First Molecular Investigation of lumpy Skin Disease in Buffaloes Using the Qualitative and Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays, Iraq.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is one of the most important infectious bovine diseases in Iraq in the last 10 years; however, the current study represents the first investigation to confirm the disease in buffaloes as well as ticks with estimation the association of positivity to clinical vital signs and risk factors. A total of 150 buffaloes were subjected for blood sampling, skin lesions and ticks. All the collected samples; 150 blood, 13 skin lesions, and 29 tick samples, were examined molecularly using the conventional and real-time PCR assays. The total positive results of blood, skin and ticks by conventional PCR were 5.33, 7.69 and 0%, respectively; while for real-time PCR, it was 15.33, 7.69 and, 0%, respectively. Insignificant differences were showed between values of temperature, pulse and respiratory rates of LSD positive and negative buffaloes by the conventional and real-time PCR assays. The association of positive conventional PCR results to risk factors (age, sex and region) was revealed a significant increase in prevalence and risk of LSD in buffaloes aged < 1 year; but for gender, insignificant variation in prevalence but not risk was seen between females and males. In case of different geographical region, significant higher prevalence was reported in Wasit; while, buffaloes of Maysan and Wasit were appeared at higher risk than those of Dhi-Qar. Regarding real-time PCR, insignificant differences were found between values of < 1, 1-4 and > 4-8 years age old, but not in group of >8 that showed a significant decline in positivity (0%). For sex, insignificant variation in prevalence, but not risk, was seen between females and males. Concerning region, buffaloes of Wasit province were recorded a significant higher values of prevalence and risk than other regions. LSD in buffaloes is mainly sub-acute, and PCR appeared to be a suitable diagnostic method in detection of infection; however, furthermore studies are necessary.

Ascending aorta replacement vs. total aortic arch replacement in the treatment of acute type A dissection: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a severe, rapidly progressing disease which typically requires patients to undergo emergency surgical intervention. Despite advancements in surgical procedures, still, ATAAD remains a surgical emergency associated with high mortality. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare whether either ascending aorta replacement (AR) or total aortic arch replacement (TR) leads to improved short- and long-term clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search of PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, Web of Science, SciELO, BIOSIS, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were supplemented by searching through bibliographies of key articles. Thereafter, data on early and late prognostic factors were extracted. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies were performed to compare whether either AR or TR leads to a reduction in the risk of in-hospital and short-term mortality, postoperative complications, re-operation rate, and long-term mortality. RESULTS: A total of 15 cohort studies (n = 2822 patients with ATAAD; AR with HA, partial arch = 1911, TR = 911) were deemed eligible and included in the meta-analysis. Compared with TR, AR led to a significantly lower risk of in-hospital mortality (RR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61-0.96), shorter cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPB, mean difference = -53.09; 95% CI: -56.68--49.50), circulatory arrest time (CA, mean difference = -8.09; 95% CI: -9.04-7.15), and antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP, mean difference = -28.62; 95% CI: -30.23--27.00). Differences in the incidence rates of neurological dysfunctions and renal dialysis were not significant. The pooled rate of aortic re-operation was lower in TR group (AR 7.6% vs. TR 5.3%), albeit not significantly (risk ratio = 1.39; 95% CI: 0.94-2.07; p = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that AR is associated with a lower early mortality rate and shorter operative times overall. Nevertheless, the incidence of postoperative complications in patients undergoing AR is comparable to that of patients undergoing TR. Further prospective follow-up data needs to be collected and analyzed to discern whether there are statistically significant differences in the risks of re-operation and long-term mortality between AR and TR procedures.

Oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle soreness in an 894-km relay trail run.

We describe the effects of multi-day relay trail running on muscle soreness and damage, and systemic immune, inflammatory, and oxidative responses. 16 male and 4 female athletes ran 894 km in 47 stages over 95 h, with mean (SD) 6.4 (1.0) stages per athlete and 19.0 (1.7) km per stage. We observed post-pre run increases in serum creatine kinase (qualified effect size extremely large, p = 0.002), IL-6 (extremely large, p < 0.001), urinary 8-isoprostane/creatinine (extremely large, p = 0.04), TNF-α (large, p = 0.002), leukocyte count (very large, p < 0.0001) and neutrophil fraction (very large, p < 0.001); and reductions in hemoglobin (moderate, p < 0.001), hematocrit (moderate, p < 0.001), and lymphocyte fraction (trivial, p < 0.001). An increase in ORAC total antioxidant capacity (TAC, small, p = 0.3) and decrease in urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine (small, p = 0.1) were not statistically significant. During the run, muscle soreness was most frequent in the quadriceps. The threshold for muscle pain (pain-pressure algometry) in the vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius was lower post-run (small, p = 0.04 and 0.03). Average running speed was correlated with algometer pain and leukocyte count (large, r = 0.52), and TAC was correlated with IL-6 (very large, r = 0.76) and 8-isoprostane/creatinine (very large, r = -0.72). Multi-day stage-racing increases inflammation, lipid peroxidation, muscle damage and soreness without oxidative DNA damage. High TAC is associated with reduced exercise-induced lipid peroxidation, but is not related to immune response or muscle damage.

Factor analysis of body measurements in Arabian horses.

Data of 13 body measurements have been analysed from 166 Arabian horses, 123 mares and 43 stallions, ranging from 49 to 298 months of age, belonging to Alzahraa stud, Cairo, Egypt. General linear model was used to study age and gender effects on these measures. Gender was a significant source of variation for most studied traits, but not for neck girth, cannon bone circumference of fore and hind legs, and pastern girth of fore and hind legs. Age significantly affected pastern girths of fore and hind legs and cannon bone circumference of fore legs, while there was no significant effect on the other measurements. Pearson correlations, adjusted for age effect, between measurements were estimated and ranged from 0.02 to 0.84 for mares and from -0.05 to 0.90 for stallions. Factor analysis with promax rotation for each gender was carried out to derive fewer independent common factors. Three factors were extracted which accounted for 66% and 67% of the total variance in mares and stallions respectively. The first, second and third factors in mares tended to describe body thickness, leg thickness and general size respectively; whereas in stallions they tended to differentiate among general size, leg thickness and body thickness respectively. The three extracted factors for each gender determine the main sources of shared variability that control body conformation in Arabian horses. These factors could be considered in selection programmes to acquire highly coordinated bodies in pure Arabian horses with fewer measurements.

Suboptimal reproductive performance of dairy cattle kept in smallholder herds in a rural highland area of northern Tanzania.

The objectives of the present study were to assess the reproductive performance and cumulative incidence risk of reproductive disorders and to compare the success of artificial insemination (AI) to natural service (by handmating; NS) in dairy cattle kept in smallholder herds under a zero-grazing system in a rural highland area of Tanzania. Data on occurrence of all normal and abnormal reproductive events were collected for 215 adult animals belonging to 74 households. The median and range of the intervals: intercalving, calving to first service, and calving to pregnancy were 477 (335-860), 154 (38-486) and 206 (61-567) days, respectively. Breed and parity did not affect the reproductive parameters (P>0.05). However, cows in the milked group had a shorter median calving interval than those in the suckled group (P<0.001). The overall percentage pregnant and the percentage pregnant to first service were higher in the NS than in the AI group (49 vs. 32%; P=0.007) and (67 vs. 25%; P<0.001), respectively. The median numbers of services per pregnancy were not different between the AI (3) and NS (2) groups (P=0.17). The cumulative incidence risk of abortion, dystocia, prolapse, retained fetal membranes, mastitis, milk fever and cyclic non-breeders were 16.0, 1.7, 2.5, 4.2, 5.0, 1.7, and 6.1%, respectively. Hoof overgrowth (4.6%) and hoof deviation (4.6%) were the most-frequent digital problems. We concluded that reproductive parameters and cumulative incidence risk of abortion show suboptimal reproductive performance in rural-based, zero-grazed smallholder dairy herds in Tanzania particularly those using AI.

Bovine tuberculosis in the Lake Victoria zone of Tanzania and its possible consequences for human health in the HIV/AIDS era.

A total of 8190 cattle from 42 well-managed herds in the Lake Victoria zone of Tanzania were tested for bovine tuberculosis by a single comparative intradermal test (SCITT) using avian and bovine purified protein derivative (PPD) antigens. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in this area was found to be 0.2%. There was significant variation (p < 0.001) among the herds tested in the four regions in this zone (Kagera, Mara, Mwanza and Shinyanga). The highest prevalence (2.12%) was in a herd of 566 cattle which had recently arrived in Kagera region from Dar-es-Salaam. None of the 915 cattle tested in Shinyanga or of the 254 resident cattle in the Kagera region were positive by SCITT. This area, and particularly the Kagera region, has the highest human morbidity and mortality due to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Tanzania. Therefore, the presence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle necessitates further investigations on the role of animal-derived tuberculosis in human health.

Combination chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer with fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and methotrexate.

Twenty-nine patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide (FAC), and methotrexate (MTX), with or without leukovorin rescue. Of 24 evaluable patients, one achieved a complete remission and 17 had partial responses. The overall objective response rate was 75%. The median survival from initiation of chemotherapy for the responding patients was 18 months. Four patients (17%) with stable disease had a median survival of 25 months. The addition of MTX to FAC chemotherapy did not improve the therapeutic efficacy of this combination; it did, however, increase the overall toxicity, especially the infectious complications when compared to FAC alone.

Carminomycin. A new anthracycline analog in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Twenty-two patients who had metastatic breast cancer previously treated with combination chemotherapy, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) or CMF with vincristine and prednisone, were treated with Carminomycin (carubicin) 20 mg/m2 body surface area by intravenous bolus injection once every 3 weeks. Of 21 evaluable patients, 1 patient achieved complete remission, 5 patients achieved partial responses, and 11 remained stable. Cases of acute drug toxicity included myelosuppression, phlebitis, and gastrointestinal symptoms; there were four cases of mild alopecia, which consisted of thinning of the scalp hair. There were three cases of biopsy-proven cardiomyopathy, contrary to previous reports from the United Soviet Socialist Republic, which indicated that this drug was relatively free of cardiotoxicity. The median duration of remission for responders was 23 weeks. It is believed that Carminomycin has significant activity against metastatic breast cancer and, because its side effects, especially nausea, vomiting, and alopecia, were considerably milder than those experienced with Adriamycin, further investigation of this drug is warranted.