Prevalence of Dichelobacter nodosus in western Austrian sheep flocks: Comparison of bacterial cultures, clinical foot rot and lameness with PCR and analysis of sample pooling for PCR diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Ovine foot rot is a highly contagious and multifactorial claw disease, caused by Dichelobacter nodosus (D. nodosus) and is the main cause of lameness in sheep. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of D. nodosus in western Austria both at animal and farm levels. Real-time PCR was evaluated in comparison with clinical and bacteriological investigations from interdigital foot swabs to detect D. nodosus-infected animals. In addition, the use of pooled four-foot swabs to detect foot rot was determined. In course of the study a total of 3156 sheep from 124 farms were examined for lameness and clinical signs of foot rot. The found flock prevalence of D. nodosus was 30,65 % with bacterial culture showing a sensitivity of 75,0 % and a specificity of 100,0 % (p < 0,001) respectively, compared with PCR. Furthermore, clinical foot rot scores (Ckorr = 0,87; p < 0,001) and lameness scores (Ckorr = 0,71; p < 0,001) highly correlated with the detection of D. nodosus by PCR. The result showed that the clinical examination can be used to identify animals infected with D. nodosus in flocks, but PCR must be used to confirm the diagnosis. D. nodosus could be detected equally well with risk-based pools-of-five samples as with undiluted samples (p < 0,001), suggesting that a pool-of-five samples might be a suitable and cost-effective method for detecting D. nodosus in sheep flocks. This study provides an overview of foot rot in Tyrolean sheep flocks and outlines the possibilities and limitations of the various diagnostic tools for D. nodosus. Further studies to investigate possible influencing factors, including alpine pasturing, management factors and biosecurity predisposing to foot rot are necessary for the design of effective future control programs in alpine regions.

INTRODUCTION: Le piétin ovin est une maladie des onglons hautement contagieuse et multifactorielle, causée par Dichelobacter nodosus (D. nodosus) qui constitue la principale cause de boiterie chez les ovins. L'objectif de cette étude transversale était de déterminer la prévalence de D. nodosus dans l'ouest de l'Autriche, tant au niveau de l'animal que de l'exploitation. La PCR en temps réel a été évaluée en comparaison avec les examens cliniques et bactériologiques effectués à partir d'écouvillons des espaces interdigités pour détecter les animaux infectés par D. nodosus. En outre, l'utilisation d'un pool d'écouvillons des quatre membres pour détecter le piétin a été déterminée. Au cours de l'étude, un total de 3156 moutons provenant de 124 fermes ont été examinés pour détecter des boiteries et des signes cliniques de piétin. La prévalence de D. nodosus dans les troupeaux était de 30,65 %, la culture bactérienne montrant une sensibilité de 75 % et une spécificité de 100 % (p < 0,001), respectivement, par rapport à la PCR. En outre, les scores cliniques de piétin (Ckorr = 0,87; p < 0,001) et les scores de boiterie (Ckorr = 0,71; p < 0,001) étaient fortement corrélés avec la détection de D. nodosus par PCR. Les résultats montrent que l'examen clinique peut être utilisé pour identifier les animaux infectés par D. nodosus dans les troupeaux mais que la PCR doit être utilisée pour confirmer le diagnostic. D. nodosus a pu être détecté aussi bien avec des pools de cinq échantillons basés sur le risque qu'avec des échantillons non dilués (p < 0,001), ce qui suggère qu'un pool de cinq échantillons pourrait être une méthode appropriée et rentable pour détecter D. nodosus dans les troupeaux de moutons. Cette étude donne un aperçu du piétin dans les troupeaux de moutons tyroliens et souligne les possibilités et les limites des différents outils de diagnostic pour D. nodosus. D'autres études visant à examiner les facteurs d'influence possibles, y compris les pâturages alpins, les facteurs de gestion et la biosécurité prédisposant au piétin, sont nécessaires pour la conception de futurs programmes de contrôle efficaces dans les régions alpines.

[Unilateral retinal hemorrhage in infants-two cases of shaken baby syndrome?] / Unilaterale Netzhautblutungen bei Säuglingen ­ 2 Fälle von Schütteltrauma?

A 2.5-month-old boy and a 2-month-old girl were admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit with impaired consciousness. Both infants had subdural hemorrhages. Because of presumed non-accidental head injury (NAHI) funduscopy was performed, which revealed unilateral hemorrhage in both children. After intensive differential diagnostics NAHI was suspected in both cases and a forensic medical examination was initiated. This case series is important because it shows that unilateral retinal bleeding does not exclude NAHI.

Improved Automatic Segmentation of White Matter Hyperintensities in MRI Based on Multilevel Lesion Features.

Brain white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are linked to increased risk of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases among the elderly. Consequently, detection and characterization of WMHs are of significant clinical importance. We propose a novel approach for WMH segmentation from multi-contrast MRI where both voxel-based and lesion-based information are used to improve overall performance in both volume-oriented and object-oriented metrics. Our segmentation method (AMOS-2D) consists of four stages following a "generate-and-test" approach: pre-processing, Gaussian white matter (WM) modelling, hierarchical multi-threshold WMH segmentation and object-based WMH filtering using support vector machines. Data from 28 subjects was used in this study covering a wide range of lesion loads. Volumetric T1-weighted images and 2D fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images were used as basis for the WM model and lesion masks defined manually in each subject by experts were used for training and evaluating the proposed method. The method obtained an average agreement (in terms of the Dice similarity coefficient, DSC) with experts equivalent to inter-expert agreement both in terms of WMH number (DSC = 0.637 vs. 0.651) and volume (DSC = 0.743 vs. 0.781). It allowed higher accuracy in detecting WMH compared to alternative methods tested and was further found to be insensitive to WMH lesion burden. Good agreement with expert annotations combined with stable performance largely independent of lesion burden suggests that AMOS-2D will be a valuable tool for fully automated WMH segmentation in patients with cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative pathologies.

Age-Dependent D-dimer Cut-off to Avoid Unnecessary CT-Exams for Ruling-out Pulmonary Embolism.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of an age-dependent D-Dimer cut-off in patients who underwent a computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) for suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) Material and Methods: Retrospective application of an age-dependent D-dimer cut-off (age/100 in patients aged over 50) in 530 consecutive patients, both in- and outpatients, aged over 18, who underwent CTPA for suspected PE according to the guidelines. RESULTS: The application of an age-dependent D-dimer cut-off showed a now negative test-result in 17 of 530 patients (3.2%). The proportion was 4.1% (17 of 418) in patients aged over 50. None of these 17 cases was diagnosed with PE in CTPA, the false-negative rate was 0%. The effect could be seen in outpatients (14 of 377 [3.7%]) as well as in inpatients(3 of 153 [2.0%]) with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of an age-dependent D-dimer cut-off as part of the guidline-based algorithm for suspected PE reduced the number of necessary CTPA in outpatients as well as in inpatients. KEY POINTS: The application of an age-dependent D-dimer cut-off reduces the number of CTPA as part of the diagnostic algorithm in patients suspected for PENo reduction in diagnostic safety was found. The age adjustement performed equally in outpatients and inpatients

Ocular color-coded sonography - a promising tool for neurologists and intensive care physicians.

Ocular color-coded duplex sonography (OCCS), when performed within the safety limits of diagnostic ultrasonography, is an easy noninvasive technique with high potential for diagnosis and therapy in diseases with raised intracranial pressure and vascular diseases affecting the eye. Despite the capabilities of modern ultrasound systems and its scientific validation, OCCS has not gained widespread use in neurological practice. In this review, the authors describe the technique and main parameter settings of OCCS systems to reduce potential risks as thermal or cavitational effects for sensitive orbital structures. Applications of OCCS are the determination of intracranial pressure in emergency medicine, and follow-up evaluations of idiopathic intracranial hypertension and ventricular shunting by measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter. A diameter of 5.7 - 6.0 mm corresponds well with symptomatically increased intracranial pressure (> 20 cmH2O). OCCS also helps to discriminate between different etiologies of central retinal artery occlusion - by visualization of a "spot sign" and Doppler flow analysis of the central retinal artery - and aids the differential diagnosis of papilledema. At the end perspectives are illustrated that combine established ultrasound methods such as transcranial color-coded sonography with OCCS.

[Activities related to STIs and HIV and data collection in German local health authorities, 2012 : can we harvest the data?]. / Angebote der Beratungsstellen zu sexuell übertragbaren Infektionen und HIV und diesbezügliche Datenerhebung in deutschen Gesundheitsämtern im Jahr 2012 : Ist eine einheitliche Datensammlung möglich?

In Germany, local health authorities (LHA) offering counseling and testing for sexually transmitted infections or human immunodeficiency virus (STI/HIV) routinely collect data. The study's objective was to get an overview of the activities and data collected by the LHA so as to investigate the possibility of harvesting these data at a national level. We performed a cross-sectional survey among all LHA with STI/HIV counseling and testing by using an electronic questionnaire with information on the type of STI/HIV services offered, groups reached, and data collected. Among the 374 LHA, 250 (67 %) responded. Half of them offered common counseling for STI and HIV; 20% conducted outreach work among sex workers and other groups. While HIV tests were available in all LHA, 62 and 56 % also offered hepatitis B and C testing, respectively. Other available tests included syphilis (56 %), gonorrhea (28 %), and chlamydia (27 %). Only 13 % of LHA offer gynecological examinations. While 98 % of LHA reported collecting data, two thirds of these records were paper-based. Although 77 % analyzed their data, 58 % reported their data to the regional level. Standardization of the STI/HIV data seems feasible for most of the LHA. This would allow annual statistics to be compiled at municipal, regional, and national levels.

The retrobulbar "spot sign" as a discriminator between vasculitic and thrombo-embolic affections of the retinal blood supply.

PURPOSE: Sudden retinal blindness is a common complication of temporal arteritis (TA). Another common cause is embolic occlusion of the central retinal artery (CRA). The aim of this prospective study was to examine the diagnostic value of hyperechoic material in the CRA for the exclusion of vasculitis as a cause. The authors used orbital color-coded sonography (OCCS) for the detection of hyperechoic material. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 24 patients with sudden vision loss were included in the study after the exclusion of other causes (e. g. vitreous bleeding, retinal detachment). Parallel to routine diagnostic workup, OCCS was performed in all patients. RESULTS: 7 patients with a diagnosis of TA presented with different degrees of hypoperfusion in the CRA without hyperechoic material (referred to as "spot sign") detected by OCCS. Diagnostic workup in the remaining 17 patients revealed other causes of sudden vision loss, such as central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) (12), anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) (2), upstream vascular stenosis or occlusion (2) and delayed reperfusion of the CRA (1). The hyperechoic "spot sign" was visible in 10 of 12 patients (83 %) with embolic CRAO. The detection of embolic CRAO using the "spot sign" had a sensitivity of 83 % and a specificity of 100 %. The missing "spot sign" in patients with TA was a highly specific finding (p-value 0.01). CONCLUSION: The detection of the "spot sign" specifically minimizes the probability of TA as a reason for sudden blindness.

mRNA abundance of adiponectin and its receptors, leptin and visfatin and of G-protein coupled receptor 41 in five different fat depots from sheep.

Adipose tissue (AT) expresses adipokines, which are involved in the regulation of energy expenditure, lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Visceral (v.c.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) depots largely differ concerning their metabolic characteristics as to the control of lipolysis and the sensitivity to insulin. The adipokines adiponectin, leptin and visfatin influence lipolysis and insulin sensitivity. Signalling by G-protein coupled receptor 41 (GPR 41) stimulates leptin release via activation by short-chain fatty acids. We hypothesized that the metabolic differences between v.c. and s.c. fat depots may also apply to the expression of adiponectin, its receptors, leptin, visfatin, insulin receptor (IR) and GPR 41. Therefore, we aimed to compare the mRNA expression of adiponectin, leptin and visfatin, of the adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 (AdipoR1/2) and IR as well of GPR 41 between several s.c. and v.c. fat depots in sheep. Samples from 10 rams were collected at slaughter (40 kg BW) from three s.c. depots, i.e. close to sternum (s.c.S), close to withers (s.c.W), and at the base of tail (s.c.T), and from two v.c. depots, i.e. from perirenal (v.c.P) and omental (v.c.O) fat. The mRNAs of both adiponectin receptors, as well as IR and putative GPR 41, were higher expressed in v.c. fat than in s.c. fat (p ≤ 0.05). Leptin mRNA abundance was greater in s.c. than in v.c. fat (mean ± SEM: s.c.: 2.55 ± 0.81; v.c.: 0.66 ± 0.21) and also differed among the five separately measured fat depots. Our results show differences in mRNA abundance for leptin, AdipoR1 and R2, as well as for IR and GPR 41 in s.c. compared with v.c. fat, thus confirming the need for individual consideration of distinct fat depots, when aiming to characterize adipose functions in ruminants.

Preliminary case report of fatal anthrax in an injecting drug user in North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, December 2009.

A fatal case of anthrax occurred in an injecting drug user in Germany, in December 2009. A potential link to similar cases in Scotland in the same time period is currently under investigation.

The relationships between leptin concentrations and body fat reserves in lambs are reduced by short-term fasting.

Feed deprivation decreases plasma leptin concentrations depending on the amount of body fat reserves. While a greater response was observed in lean than in fat humans and rats, a few results for ruminants are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of feed deprivation on plasma leptin concentration in growing lambs with different body fat reserves and on the relationship between leptin and fatness. In addition, we included other hormones (growth hormone, GH; insulin-like growth factor-I, IGF-I and insulin) involved in tissue development. Thirty male lambs of 40 kg live weight were used. Blood was sampled before and after a fasting period of 24 h. The lambs were slaughtered and dissected into several fat and lean tissues. Feed deprivation reduced plasma leptin by an average of 34.6% (p < 0.001). Obese lambs exhibited a greater decline of leptin than lean lambs (2.50 vs. 1.36 ng/ml, p < 0.05). The correlations between leptin and several fat tissues were lower in those lambs than that were fasted. This indicates that leptin concentrations after short-term fasting scarcely reflect the extent of body fat reserves but reflect more the actual metabolic situation. Body fat did not significantly influence the response of GH, IGF-I and insulin to fasting in most cases.

Prediction of intramuscular fat by impedance spectroscopy.

Multiple multi-frequency impedance measurements during the computer controlled passage of a probe through the M. longissimus dorsi in pork and beef were applied. It was expected that the variability in impedance would correlate with the intramuscular fat (IMF) due to the inhomogeneous distribution of electrolytes and fat. We conducted our experiments in pig carcasses at different, well defined times post-mortem in varying directions of puncture (Experiment 1) and predicted the intramuscular fat in pork and beef by regression (Experiment 2). The highest correlations were obtained in experiment 1 for parameters characterising the variability of the impedance 24h post-mortem and insertion of the probe through the back fat and muscle towards the body cavity (r=0.54-0.79, P<0.001). Both of these were chosen for the measurements in experiment 2. Regression for the prediction of IMF in pork and beef in experiment 2 resulted in R(2) values of 0.12 and 0.48, respectively; and in RMSE values of 0.67 and 0.64, respectively. The correlation between the predicted and the IMF analysed by n-hexane extraction or Near Infrared Transmission varied from 0.28 to 0.69 (P<0.001) depending on species and breed. A selection of the carcasses for high IMF (above a certain threshold) using the impedance measurements agreed poorly with the analysed IMF. Depending on the level of IMF within a breed, low IMF contents were often over-predicted (3.4-92.7%) or high IMF contents were estimated as too low (0-80.9%). Breed specific regression equations could improve the accuracy. These data indicate that the selectivity of the impedance method in the configuration presented here is not yet sufficient for practical use.

Plasma leptin in growing lambs as a potential predictor for carcass composition and daily gain.

Leptin is an adipocyte derived hormone and correlates highly to the extent of body fat tissue. The aim of this study was to determine if leptin could serve as an early predictor for carcass composition and final growth rate in lambs with special emphasis on size and cellularity of the different body fat depots. Thirty intact male ad libitum fed lambs were blood sampled at 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40kg live weight. After slaughtering at 40kg, lean and the visceral, subcutaneous and intermuscular fat were measured by dissection. The fat cell diameter was determined in subcutaneous and perirenal fat. Average daily gain from birth to slaughter correlated to leptin only at 30 and 35kg live weight (r=-0.56 and -0.61, P<0.01) and thus leptin cannot be regarded as a suitable early predictor for growth rate. That goes for the prediction of subcutaneous and intermuscular fat, too; because no relationships were detected between early leptin concentrations and the amount of these tissues. Leptin concentrations measured just before slaughter were related to all fat tissues except the pelvic and intramuscular fat. Among the visceral fat depots, omental fat expressed the highest correlations to leptin (r=0.60, P<0.001). Additionally, leptin concentrations at 35 and 40kg live weight increased with increasing fat cell diameters (r=0.38, P<0.05 to r=0.59, P<0.001). This study indicates that leptin concentration measured in the slaughter weight range has the greatest potential to assess body fat content, whereas an earlier prediction does not seem to be feasible. Further studies should clarify if these results are reproducible for other breeds or species.

Relationship between plasma leptin concentrations and carcass composition in fattening mutton: a comparison with ultrasound results.

Positive relationships between circulating leptin concentrations and body fat content have been established in sheep when covering a rather broad range of age and/or body weight. The usefulness of leptin measurements for predicting carcass fat has yet to be evaluated specifically in fattening lambs. We therefore measured plasma leptin concentrations in 56 male lambs half and half Merino Mutton and Blackheaded Mutton. Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured by ultrasound 1 day before the lambs were slaughtered at 35 or 45 kg live weight. Carcass composition was determined by tissue dissection. The coefficients of correlations between leptin and the different amounts in fat depots ranged from 0.40 to 0.56 within the two live weight groups, and from 0.53 to 0.64 when taking the two groups together. Carcass fat percentage was estimated by leptin concentrations with the same accuracy (R2 = 0.34) as with ultrasound fat thickness. The accuracy was higher for leptin in the 35 kg-group whereas the accuracy was higher for ultrasound fat thickness in the 45 kg-group (R2 = 0.26 vs. 0.31). A combination of leptin and ultrasound fat thickness clearly enhanced the precision of estimation in all groups. Further investigations on the influence of factors such as breed, gender, duration of feed withdrawal or photoperiod on the association between leptin and carcass composition are necessary before the suitability of plasma leptin concentration for practical application can be evaluated.

Prediction of carcass composition by impedance spectroscopy in lambs of similar weight.

Previous research on impedance measurements for the prediction of carcass composition was predominantly carried out on animals that varied widely in body weight, breed, or sex. The high accuracy for the estimated lean or fat mass was mainly obtained by including the body weight in the regression equations. The objective of this study was the prediction of carcass composition in lambs of similar weight. We used 70 male German Merino Mutton lambs and 70 male German Blackheaded Mutton lambs with 35 and 45kg live weight each. Impedance measurements with different electrode placements were carried out in vivo and on carcasses 20min and 24h postmortem. The carcass composition was ascertained by dissection of the left carcass side into lean, fat, and bone. R(2)-values for prediction of lean mass by impedance and body weight ranged between 0.11 and 0.71 within breeds and weight groups and between 0.84 and 0.89in the total material. Lean percentage was estimated with R(2)=0.18-0.48 within breeds and weight groups. The corresponding values for the total material varied from 0.23 to 0.37. We conclude that the impedance method is not suitable for the prediction of lean or fat percentage, neither in lambs of similar weight nor in heterogeneous animals.

Prediction of lamb carcass composition by impedance spectroscopy.

The objective of this study was to compare impedance spectroscopy with resistance measurements at a single frequency (50 kHz) for the prediction of lamb carcass composition. The impedance spectrum is usually recorded by measuring the complex impedance at various frequencies (frequency domain); however, in this study, we also applied the faster and simpler measurement in the time domain (application of a current step and measurement of the voltage response). The study was carried out on 24 male, German Black-headed Mutton lambs with an average BW of 45 kg. Frequency- and time domain-based impedance measurements were collected at 20 min and 24 h postmortem with different electrode placements. Real and imaginary parts at various frequencies were calculated from the locus diagram. Left sides were dissected into lean, fat, and bone, and right sides were ground to determine actual carcass composition. Crude fat, crude protein, and moisture were chemically analyzed on ground samples. Frequency- and time domain-based measurements did not provide the same absolute impedance values; however, the high correlations (P < 0.001) between these methods for the "real parts" showed that they ranked individuals in the same order. Most of the time domain data correlated higher to carcass composition than did the frequency domain data. The real parts of impedance showed correlations between -0.37 (P > 0.05) and -0.74 (P < 0.001) to water, crude fat, lean, and fatty tissue, whereas the relations to CP were much lower (from 0.00 to -0.47, P < 0.05). Electrode placements at different locations did not substantially improve the correlations with carcass composition. The "imaginary parts" of impedance were not suitable for the prediction of carcass composition. The highest accuracy (R2 = 0.66) was reached for the estimation of crude fat percentage by a regression equation with the time domain-based impedance measured at 24 h postmortem. Furthermore, there was not a clear superiority of measurements in a wide frequency range over a single frequency measurement at 50 kHz for the prediction of carcass composition. Even though we calculated the impedance at 50 kHz based on the locus diagram, which allowed for a high precision for predicting this impedance trait, single-frequency impedance devices typically used in practice cannot record the locus diagram and, therefore, exhibit a greater amount of uncertainty.

P(y)-a parameter for meat quality.

The P(y) is a parameter which assesses the integrity of the cell membranes. It is a direct indicator for the volume fraction of cells surrounded by insulating cell membranes. The P(y) has been shown to correlate well with meat quality parameters like the drip loss or pH. It is a useful parameter for the discrimination between normal suited meat and PSE meat. The measurement is instantaneous and nondestructive. Due to aging of meat, P(y) depends on the time post mortem. It shows the highest significance between 4 and 24 h p.m.

Evidence for import of a lysyl-tRNA into marsupial mitochondria.

The mitochondrial tRNA gene for lysine was analyzed in 11 different marsupial mammals. Whereas its location is conserved when compared with other vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, its primary sequence and inferred secondary structure are highly unusual and variable. For example, eight species lack the expected anticodon. Because the corresponding transcripts are not altered by any RNA-editing mechanism, the lysyl-tRNA gene seems to represent a mitochondrial pseudogene. Purification of marsupial mitochondria and in vitro aminoacylation of isolated tRNAs with lysine, followed by analysis of aminoacylated tRNAs, show that a nuclear-encoded tRNA(Lys) is associated with marsupial mitochondria. We conclude that a functional tRNA(Lys) encoded in the nuclear genome is imported into mitochondria in marsupials. Thus, tRNA import is not restricted to plant, yeast, and protozoan mitochondria but also occurs also in mammals.