Radiographic evaluation of elbow incongruity in Skye terriers.

OBJECTIVES: Aims of this study were to radiographically evaluate elbow congruity and to explore associations between elbow incongruity and lameness in Skye terriers. METHODS: Mediolateral, 90°-flexed, elbow joint radiographs were obtained for 45 Skye terriers. Elbow joint incongruity was graded mild, moderate or severe by measuring the width of the humeroulnar joint space. A questionnaire provided information on lameness history for each dog. RESULTS: In total, 49% (22/45) of the dogs had moderate or severe elbow joint incongruity which associated with lameness. Owner-reported lameness was common: 15/45 (33%) dogs had been lame when less than one year old, and 6 (14%) had been lame at an older age. All dogs presenting with lameness when older than one year had also been lame in adolescence. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Lameness and moderate-to-severe elbow joint incongruity were common in Skye terriers and the two were associated. A novel protocol for radiographic screening of elbow joint incongruity of chondrodystrophic breeds is suggested.

Sun-induced fluorescence - a new probe of photosynthesis: First maps from the imaging spectrometer HyPlant.

Variations in photosynthesis still cause substantial uncertainties in predicting photosynthetic CO2 uptake rates and monitoring plant stress. Changes in actual photosynthesis that are not related to greenness of vegetation are difficult to measure by reflectance based optical remote sensing techniques. Several activities are underway to evaluate the sun-induced fluorescence signal on the ground and on a coarse spatial scale using space-borne imaging spectrometers. Intermediate-scale observations using airborne-based imaging spectroscopy, which are critical to bridge the existing gap between small-scale field studies and global observations, are still insufficient. Here we present the first validated maps of sun-induced fluorescence in that critical, intermediate spatial resolution, employing the novel airborne imaging spectrometer HyPlant. HyPlant has an unprecedented spectral resolution, which allows for the first time quantifying sun-induced fluorescence fluxes in physical units according to the Fraunhofer Line Depth Principle that exploits solar and atmospheric absorption bands. Maps of sun-induced fluorescence show a large spatial variability between different vegetation types, which complement classical remote sensing approaches. Different crop types largely differ in emitting fluorescence that additionally changes within the seasonal cycle and thus may be related to the seasonal activation and deactivation of the photosynthetic machinery. We argue that sun-induced fluorescence emission is related to two processes: (i) the total absorbed radiation by photosynthetically active chlorophyll; and (ii) the functional status of actual photosynthesis and vegetation stress.

[Biomechanical considerations of impact forces and foot stability in running]. / Biomechanische Uberlegungen über Stosskräfte und Fussstabilität beim Laufen.

The interaction between "man-shoe and surface" is presented as a model to discuss the complexity of human locomotion. Only if the physiological system "man" interacts positively with the physical requirements of shoe and surface quality running will become effective and economical. Especially during the early ground contact phase the hardness of the shoe construction determines the height of the vertical impact load. These adaptations have consequences in the emg amplitudes during the stretch activation phase of the contact. Comparing various jogging shoes with altered construction properties it can be shown that the "hardness" of the shoe material is well adapted by the variation in the emg amplitude. The influence of the amount of pronation on the impact forces has been confirmed in a separate study. Increased pronation resulted in an increased emg amplitude in the extensor muscles whereas activation in the flexor muscles was decreased. By means of different shoe and insole constructions it is possible to adjust the "man-shoe-surface" interaction to an optimum to carry loads by muscles, joints and ligaments and to avoid overuse and injuries.

Presumptive fecal streptococci in environmental samples characterized by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

The use of fecal streptococci as fecal indicators requires better knowledge of the ecology of these bacteria. We isolated 371 presumptive fecal streptococci from environmental samples--domestic wastewater, forest industry wastewater, contaminated surface and seawater, well water, cow dung, bird droppings, and pristine waters--and clustered them according to their protein profiles in one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. Some clusters could be tentatively identified with the help of reference strains. Samples from each environment had a typical composition of streptococcus types. Enterococcus faecalis was present, but not as a dominating enterococcal species, in samples in which fecal contamination was probable. Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus hirae, and Enterococcus mundtii had protein profiles that were difficult to distinguish from each other. These bacteria were found in a variety of samples. Enterococcus casseliflavus and Enterococcus gallinarum had identical protein profiles. On the basis of the maximum temperatures for growth and pigment production, isolates of this protein profile group common in forest industry wastewaters were identified as E. casseliflavus. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis was also found in this environment. Nearly all strains from pristine waters belonged to protein profile groups which could not be identified with the aid of known Aerococcus, Enterococcus, Lactococcus, or Streptococcus strains. The maximum temperatures for growth and the results of fatty acid analysis were in general agreement within each protein profile group.

The 20 kDa C-terminally truncated form of pertussis toxin subunit S1 secreted from Bacillus subtilis.

The subunit S1 of pertussis toxin (PT) was purified as the recombinant product BacS1 from the culture supernatant of a Bacillus subtilis strain containing a secretion vector with a DNA fragment coding for the mature subunit S1 inserted downstream of the signal sequence of the alpha-amylase gene. The method of purification was successive ion exchange and adsorption chromatography. BacS1 occurred in two forms (28 and 20 kDa) of which the truncated 20-kDa peptide was the main one in the supernatant. The truncated BacS1 was purified and shown to have the same NH2-terminus as the full-size (28 kDa) BacS1. It was also enzymatically active indicating correct conformation. The truncated BacS1 was also shown to elicit neutralizing and protective antibodies when injected into mice or rabbits.