A Classic Case of Panton-Valentine Leucocidin MethicillinResistant Staphylococcus Aureus (PVL-MRSA)

Strains of Staphylococcus aureus capable of producing Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL-SA) are increasingly implicated in commnity acquired infection. The key principles of preventing and controlling the spread of infection in the community setting centre on early suspicion, rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Performance of Holstein and Swedish-Red × Jersey/Holstein crossbred dairy cows within low- and medium-concentrate grassland-based systems.

This 2 × 2 factorial design experiment was conducted to compare the performance of spring-calving Holstein dairy cows (HOL, n = 34) with Swedish Red × Jersey/Holstein crossbred (SR × J/HOL, n = 34) dairy cows within low and medium concentrate input grassland-based dairy systems. The experiment commenced when cows calved and encompassed 1 full lactation. Cows were offered diets containing grass silage and concentrates [70:30 dry matter (DM) ratio, and 40:60 DM ratio, for low and medium, respectively] until turnout, grazed grass plus either 1.0 or 4.0 kg of concentrate/d during the grazing period (low and medium, respectively), and grass silage and concentrates (85:15 DM ratio, and 70:30 DM ratio, for low and medium, respectively) from rehousing and until drying off. No significant genotype × system interactions were present for any of the feed intake or full-lactation milk production data examined. Full-lactation concentrate DM intakes were 769 and 1,902 kg/cow for the low and medium systems, respectively, whereas HOL cows had a higher total DM intake than SR × J/HOL cows in early lactation, but not in late lactation. Although HOL cows had a higher lactation milk yield than SR × J/HOL cows, the latter produced milk with a higher fat and protein content, and thus fat plus protein yield was unaffected by genotype. Milk produced by the SR × J/HOL cows had a higher degree of saturation of fatty acids than milk produced by the HOL cows, and the somatic cell score of milk produced by the former was also higher. Throughout the lactation, HOL cows were on average 30 kg heavier than SR × J/HOL cows, whereas the SR × J/HOL cows had a higher body condition score than the HOL cows. Holstein cows had a higher incidence of mastitis and ovarian dysfunction that SR × J/HOL cows.

Effects of dry period length and concentrate protein content in late lactation on body condition score change and subsequent lactation performance of thin high genetic merit dairy cows.

Improving body condition score of thin cows in late lactation is necessary, because cows that are thin at drying off exhibit decreased fertility postpartum and are at increased risk of disease and of being culled in the subsequent lactation. Offering a diet low in crude protein (CP) content in late lactation may help to improve body condition score (BCS) at drying off, whereas imposing an extended dry period (EDP) has been advocated as another way to increase BCS at calving. To test these hypotheses, 65 thin cows (mean BCS 2.25 at 14 wk precalving) were managed on 1 of 3 treatments between 13 and 9 wk prepartum: normal protein control {NP; grass silage + 5 kg/d of a normal protein concentrate [228 g of CP/kg of dry matter (DM)]}, low protein [LP; grass silage + 5 kg/d of a low-protein concentrate (153 g of CP/kg of DM)], or EDP (cows dried off at 13 wk precalving and offered a grass silage-only diet). Both NP and LP cows were dried off at wk 8 prepartum, after which all cows were offered a grass silage-only diet until calving. After calving, all cows were offered a common diet (supplying 11.1 kg of concentrate DM/cow per day) for 19 wk. Between 13 and 9 wk prepartum, LP cows had lower DM intake, milk yield, and body weight than NP cows. Whereas EDP cows had lower serum ß-hydroxybutyrate and fatty acid concentrations than those of NP cows, BCS at wk 9 prepartum did not differ between treatments. Cows on the LP treatment continued to have lower DMI and BW than those of NP and EDP cows between 8 wk prepartum and calving, but only EDP cows had a higher BCS at calving. Treatment did not affect calving difficulty score or calf birth weight. Although all cows were offered a common diet postpartum, cows on the LP treatment had lower DM intake and milk fat + plus protein yield than cows on any other treatment during the 19-wk period postpartum, but we found no differences in any postpartum indicator of body tissue reserves. The treatments imposed from wk 13 to 9 prepartum had no effect on any fertility or health parameters examined postpartum. Extending the dry period for thin cows improved their BCS at calving but did not allow these cows to achieve the target BCS of 2.75, and we found no beneficial effects of this treatment on cow performance postpartum. Offering a lower-protein diet to thin cows in late lactation did not improve BCS at calving above that of cows on a normal protein diet, but had unexplained long-term negative effects on cow performance.

Effect of concentrate feeding method on the performance of dairy cows in early to mid lactation.

The objective of the current study was to determine the effects of concentrate feeding method on milk yield and composition, dry matter (DM) intake (DMI), body weight and body condition score, reproductive performance, energy balance, and blood metabolites of housed (i.e., accommodated indoors) dairy cows in early to mid lactation. Eighty-eight multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows were managed on 1 of 4 concentrate feeding methods (CFM; 22 cows per CFM) for the first 21 wk postpartum. Cows on all 4 CFM were offered grass silage plus maize silage (in a 70:30 ratio on a DM basis) ad libitum throughout the study. In addition, cows had a target concentrate allocation of 11 kg/cow per day (from d 13 postpartum) via 1 of 4 CFM, consisting of (1) offered on a flat-rate basis via an out-of-parlor feeding system, (2) offered based on individual cow's milk yields in early lactation via an out-of-parlor feeding system, (3) offered as part of a partial mixed ration (target intake of 5 kg/cow per day) with additional concentrate offered based on individual cow's milk yields in early lactation via an out-of-parlor feeding system, and (4) offered as part of a partial mixed ration containing a fixed quantity of concentrate for each cow in the group. In addition, all cows were offered 1 kg/cow per day of concentrate pellets via an in-parlor feeding system. We detected no effect of CFM on concentrate or total DMI, mean daily milk yield, concentrations and yields of milk fat and protein, or metabolizable energy intakes, requirements, or balances throughout the study. We also found no effects of CFM on mean or final body weight, mean or final body condition score, conception rates to first service, or any of the blood metabolites examined. The results of this study suggest that CFM has little effect on the overall performance of higher-yielding dairy cows in early to mid lactation when offered diets based on conserved forages.

The effect of pasture pregrazing herbage mass on methane emissions, ruminal fermentation, and average daily gain of grazing beef heifers.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of pregrazing pasture herbage mass (HM) on CH4 emissions, ruminal fermentation, and ADG of grazing beef heifers at 2 stages of the grazing season. Thirty Limousin cross heifers were allocated to 1 of 2 target pregrazing HM treatments [a low HM (LHM) or high HM (HHM) treatment] for 126 d in a randomized block design experiment. Pasture herbage and heifer rumen fluid samples were collected, and enteric CH4 emissions were determined using an SF6 tracer technique during two 5-d measurement periods [MP; MP 1 (25 to 29 May) and MP 2 (6 to 10 September)]. Both DMI and GE intake (GEI) were measured during MP 2, and ADG of the heifers was measured every 14 d throughout the 126-d grazing period. Mean HM for the LHM and HHM treatments were 1,300 and 2,000 kg DM/ha, respectively, during MP 1 and 2,800 and 3,200 kg DM/ha, respectively, during MP 2. The CP concentration of the offered herbage was greater (P < 0.01) for the LHM treatment during MP 1 and tended (P < 0.1) to be greater for the LHM herbage during MP 2. No difference (P > 0.10) in the NDF concentration of the herbage was found between the HM treatments during MP 1 or 2. There was no effect (P > 0.10) of HM treatment on total CH4 emissions (g/d) for either MP [mean value across HM treatments of 121 (SED 5.4) g/d during MP 1 and 132 (8.8) g/d during MP 2], but CH4 emissions (g) per kilogram of ADG were reduced (P < 0.05) from heifers fed the LHM treatment during MP 1 and 2 [mean values for LHM and HHM of 135 and 163 (SED 9.5) g/kg, respectively, during MP 1 and corresponding values of 150 and 194 (9.9) g/kg during MP 2]. Heifers fed the LHM treatment had greater (P < 0.001) ADG throughout the grazing period [mean value across the 126-d grazing period of 0.88 (SEM 0.032) kg/d] than those fed the HHM treatment [corresponding value of 0.73 (0.034)]. For MP 2, CH4 emissions per kilogram of DMI (g CH4/kg DMI) and per megajoule of GEI (MJ CH4/MJ GEI) tended (P ≤ 0.08) to be less for heifers fed the LHM [19.3 (0.08) g/kg and 0.056 (0.0020) MJ/MJ, respectively] than for the HHM (21.1 g/kg and 0.061 MJ/MJ) treatment, and there were no differences (P > 0.10) in DMI or GEI of the heifers between the HM treatments. The results of this study suggest that offering a low pregrazing HM sward will reduce enteric CH4 emissions relative to ADG throughout the grazing season because of increased ADG.

Spry1 and spry2 are essential for development of the temporomandibular joint.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a specialized synovial joint essential for the function of the mammalian jaw. The main components of the TMJ are the mandibular condyle, the glenoid fossa of the temporal bone, and a fibrocartilagenous disc interposed between them. The genetic program for the development of the TMJ remains poorly understood. Here we show the crucial role of sprouty (Spry) genes in TMJ development. Sprouty genes encode intracellular inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathways, including those triggered by fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs). Using in situ hybridization, we show that Spry1 and Spry2 are highly expressed in muscles attached to the TMJ, including the lateral pterygoid and temporalis muscles. The combined inactivation of Spry1 and Spry2 results in overgrowth of these muscles, which disrupts normal development of the glenoid fossa. Remarkably, condyle and disc formation are not affected in these mutants, demonstrating that the glenoid fossa is not required for development of these structures. Our findings demonstrate the importance of regulated RTK signaling during TMJ development and suggest multiple skeletal origins for the fossa. Notably, our work provides the evidence that the TMJ condyle and disc develop independently of the mandibular fossa.

Evaluating the photo-catalytic application of Fenton's reagent augmented with TiO(2) and ZnO for the mineralization of an oil-water emulsion.

In the present study, homogenous (photo-Fenton) and heterogeneous photo-assisted systems (Fenton/TiO(2)/UV, Fenton/ZnO/UV and Fenton/TiO(2)/UV/Air) were investigated for the treatment of a diesel-oil wastewater emulsion. The augmentation of the photo-Fenton process by heterogeneous TiO(2) increased the reaction rate, in terms of COD reduction efficiency from 61% to 71%. Furthermore, the COD removal efficiency was increased to 84% when air was bubbled through the reactants. However, if the Fenton/TiO(2) /UV/Air process is to be utilized as a treatment for this wastewater, the separation of the TiO(2) from the treated effluent would need further consideration.

Photo-catalytic degradation of an oil-water emulsion using the photo-fenton treatment process: effects and statistical optimization.

The application of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to the treatment of an effluent contaminated with hydrocarbon oils was investigated. The AOPs conducted were Fe2+/H2O2 (Fenton's reagent), Fe2+/H2O2/UV (Photo-Fenton's reagent) and UV-photolysis. These technologies utilize the very strong oxidizing power of hydroxyl radicals to oxidize organic compounds to harmless end products such as CO2 and H2O. A synthetic wastewater generated by emulsifying diesel oil and water was used. This wastewater might simulate, for example, a waste resulting from a hydrocarbon oil spill, onto which detergent was sprayed. The experiments utilising the Photo-Fenton treatment method with an artificial UV source, coupled with Fenton's reagent, suggest that the hydrocarbon oil is readily degradable, but that the emulsifying agent is much more resistant to degradation. The results showed that the COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal rate was affected by the Photo-Fenton parameters (Fe2+, H2O2 concentrations and the initial pH) of the aqueous solution. In addition, the applicability of the treatment method to a 'real' wastewater contaminated with hydrocarbon oil is demonstrated. The 'real' wastewater was sourced at a nearby car-wash facility located at a petroleum filling station and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment method in this case. A statistical analysis of the experimental data using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and the response surface methodology (RSM) based on the experimental design was applied to optimize the Photo-Fenton parameters (concentrations of Fe2+, H2O2 and initial pH) and to maximize the COD removal rate (more than 70%).

Expression analysis of nha-oc/NHA2: a novel gene selectively expressed in osteoclasts.

Bone resorption by osteoclasts is required for normal bone remodeling and reshaping of growing bones. Excessive resorption is an important pathologic feature of many diseases, including osteoporosis, arthritis, and periodontitis [Abu-Amer, Y. (2005). Advances in osteoclast differentiation and function. Curr. Drug Targets. Immune. Endocr. Metabol. Disord. 5, 347-355]. On the other hand, deficient resorption leads to osteopetrosis which is characterized by increased bone mass and may lead to bone deformities or in severe cases to death [Blair, H.C., Athanasou, N.A. 2004. Recent advances in osteoclast biology and pathological bone ddresorption. Histol. Histopathol. 19, 189-199; Del Fattore, A., Peruzzi, B., Rucci, N., Recchia, I., Cappariello, A., Longo, M., Fortunati, D., Ballanti, P., Iacobini, M., Luciani, M., Devito, R., Pinto, R., Caniglia, M., Lanino, E., Messina, C., Cesaro, S., Letizia, C., Bianchini, G., Fryssira, H., Grabowski, P., Shaw, N., Bishop, N., Hughes, D., Kapur, R.P., Datta, H.K., Taranta, A., Fornari, R., Migliaccio, S., and Teti, A. 2006. Clinical, genetic, and cellular analysis of 49 osteopetrotic patients: implications for diagnosis and treatment. J. Med. Genet. 43, 315--325]. Recently, we identified a gene, nha-oc/NHA2, which is strongly up regulated during RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation in vitro and in vivo. nha-oc/NHA2 encodes a novel cation/proton exchanger that is strongly expressed in osteoclasts. The purpose of this work was to further validate the restricted expression of nha-oc/NHA2 in osteoclasts by in situ hybridization. Our results showed that nha-oc is expressed predominantly in bone. In the head, expression was found in the supraoccipitale bone, calvarium, mandible, and maxilla. Furthermore, nha-oc positive cells co-express the osteoclast markers TRAP and cathepsin k, confirming nha-oc/NHA2 osteoclast localization. However, only a subset of cathepsin k-expressing cells is positive for nha-oc/NHA2, suggesting that nha-oc is expressed by terminally differentiated osteoclasts.

Dach1 mutant mice bear no gross abnormalities in eye, limb, and brain development and exhibit postnatal lethality.

Drosophila dachshund is necessary and sufficient for compound eye development and is required for normal leg and brain development. A mouse homologue of dachshund, Dach1, is expressed in the developing retina and limbs, suggesting functional conservation of this gene. We have generated a loss-of-function mutation in Dach1 that results in the abrogation of the wild-type RNA and protein expression pattern in embryos. Homozygous mutants survive to birth but exhibit postnatal lethality associated with a failure to suckle, cyanosis, and respiratory distress. The heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and skeleton were examined to identify factors involved in postnatal lethality, but these organs appeared to be normal. In addition, blood chemistry tests failed to reveal differences that might explain the lethal phenotype. Gross examination and histological analyses of newborn eyes, limbs, and brains revealed no detectable abnormalities. Since Dach1 mutants die shortly after birth, it remains possible that Dach1 is required for postnatal development of these structures. Alternatively, an additional Dach homologue may functionally compensate for Dach1 loss of function.

Pension sponsorship and participation: trends and policy issues.

Employment sector and employer size account for substantial variation in workers' participation in employer-sponsored retirement plans. Other things being equal, employees in the public sector--that is, federal, state, and local governments--are much more likely to be offered a retirement plan than workers in the private sector. Within the private sector, workers in firms with 100 or more employees are significantly more likely than workers in smaller firms to have the opportunity to participate in a retirement plan. This situation has prompted Congress to seek ways of reducing small businesses' obstacles to pension coverage. For example, Congress has authorized retirement plans that have fewer reporting requirements and less stringent contribution rules than those imposed on larger employers. Evaluating the effect of these laws on pension coverage is complicated by the many other variables that affect an employer's decision to sponsor a retirement plan and a worker's decision to participate in it. Nevertheless, data collected in national surveys of employers and households can be used to establish a baseline against which future changes in retirement plan sponsorship and participation can be measured. Recent surveys of employers and households reveal that: During the 1990s, participation in retirement plans rose among workers in firms with fewer than 100 employees but remained steady among workers in larger firms. The 1990s saw a substantial shift from defined benefit retirement plans to defined contribution plans. Despite increases in participation, workers in firms with fewer than 100 employees are only about half as likely as those in larger firms to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. In both the public and private sectors, part-year or part-time workers are much less likely than year-round, full-time workers to be offered an opportunity to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Toxicity of Passiflora incarnata L.

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicines may have significant adverse effects which are not suspected or recognized. CASE REPORT: A 34-year-old female developed severe nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, prolonged QTc, and episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia following self-administration of a herbal remedy, Passiflora incarnata L., at therapeutic doses. The possible association of symptoms with passiflora was not recognized for several days. She required hospital admission for cardiac monitoring and intravenous fluid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Passiflora incarnata was associated with significant adverse effects in this patient. It is important to ask specifically about the use of herbal medicines in patients with undiagnosed illnesses.

BMP7 acts in murine lens placode development.

Targeted inactivation of the Bmp7 gene in mouse leads to eye defects with late onset and variable penetrance (A. T. Dudley et al., 1995, Genes Dev. 9, 2795-2807; G. Luo et al., 1995, Genes Dev. 9, 2808-2820). Here we report that the expressivity of the Bmp7 mutant phenotype markedly increases in a C3H/He genetic background and that the phenotype implicates Bmp7 in the early stages of lens development. Immunolocalization experiments show that BMP7 protein is present in the head ectoderm at the time of lens placode induction. Using an in vitro culture system, we demonstrate that addition of BMP7 antagonists during the period of lens placode induction inhibits lens formation, indicating a role for BMP7 in lens placode development. Next, to integrate Bmp7 into a developmental pathway controlling formation of the lens placode, we examined the expression of several early lens placode-specific markers in Bmp7 mutant embryos. In these embryos, Pax6 head ectoderm expression is lost just prior to the time when the lens placode should appear, while in Pax6-deficient (Sey/Sey) embryos, Bmp7 expression is maintained. These results could suggest a simple linear pathway in placode induction in which Bmp7 functions upstream of Pax6 and regulates lens placode induction. At odds with this interpretation, however, is the finding that expression of secreted Frizzled Related Protein-2 (sFRP-2), a component of the Wnt signaling pathway which is expressed in prospective lens placode, is absent in Sey/Sey embryos but initially present in Bmp7 mutants. This suggests a different model in which Bmp7 function is required to maintain Pax6 expression after induction, during a preplacodal stage of lens development. We conclude that Bmp7 is a critical component of the genetic mechanism(s) controlling lens placode formation.

The case for national health data standards.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) contains groundbreaking provisions to encourage the development of a national health information system through the establishment of standards. This paper compares statewide inpatient data systems to one standard--the Uniform Bill (UB)--to understand how standards have been used and how they can be improved. We recommend changes to the UB, note the need for better compliance, and suggest new standards for common, derived elements.

In vivo comparison of two enteric-pouch power transformers for circulatory support.

A defunctionalized ileal pouch is thin-walled (1-2 mm), well perfused (blood flow, 0.3-1.0 ml/g/min), and tactile-insensitive. If fixed within the abdominal wall and provided with a miniature stoma for primary wire entry, the heat dissipating capacity and achievable geometries could facilitate small efficient intra- to extracorporeal power transformers with virtually complete magnetic flux containment. Two transformers (A, weighing 102 gm with dual ferrite cores, intraluminal primary and extraluminal secondary each with 10 turns on its own crescentic ferrite core, 90 kHz, coupling coefficient k = 0.90-0.96; and B, 68 gm, a single flexible torroidal magnetic metallic tape core with attached 11 turn primary and free 14 turn serosal secondary, 14.7 kHz, k = 0.99) met the electrical and anatomic requirements. Each was implanted (minilaparotomy, coil-pouch fixation within abdominal musculature) in 4 dogs for 14-21 days to test the operative feasibility, electrical function, warming, and flux containment. For canine testing, wires were tunneled to a chewing-inaccessible site. Neither tissue necrosis, infection, provokable interference from contiguous metal, nor coil displacement were observed; secretions were retained in Group A pouches only. The mean power transmissions for the transformers were A: 24.90 +/- 1.50 W and B: 24.92 +/- 0.89 W, after operation for 7 days or more. The mean efficiencies were A: 75.6 +/- 0.1% total DC/DC, 96.2% coils and B: 80.4 +/- 0.1% total DC/DC, 96.2% coils. The peak skin surface magnetic fluxes for transformers A and B, both trivial at 1.7 and 1.2 G, respectively, were similar. Warming was 0.62 +/- 0.30 degrees C in Group A and 0.73 +/- 0.19 degrees C in Group B. The probability values were p < 0.5 (NS) for DC/DC efficiency and p > 0.10 (NS), for A versus B in all other areas of comparison. Observations for both were encouraging. Transformer B, with less mass, lower frequency, higher efficiency, and intrinsic invulnerability to displacement, was selected for longer term evaluation.

Potato SNF1-related protein kinase: molecular cloning, expression analysis and peptide kinase activity measurements.

A polymerase chain reaction product (PKIN503) was amplified from potato (Solanum tuberosum) cv. Désirée using oligonucleotide primers with sequences which are highly conserved in the plant sucrose non-fermenting 1 (SNF1)-related protein kinase gene family. Southern blot analysis showed the presence of 5-10 SNF1-related genes in the potato genome. PKIN503 was used to screen a tuber cDNA library and a genomic library, and one cDNA and five genomic clones were isolated. The nucleotide sequences of a portion of all five genomic clones were shown to be identical and only one, pgPKIN1, was analysed further. The cDNA was found to be truncated at the 5' end but the cDNA and genomic sequences contained only 15 substitutions, two of which resulted in changes in the derived amino acid sequence. PKIN1 was shown to encode an Mr 57,854 protein with 61-70% sequence similarity with other plant SNF1-related protein kinases. Northern blot analysis revealed some tissue-specific differences in PKIN1 transcript levels, the lowest being detected in leaves and the highest in stolons. However, much greater differences were found in SNF1-related activity, which was measured using a phosphorylation assay with a substrate peptide which has been shown previously to be phosphorylated by plant SNF1-related protein kinases. Activity decreased by almost 80% during development from stolons to mature tubers but it increased about seven-fold during the first seven days of storage after harvesting, before decreasing again. However, activity was highest in mini-tubers, where the levels were 37 times greater than those in mature tubers from a pot-grown plant. Transcript levels in these tissues were approximately equal, clear evidence that SNF1-related protein kinase activity in potato is regulated, in part, post-transcriptionally.