatic biliary obstruction: comparison with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).

Fifty-one patients (16 with malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction, ten with benign extrahepatic biliary obstruction, eight with alcoholic liver disease, five with viral hepatitis and 12 with liver metastases) and 19 adult healthy controls were studied with determinations of beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase (a lysosomal enzyme which is cleared from the circulation by the Kupffer cells), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), serum bilirubin, alkaline-phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Both CEA and beta-NAH were elevated in each disease group. Elevated beta-NAH levels distinguished between benign and malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction better than CEA levels. Beta-NAH levels for the malignant and the benign groups were 47.6 +/- 14.7 U/l and 23.0 +/- 4.7 U/l (mean +/- S.D.) respectively. The groups differed significantly (P less than 0.001). Plasma CEA levels for both groups were 18.7 +/- 38.9 and 7.2 +/- 3.3 ng/ml (mean +/- S.D.) respectively. Beta-NAH levels for the 19 normal controls were 15.8 +/- 3.5 U/l (mean +/- S.D.). Beta-NAH also was significantly elevated in patients with hepatic metastases (36.9 +/- 20.1 U/l). In 25 cancer patients with metastases other than in the liver beta-NAH levels (18.3 +/- 5.2) were not significantly elevated over the control group. It has potential value as a marker for non-CEA-producing liver metastases.

Differences in CEA values determined by EIA and RIA in patients with benign and malignant biliary obstructions.

Serial carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were determined by both the Roche RIA and Abbott EIA methods in 11 patients with pancreatic cancer (9 with extrahepatic biliary obstruction); 7 with benign extrahepatic obstruction; 26 with colonic cancer without biliary obstruction; and 12 normal, non-smoking controls. The Roche/Abbott CEA ratios in the patients with malignant and benign obstruction (mean ratios = 3.05 and 3.08, respectively), were significantly higher than those in patients with colon cancer without biliary obstruction and in normal controls (mean ratios = 1.35 and 1.06, respectively). Four patients with malignant obstructions were decompressed successfully (bilirubin less than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL); the ratios for two of these patients declined to "normal" (1.0), while the ratios for the other two remained elevated despite decompression. These findings show that some patients with benign or malignant biliary obstruction have elevated CEA levels when measured by the Roche RIA but not with the Abbott EIA.

Influence of milking frequency on productive and reproductive efficiencies of dairy cows.

Thirty-four mature Holstein cows were blocked into two groups on their 305-day, twice daily milked, mature equivalent milk production of the previous lactation; groups were assigned at random to a twice or thrice daily milking frequency. In addition, six pairs of paternal half-sisters and one pair of nonsibling heifers also were assigned to twice daily or thrice daily milking frequency. Half-sisters were assigned to milking frequency on alternate calvings, and the nonsibling pair was assigned at random. Milk production peaked at 6 wk lactation in mature cows in both treatments, at 7 wk for cows in first lactation milked twice daily, and at 9 wk for cows in first lactation milked thrice daily. Cows milked thrice daily reached higher peak milk production and were more persistent in milk production. Multiparous and first-lactation cows milked thrice daily produced 18.5 and 25.2% more milk than their counterparts milked twice daily, and after 15 wk heifers milked thrice daily were producing more milk per day than mature cows milked twice daily. The combined increased average production for cows and heifers milked thrice daily, 1299 kg, required only 92 kg more dry matter intake and resulted in an apparent preferential utilization of feed nutrients for milk production or higher rate of tissue catabolism in cows milked thrice daily. Milk composition was not influenced by milking frequency; total milk fat was 36 kg more for cows milked thrice daily. Reproductive performance measured as days to first estrus, days open, or services per conception also was not influenced by milking frequency.

Effect of several heat treatments and frozen storage on thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid content of milk.

This research was designed to test the reliability of modified Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods for quantitation of thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid in milk; to ascertain the extent of destruction of those vitamins by modern heat processing; and to determine if it is truthful to report that heat processing does not reduce milk's nutritional properties insofar as those vitamins are concerned. Milk was processed continuously at four time-temperature treatments, including that used for modern commercial sterilization. Both raw and heated milks were analyzed immediately for content of heat labile vitamins; subsamples were packaged in amber plastic bottles, frozen, and subsequently analyzed for vitamin content after 14 days storage. Analyses were by modified Association of Official Analytical Chemists fluorometric techniques.

Compositional analysis of nonfat dry milk by using near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Proximate data from 82 nonfat dry milk (NFDM) samples were correlated with near infrared reflectance (NIR) measurements. The best wavelengths for determining constituent concentrations were chosen from 19 preselected filters by using linear regression analysis. The correlation coefficient (r) was 0.971 and the standard error of prediction (SEP) was 0.274 when the predicted values (from NIR measurements) using the 3 wavelengths selected for determining moisture content were compared with laboratory values; r and SEP were 0.961 and 0.099, respectively, when the predicted values using the 4 wavelengths selected for fat content were compared with laboratory results; 0.887 and 0.594, respectively, using the 4 wavelengths selected for lactose content; 0.905 and 0.438 using the 8 wavelengths selected for protein (micro-Kjeldahl) content; and 0.911 and 0.509 using the 7 wavelengths selected for protein (dye binding). These data indicate that NIR can be used to estimate moisture, fat, lactose, and protein content of NFDM.