Environmentally safe areas and routes in the Baltic proper using Eulerian tracers.

In recent years, the shipping of environmentally hazardous cargo has increased considerably in the Baltic proper. In this study, a large number of hypothetical oil spills with an idealized, passive tracer are simulated. From the tracer distributions, statistical measures are calculated to optimize the quantity of tracer from a spill that would stay at sea as long as possible. Increased time may permit action to be taken against the spill before the oil reaches environmentally vulnerable coastal zones. The statistical measures are used to calculate maritime routes with maximum probability that an oil spill will stay at sea as long as possible. Under these assumptions, ships should follow routes that are located south of Bornholm instead of the northern routes in use currently. Our results suggest that the location of the optimal maritime routes depends on the season, although interannual variability is too large to identify statistically significant changes.

Biofuels from continuous fast pyrolysis of soybean oil: a pilot plant study.

The continuous fast pyrolysis of soybean oil in a pilot plant was investigated. The experimental runs were carried out according to an experimental design alternating the temperature (from 450 to 600 degrees C) and the concentration of water (from 0% to 10%). The liquid products were analyzed by gas chromatography and by true boiling point (TPB) distillation. A simple distillation was used to obtain purified products such as gasoline and diesel. Physical-chemical analysis showed that these biofuels are similar to fossil fuels. Mass and energy balances were carried out in order to determine the vaporization enthalpy and the reaction enthalpy for each experiment. The thermal analysis showed that it is possible to use the products as an energy source for the process.

Diseases in neonatal foals. Part 2: potential risk factors for a higher incidence of infectious diseases during the first 30 days post partum.

REASON FOR PERFORMING STUDY: The development of clinical illness in foals is usually predetermined by perinatal history, management or stressful environmental conditions. OBJECTIVES: To determine potential risk factors for an increased incidence of infectious diseases during the first 30 days post partum. METHODS: The population consisted of Thoroughbred foals born on stud farms in the Newmarket (UK) area in 2005 (n = 1031). They were followed for their first 30 days. Factors suspected to influence the incidence of infectious neonatal diseases were examined in a logistic regression approach for each of the 3 outcomes (total infectious diseases, systemic disease with diarrhoea and total infectious diseases excluding diarrhoea). All 28 factors were either foal or mare or stud farm related. RESULTS: Several significant risk factors for a higher disease incidence, such as birth complications, colostrum intake by stomach tube and leucocytosis 12-48 h post partum were identified. The factor 'boarding stud' seemed to be protective against disease. CONCLUSION: Some factors, such as the mare's time at stud before foaling, the mare's rotavirus vaccination schedule and fibrinogen-values that empirically had been linked to the outcome previously were not confirmed as relevant. This included the reported useful prophylactic treatment with antimicrobial drugs. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Factors to be considered when evaluating newborn foals include: stud management, the birth process, route of colostrum intake, white and red blood cells, and the date of birth. These may help to detect foals at risk to develop an infection so that targeted prophylactic measures can be initiated.

[Occupationally-induced contact dermatitis and bronchial asthma in a unusual delayed reaction to hydroxychloroquine]. / Berufsbedingtes Kontaktekzem und Asthma bronchiale bei ungewöhnlicher allergischer Reaktion vom Spättyp auf Hydroxychloroquin.

We report the case of a a 60 year-old worker in the pharmaceutical industry who suffered from recurring contact dermatitis. Initially the contact dermatitis was limited to the hands; later on it became generalized. The patient had been working on a drug filling line in a pharmaceutical plant for more than 20 years. Eight years after starting this job he had developed allergic hand dermatitis to 2,6-diaminopyridine (patch test positive); this healed upon cessation of exposure. Ten years later he again developed hand dermatitis which progressed to generalized dermatitis and conjunctivitis. Under systemic and local therapy with corticosteroids and cessation of work, it healed nearly completely. Four months after returning to work, the patient experienced a first episode of severe asthma and generalized dermatitis with conjunctivitis following exposure to hydroxychloroquine the day before. The asthma and dermatitis improved after systemic corticosteroid therapy and stopping work. His condition continued to fluctuate, when though the patient was transferred at work and now wore rubber gloves. Eight months later he again developed a generalized dermatitis. Patch testing revealed delayed-type sensitizations to hydroxychloroquine (tested in concentrations of 0. 1%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%). Equivalent tests in five healthy volunteers were negative. The patch test reactions were pustular, while a biopsy was interpreted as a multiform contact dermatitis reaction. Bronchial exposure with hydroxychloroquine dust produced a delayed bronchial obstruction over the next 20 hours, which progressed to fever and generalized erythema (hematogenous contact dermatitis). After removing exposure to 2,6-diaminopyridine and hydroxychloroquine, the patient went on to develop a contact dermatitis to latex (patch test positive). However, skin prick tests with latex and patch tests with rubber additiva were negative. Hydroxychloroquine is well known to cause drug reactions. To our knowledge, contact dermatitis to this substance has not yet been reported. It is noteworthy that the patch test reactions were pustular and of multiform morphology and that bronchial exposure to the allergen resulted in asthma and a generalized drug reaction. Pathogenetically the asthmatic reaction seems to be on a delayed-type mechanism as is also seen with ampicillin, cobalt and nickel induced asthma.

Population analysis in a denitrifying sand filter: conventional and in situ identification of Paracoccus spp. in methanol-fed biofilms.

The microbial community of a denitrifying sand filter in a municipal wastewater treatment plant was examined by conventional and molecular techniques to identify the bacteria actively involved in the removal of nitrate. In this system, denitrification is carried out as the last step of water treatment by biofilms growing on quartz grains with methanol as a supplemented carbon source. The biofilms are quite irregular, having a median thickness of 13 to 20 microns. Fatty acid analysis of 56 denitrifying isolates indicated the occurrence of Paracoccus spp. in the sand filter. 16S rRNA-targeted probes were designed for this genus and the species cluster Paracoccus denitrificans-Paracoccus versutus and tested for specificity by whole-cell hybridization. Stringency requirements for the probes were adjusted by use of a formamide concentration gradient to achieve complete discrimination of even highly similar target sequences. Whole-cell hybridization confirmed that members of the genus Paracoccus were abundant among the isolates. Twenty-seven of the 56 isolates hybridized with the genus-specific probes. In situ hybridization identified dense aggregates of paracocci in detached biofilms. Probes complementary to the type strains of P. denitrificans and P. versutus did not hybridize to cells in the biofilms, suggesting the presence of a new Paracoccus species in the sand filter. Analysis using confocal laser scanning microscopy detected spherical aggregates of morphologically identical cells exhibiting a uniform fluorescence. Cell quantification was performed after thorough disruption of the biofilms and filtration onto polycarbonate filters. An average of 3.5% of total cell counts corresponded to a Paracoccus sp., whereas in a parallel sand filter with no supplemented methanol, and no measurable denitrification, only very few paracocci (0.07% of cells stained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) could be detected. Hyphomicrobium spp. constituted approximately 2% of all cells in the denitrifying unit and could not be detected in the regular sand filter. This clear link between in situ abundance and denitrification suggests an active participation of paracocci and hyphomicrobia in the process. Possible selective advantages favoring the paracocci in this habitat are discussed.

[The effect of flavomycin on digestion in fattening bulls]. / Einfluss von Flavomycin auf die Verdauung bei Mastbullen.

Three friesian bulls (Genotype 31) were fitted with re-entrant cannulas at the duodenum to investigate the influence of a flavomycin supplement of the digestion in the forestomachs and the other parts of the digestive tract. The supplement of flavomycin increased the total digestibility of the organic matter. The digestibility of starch and sugar was between 97% and 98%. The balance of the nutrients in the digestive tract shows, that by flavomycin supplementation the degradation of organic matter and crude protein in the fore stomach was decreased and the amount of the organic matter and crude protein in the gut was increased. The balance of the amino acids in the gut showed that after flavomycin ca. 30 g more amino acids were found in the gut. The synthesis of bacterial protein in the forestomachs was, after flavomycin application, slightly reduced as was the degradation rate of the feed protein.

Nasal challenge with ragweed pollen in hay fever patients. Effect of immunotherapy.

Challenge of the nasal mucosa of allergic subjects with specific allergen induces not only the expected sneezing and rhinorrhea, but also the appearance in nasal secretions of mediators commonly associated with activation of mast cells or basophils: histamine, leukotrienes, prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), kinins, and TAME ([3H]-N-alpha-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester)-esterase. To determine whether specific immunotherapy alters mediator release in vivo, nasal pollen challenge was used to compare 27 untreated highly sensitive ragweed (RW)-allergic subjects with 12 similarly sensitive patients receiving long-term immunotherapy (3-5 yr) with RW extract (median dose, 6 micrograms RW antigen E). The two groups were equally sensitive based on skin tests and basophil histamine release. The immunized group had a diminished response as demonstrated by (a) the treated group required higher pollen doses to excite sneezing or mediator release; (b) significantly fewer subjects in the treated group released mediators at any dose (TAME-esterase [P = 0.005], PGD2 [P = 0.04]), and (c) the treated group released 3-5-fold less mediator (TAME-esterase [P = 0.01], and histamine [P = 0.02]).

Instant and brewed coffees in the in vitro human lymphocyte mutagenicity test.

Incubation of instant and 'home brew' coffees (caffeinated and decaffeinated) and of coffee aroma with cultured human lymphocytes in the presence and absence of S-9 increased the number of total aberrations. However, the increase was smaller in the presence of S-9 than in its absence. Pure caffeine tested with or without S-9 at doses equivalent to levels in caffeine-containing coffee did not give statistically significant increases of any type of aberration when compared with controls. In all in vitro test systems used to date, coffee and coffee aroma or their reactive compounds were metabolically deactivated in the presence of S-9. This could explain the negative results obtained in mutagenicity assays in vivo.

Investigation of coffee in sister chromatid exchange and micronucleus tests in vivo.

Administration of a single oral dose of instant coffee to Chinese hamsters at levels up to 2.5 g/kg body weight did not increase the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges. Furthermore, five consecutive daily oral doses of instant coffee given to Swiss OF-1 mice up to 3 g/kg/day did not induce increases in micronuclei above spontaneous levels. Similarly, no effect was observed in the micronucleus test after mice received two oral doses of coffee aroma of up to 50 ml/kg.

[Effect of native crude fiber on the digestibility of nitrogen and amino acids in pigs]. / Zum Einfluss nativer Rohfaser nativer Rohfaser auf die wahre Verdaulichkeit des Stickstoffs und der Aminosäuren beim Schwein.

In experiments with fattening pigs peas and lupines were used, both pealed and unpealed, in order to investigate the influence of native crude fibres on the true digestibility of nitrogen and the amino acids in pigs. The results of the experiments allow the conclusion that native crude fibres, as long as they remain in the normal range between 3 and 7% in the ration does not cause a depression in the true digestibility of nitrogen and the amino acids in the feeding of fattening pigs. Only the increased content of native crude fibres in the ration has a negative effect on true digestibility.

[Influence of native crude fibers on the true digestibility of nitrogen and the amino acids]. / Zum Einfluss nativer Rohfaser auf die wahre Verdaulichkeit des Stickstoffs und der Aminosäuren.

In several test series with rats, the influence of native crude fibres (straw meal and pea hulls) on the amount of metabolic fecal nitrogen (MFN) was tested. It could be ascertained that native crude fibres increase MFN. The influence of the increased MFN on the true digestibility of nitrogen and the amino acids was investigated in test series with casein diets. The casein diets were supplemented with native crude fibres. Generalising, we can state that native crude fibres--due to their structure (lignin)--fix amino acids and thus withhold them from absorption. They do not, however, increase the MFN by mechanical action (increase of the scraping off of intestinal epithelium).

[Current status in the diagnosis and therapy of meconium ileus]. / Der heutige Stand in Diagnose und Therapie des Meconiumileus.

Meconium ileus is in most cases difficult to diagnose preoperatively; however, aganglionosis should be excluded in every case (rectal double-suction biopsy, manometry). In cases of uncomplicated meconium ileus (no perforation, no further intestinal obstructions) lysis of the meconium by a Gastrografin enema is tried first. In case of no relief, an intraoperative puncture of the bowel and Gastrografin instillation is performed. If there is no relief a small bowel resection is performed and a Bishop-Koop anastomosis or a chimney anastomosis established. A distinction must be made between meconium ileus, meconium disease, meconium plug syndrome, and curd obstruction. Results show a survival rate of 80%.