Ultrasonographic assessment of reticuloruminal motility in 45 cows.

The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of ultrasonographic assessment of reticuloruminal motility in 45 healthy cows. The transducers of five ultrasound machines were connected to a digital video recorder and placed simultaneously at five sites on the left side of the cows to scan the reticulorumen (reticulum; ruminal atrium; dorsal sac of the rumen; left longitudinal groove; ruminal recess, caudodorsal and caudoventral blind sacs). The video streams from all five ultrasound machines were recorded synchronously with the same time line and displayed on a single monitor. Time 0 was defined as the start of a biphasic reticular contraction. The reticulum was visualised in all cows and had 11.0 ± 2.12 biphasic contractions in 9 min. The ruminal atrium was visualised in 40 (89%) cows and had 10.7 ± 2.10 contractions in 9 min, which started at the time point 5.0 ± 0.83 sec and lasted 7.0 ± 2.14 sec. Contractions of the dorsal sac of the rumen, visible in all cows, were visualised in 29 (64%) cows. There were 9.5 ± 1.8 contractions in 9 min that started at the time point 4.0 ± 0.85 sec and lasted 8.2 ± 1.04 sec. The left longitudinal groove was seen contracting in 39 (87%) cows. There were 10.2 ± 1.98 contractions in 9 min that started at the time point 4.1 ± 1.81 sec and lasted 7.8 ± 1.19 sec. Contractions of the ventral sac of the rumen (ruminal recess) were seen in 31 (69%) cows. There were 7.5 ± 2.59 contractions in 9 min that started at the time point 14.3 ± 4.30 sec. Contractions of the caudodorsal and caudoventral blind sacs were seen in 34 (76%) cows. There were 9.0 ± 2.75 (1.0 ± 0.31) contractions/min and 9.4 ± 2.09 (1.0 ± 0.23) contractions/min of the dorsal and ventral blind sacs, and they started at the time points 6.2 ± 1.32 sec and 21.3 ± 6.20 sec, respectively. Primary contraction cycles were seen in all cows and secondary cycles in 22 (49%) cows. The former were complete in 37 (82%) cows and incomplete in 8 (18%). There were 11.0 ± 2.12 primary and 4.5 ± 2.15 secondary cycles in 9 min, and the ratio between primary and secondary cycles averaged 2.4:1. Ultrasonography is suitable for the assessment of reticuloruminal motility

Assessment of a new method for the analysis of decomposition gases of polymers by a combining thermogravimetric solid-phase extraction and thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

For analysis of the gaseous thermal decomposition products of polymers, the common techniques are thermogravimetry, combined with Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR) and mass spectrometry (TGA-MS). These methods offer a simple approach to the decomposition mechanism, especially for small decomposition molecules. Complex spectra of gaseous mixtures are very often hard to identify because of overlapping signals. In this paper a new method is described to adsorb the decomposition products during controlled conditions in TGA on solid-phase extraction (SPE) material: twisters. Subsequently the twisters were analysed with thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TDS-GC-MS), which allows the decomposition products to be separated and identified using an MS library. The thermoplastics polyamide 66 (PA 66) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) were used as example polymers. The influence of the sample mass and of the purge gas flow during the decomposition process was investigated in TGA. The advantages and limitations of the method were presented in comparison to the common analysis techniques, TGA-FTIR and TGA-MS.

[Comparison of productivity and veterinary expenses in Swiss dairy farms with and without integrated veterinary herd health service]. / Vergleich von Leistungsfähigkeit und tierärztlichen Kosten in landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben mit und ohne «Integrierte Tierärztliche Bestandesbetreuung¼ (ITB).

The goal of this study was to compare production variables and veterinary costs between dairy herds enrolled in an integrated herd health program and herds with a conventional, non-computerized herd management. Four variables were used to assess the performance of the herds, including calving interval, milk production per lactation, as well as the product of calving interval x veterinary costs per year and the ratio of production to veterinary costs per year. A total of 22 dairy herds, serviced by the ambulatory clinic, University of Zurich, were investigated. There were 11 experimental herds that had been enrolled in an integrated herd health program, INTERHERD©, and 11 control herds. Data of the latter were derived from a computerized accounting system, OBLON DATA©. A total of 92'350 records from the years 1999 - 2005 were analyzed retrospectively. During the investigation period the calving interval did not significantly increase in experimental herds, whereas milk production steadily increased in both groups. The integrated herd health program did not result in additional costs when the dairy farms have no problems on a herd basis. From our study, differences in farms with and without herd health program are only marginal.

Estimating the financial losses due to bovine fasciolosis in Switzerland.

In dairy cattle in Switzerland, the prevalence of infection with Fasciola hepatica is over 16 per cent. Previous studies have suggested that even subclinical infections with liver fluke may induce significant reductions in the performance of cattle. The financial losses attributable to F hepatica were estimated using a simple spreadsheet model to sum the individual losses that have been suggested in the literature. Because there is substantial variability in these production losses, Monte Carlo sampling techniques were used to model this variability. Each cost item and each data item related to the prevalence of F hepatica was assigned a mathematical distribution which took account of the variability of the experimental data and/or the sample size of the data. A total of 10,000 simulations were undertaken, with each item randomly varied through its mathematical distribution on each simulation. The results suggest that the median financial loss due to bovine fasciolosis in Switzerland is approximately 52 million, with probable 95 per cent confidence limits ranging from 22 million to 92 million per annum, which represents a median loss of 299 per infected animal. Most of the losses arise from reduced milk yield and reduced fertility, and smaller losses are due to reduced meat production and the condemnation of livers.

High prevalence of orthostatic hypotension and its correlation with potentially causative medications among elderly veterans.

BACKGROUND: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is defined as a reduction of systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mmHg, or diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mmHg from a sitting to a standing position. It is a common physical finding among older adults and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Use of medications that have the potential to induce OH, particularly concomitant use of several of such medications, is a major factor for the development of OH. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of symptomatic and asymptomatic OH in veterans aged 75 years and older attending a geriatric clinic, and to assess the association between OH and the number of potentially causative medications used. METHODS: Charts of all patients who attended a VA geriatric clinic (Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center) during the period of 1 June 2002 to 1 June 2003 were reviewed retrospectively for (i) the use of potentially causative medications, i.e. medications that were reported to cause OH in at least 1% of the general population and that were available in the VA formulary, (ii) the presence or absence of OH, and (iii) the presence or absence of symptomatic OH. Patients with primary autonomic dysfunction, Parkinson's disease, and patients who were unable to stand, or who had no assessment for both sitting and standing blood pressure for other reasons were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 505 individual patients attended the clinic during the study period, and 342 patients fit the inclusion criteria. About 189 of these patients (55%) had OH. Among patients with OH, 61 patients (33%) were symptomatic, including 52 patients who had falls. The prevalence of OH in patients receiving zero, one, two, and three or more potentially causative medications was 35, 58, 60 and 65% respectively. Receiving hydrochlorothiazide was associated with the highest prevalence of OH (65%), followed by receiving lisinopril (60%), trazodone (58%), furosemide (56%) and terazosin (54%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of OH is very high in older veterans and significantly related to the number of concurrent causative medications used. Providers should be educated to reduce the amount of potentially causative medications in the elderly and better assess patients in which use of such medications is necessary to avoid symptomatic OH.

Innovative technologies for decentralised water-, wastewater and biowaste management in urban and peri-urban areas.

Avoiding the comingling of water flows coming from different sources and thus obtaining flows with a very low dilution factor is the first and major step key to technical solutions for adequate treatment of household wastewaters. Through their decentral structure and effective recovery of water, energy and fertiliser these systems can be highly cost efficient. Fresh water consumption can be reduced by up to 80% while nutrients can be recovered to a large extent. Source control is also advantageous for hygienic reasons: low volumes are far easier to sanitise. Source separation technology in municipal waste water treatment does often lead decentralised or semicentral systems. The first essential step is the separate collection and treatment of toilet waste in households, which contains almost all pathogens and nutrients. New toilet systems with very low dilution factors, ranging from vacuum- through urine sorting to dry toilets, have been introduced in several projects and proven feasible. New ideas such as the black- and greywater cycle systems are presently under research at the Technical University Hamburg Harburg. Such modular, integrated and small scale systems are only possible through recent advances in membrane technology and, due to their small scale, do have the potential to be installed in densely populated regions. These technologies are options for following the principles of ecological sanitation, to contain, to sanitise and to reuse also in urban areas (EcoSanRes, 2003).

Oxygen cost of breathing for assisted spontaneous breathing modes: investigation into three states of pulmonary function.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and pressure support ventilation (PSV) on the oxygen cost of breathing (VO2resp) for different states of pulmonary function. Additionally VO2resp was measured during spontaneous breathing. DESIGN: This was done in a controlled and prospective study. Ventilatory modes were applied randomly. SETTING: Measurements were performed in a quiet room on volunteers (VOL) and inpatients treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Post-operative patients after aortocoronary bypass surgery (ACB) were studied on the cardio-thoracic intensive care unit just before and after extubation. PATIENTS: Healthy volunteers (n = 14), postoperative patients after aorto-coronary bypass surgery (n = 15) and patients with COPD (n = 9, xFEV1 47.7%) were the objects of study. INTERVENTIONS: Demand flow CPAP (5 mbar) and PSV (7 mbar, PEEP 5 mbar), using the Hamilton Veolar ventilator, were investigated in comparison to spontaneous breathing. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: VO2 was measured by a Datex Deltatrac metabolic monitor. VO2resp was calculated by subtraction of total oxygen uptake (VO2tot) in controlled mode ventilation (CMV) from that in the respective spontaneous breathing mode. For VOL and COPD patients who were not intubated, a CPAP facemask connected to a short 7.5 mm tube was used as connection to the ventilator. Breathing spontaneously under a canopy system VOL showed a VO2resp of 4.5 +/- 4.0% compared to 9.2 +/- 3.5% for ACB and 15.4 +/- 7.7% for COPD. CPAP changed the VO2resp to 7.8 +/- 3.9%, 12.0 +/- 4.0% and 9.1 +/- 3.6% respectively. PSV reduced the VO2resp to 7.9 +/- 3.8% in ACB and 7.7 +/- 5.5% in COPD. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation confirms findings that postoperative patients have a mild increase in VO2resp. COPD exhibit the highest increase in VO2resp. Tracheal tubes, masks and CPAP on a demand flow apparatus increases VO2resp in volunteers and postoperative patients after cardiac surgery. The same amount of CPAP in contrary reduces VO2resp in patients with COPD. Pressure support ventilation can offset the additional VO2resp induced by CPAP but at the same level does not further reduce VO2resp in COPD patients.

[Lung function after thoracic trauma. A contribution to the assessment of late functional lesions (author's transl)]. / Veränderungen der Lungenfunktion nach thoraxtrauma. Ein Beitrag zur Beurteilung der funktionellen Spätfolgen.

Respiratory function was investigated in 32 patients not later then 5 years after thoracic trauma. Forced expiration curves (volume/time and flow/volume mode) and nitrogen washout methods (single breath, multiple breath) were used including blood gas analyzes and thorax-X-rays. The typical effect of chest injury is mild to moderate restriction, which was found in 72% of the patients. Usually all volumes (FVC, FRC, TC) are reduced. 5 patients had slight to moderate obstruction, which we do not consider to be immediate consequence of trauma. 12 patients had signs of ventilatory maldistribution, which can be explained by reduced FRC in more or less all cases and obstruction in the above mentioned 5 patients. Observation of two cases leads us to conclude that chest injury may initiate development of chronic respiratory disease and that such a disease may be aggravated by thoracic injury. Motivation, young age, quality of rehabilitation, dorsal location of fractured ribs may help to improve the pulmonary status of the patient, existing or developing chronic lung disease, smoking, old age, lateral localisation of fractured ribs with dislocation will hinder improvement.