Use of a novel oleaginous microorganism as a potential source of lipids for weanling pigs.

Weanling pigs are at risk of succumbing to illness due to an immature immune system and insufficient supply of available energy at the time of weaning. This study was aimed at determining whether oleaginous bacteria could serve as a source of lipids to weanling pigs. Weanling pigs were provided a daily dose of 1×109 colony fomring unit (CFU) = kg-1 of the novel oleaginous Enterobacter cloacae strain JD6301 or JD8715 (which is a variant form of JD6301 capable of producing extracellular triglycerides) via oral gavage for 5 d. Serum was collected every 6 h and intestinal samples were collected at 6 d. Providing pigs with JD6301 or JD8715 significantly increased serum concentrations of triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) within 72 h. Additionally, the JD6301 and JD8715 strains were able to survive within the gastrointestinal tract throughout the duration of the study. These results suggest that providing Enterobacter cloacae can increase the serum lipids in the pigs, thus potentially providing an additional source of energy to animals during times of stress. This could potentially help improve the metabolic response of animals during times of stress.

Listeria monocytogenes infection of HD11, chicken macrophage-like cells.

Listeria monocytogenes can be carried by and infect poultry, although the clinical disease in birds is rare. Escape from macrophage phagocytosis is a key step in pathogenesis for L. monocytogenes. Therefore, we investigated the infection of the chicken macrophage-like cell line HD11 with 2 strains of L. monocytogenes EGD-e and Scott A. After infection, L. monocytogenes was quantified by spread plating and HD11 was quantified with trypan blue exclusion stain before enumeration. The standard macrophage killing protocols require washing the cell monolayers 3 times with PBS, which was found to negatively influence HD11 monolayers. Maximum bacterial densities within macrophages were not different between the 2 Listeria strains. HD11 required more than 11 h to effectively reduce intracellular L. monocytogenes Scott A, and Scott A was more susceptible to HD11 killing than EGD-e. It appears that Listeria infection initially causes attenuation of HD11 growth, and infected HD11 cells do not begin to lyse until at least 11 h post infection. These results suggest that there are subtle strain to strain differences in response to HD11 macrophage phagocytosis. The long lead-time required for HD11 to kill L. monocytogenes cells means that there is sufficient time available for chicken macrophages to circulate in the blood and transfer the intracellular Listeria to multiple tissues.

Revision surgery for the stiff total knee arthroplasty.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the results of revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) undertaken for stiffness in the absence of sepsis or loosening. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We present the results of revision surgery for stiff TKA in 48 cases (35 (72.9%) women and 13 (27.1%) men). The mean age at revision surgery was 65.5 years (42 to 83). All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon. Stiffness was defined as an arc of flexion of < 70° or a flexion contracture of > 15°. The changes in the range of movement (ROM) and the Western Ontario and McMasters Osteoarthritis index scores (WOMAC) were recorded. RESULTS: At a mean follow up of 59.9 months (12 to 272) there was a mean improvement in arc of movement of 45.0°. Mean flexion improved from 54.4° (5° to 100°) to 90° (10° to 125°) (p < 0.05) and the mean flexion contracture decreased from 12.0° (0° to 45°) to 3.5° (0° to 25°) (p < 0.05). The mean WOMAC scores improved for pain, stiffness and function. In patients with extreme stiffness we describe a novel technique, which we have called the 'sloppy' revision. This entails downsizing the polyethylene insert by 4 mm and using a more constrained liner to retain stability. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the largest series of revision surgeries for stiffness reported in the literature where infection and loosening have been excluded. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Whilst revision surgery is technically demanding, improvements in ROM and outcome can be achieved, particularly when the revision is within two years of the primary surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:622-7.

Effects of feeding distillers dried grains with solubles to broilers from 0 to 28 days posthatch on broiler performance, feed manufacturing efficiency, and selected intestinal characteristics.

This study evaluated the effect of 2 levels (0 vs. 8%) of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in a starter broiler diet (0 to 14 d; 45 replicates/treatment) after these same birds were subsequently fed a grower diet (14 to 28 d) with either 0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, or 30% DDGS (9 replicates/treatment). Ross×Ross 308 male broilers were used in this experiment, and evaluation criteria consisted of feed mill parameters, broiler growth, relative liver weight, ileal viscosity, and cecal content count of Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli analyzed by both selective media and real-time PCR. Increased inclusion of DDGS resulted in a nonlinear response for production rate (P<0.05), conditioner energy usage (P<0.01), and pellet mill energy usage (P<0.05). Increasing DDGS resulted in a linear decrease in pellet quality (P<0.001) and an increase (P<0.001) in total fines. Inclusion of DDGS decreased (P<0.001) energy usage at the pellet mill and decreased (P<0.05) bulk density of the diets. The DDGS levels fed during the starter phase (0 vs. 8%) had no effect on the broilers at 14 or at 28 d of age. Increasing DDGS inclusion levels during the grower phase resulted in a linear decrease (P<0.001) in BW gain and liver relative weight (P<0.001). A DDGS starter×grower interaction (P<0.05) was observed for feed consumption, in which birds that consumed no DDGS during the starter phase exhibited a decrease in feed consumption with the higher inclusion levels of DDGS during the grower phase, whereas birds that received 8% DDGS during the starter phase were unaffected by DDGS inclusion level in the grower phase. Feed conversion, mortality, ileal viscosity, and cecal C. perfringens and E. coli concentrations were unaffected by DDGS level in the grower diet. The feed intake response suggests a beneficial effect of exposing broiler chicks to DDGS if inclusion levels of 22.5% or higher are to be fed after 14 d of age. However, the data suggest that the young broiler can be negatively affected with inclusion levels of 15% DDGS or higher up to 28 d of age.

Elastofibroma dorsi: management, outcome and review of the literature.

Elastofibroma dorsi is an uncommon, benign, slow-growing soft-tissue tumour of uncertain aetiology. It classically presents as an ill-defined mass at the inferior pole of the scapula with symptoms which include swelling, discomfort, snapping, stiffness and occasionally pain. We report the symptoms, function and outcome after treatment of 21 elastofibromas in 15 patients. All were diagnosed by MRI and early in the series four also underwent CT-guided biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. In all, 18 tumours were excised and three were observed. After excision, the mean visual analogue score for pain decreased from 4.6 (0 to 10) pre-operatively to 2.4 (0 to 8) post-operatively (p = 0.04). The mean shoulder function, at a mean follow-up of 4.2 years (3 months to 16 years), was 78.1% (30 to 100) using the Stanmore percentage of normal shoulder assessment scoring system. The mean range of forward flexion improved from 135 degrees (70 degrees to 180 degrees ) to 166 degrees (100 degrees to 180 degrees ) after excision (p = 0.005). In four patients a post-operative haematoma formed; one required evacuation. Three patients developed a post-operative seroma requiring needle aspiration and one developed a superficial infection which was treated with antibiotics. Our findings support previous reports suggesting that a pre-operative tissue diagnosis is not necessary in most cases since the lesion can be confidently diagnosed by MRI, when interpreted in the light of appropriate clinical findings. Surgical excision in symptomatic patients, is helpful. It has been suggested that elastofibroma is caused by a local tissue reaction and is not a true neoplastic process. A strong association has been noted between elastofibroma and repetitive use of the shoulder, which is supported by our findings.

Pharmacotherapy of depression in children.

Depression can interfere with the overall functioning of children and adolescents. It can impair normal cognitive and social development. The use of antidepressant medications in children and adolescents has grown in the past decade. Newer antidepressant agents, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, appear very promising, but their safety and efficacy have not been established for children. This review focuses on depression and the design of studies for its treatment with newer antidepressant drugs in children.

How to deal with a hospital outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.

The outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Glasgow Royal Infirmary is discussed together with the problems such an outbreak poses to the microbiologist. The importance of early diagnosis is stressed. The outbreak was managed by a team drawn up from various disciplines within the hospital. Frank daily reports to the press, together with regular staff meetings with staff representatives helped to allay public anxiety. The subsequent maintenance and monitoring of the wet cooling tower required for the hospital ventilation system have resulted in considerable additional work for the microbiology department but especially for the hospital engineers.

Outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Glasgow Royal Infirmary: microbiological aspects.

The bacteriological investigation of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Glasgow Royal Infirmary affecting 16 patients is described. Most of the patients had been treated in high-dependency areas on two floors of the hospital supplied by the same two air-conditioned ventilation systems. The source of infection was traced to contamination of a cooling tower from which a plume of spray discharged into the intake vents of the two ventilation systems. Rubber grommets within the cooling tower probably provided a nidus of infection there. The control and management of the outbreak are discussed: a policy of frankness about the course and progress of the investigations was adopted and helped to allay anxiety on the part of both staff and media.

The prevalence of scrub typhus antibodies in residents of West Malaysia.

Based on the prevalence of antibody, an estimated 3% of the population of rural Malaysia is infected with Rickettsia tsutsugamushi each year, resulting in positive antibody rates in focal areas of 6 to 69%. Most of these infections do not appear to produce clinical scrub typhus. A wide range of seropositivity rates was found in areas otherwise resembling each other in predominant occupation, terrain, and nearby habitat. The prevalence rates however were significantly higher in people who worked in forested areas and significantly lower in people with urban occupations.

Comparative Density Measurements for Solid Specimens Weighing a Few Milligrams.

A density comparison technique previously described has been used to compare the densities of tungsten wires weighing about 1.3 mg to within a few percent error. For larger, less dense specimens the expected random error of a few parts in 104 was confirmed by comparing the known densities of Si and CaF2.