Sources of Streptococcus dysgalactiae in English and Welsh sheep flocks affected by infectious arthritis (joint ill).

In order to investigate sheep sources of Streptococcus dysgalactiae in flocks affected with joint ill, 10 sheep flocks in England and Wales with laboratory-confirmed cases of infectious arthritis (joint ill) caused by S dysgalactiae were visited during a disease outbreak while a further four flocks were visited during the lambing period in the year following an outbreak. A total of 5239 samples were collected for bacterial culture from 797 ewes and their 1314 lambs. S dysgalactiae was isolated from nine of 894 samples (1 per cent) on farms visited during an outbreak, and from 7 of 4462 samples (0.2 per cent) collected in the year following an outbreak. The 16 samples from which S dysgalactiae was isolated came from the vaginas of eight ewes, milk of one ewe, navels of four lambs, mouths of two lambs and noses of one lamb. In vitro testing of the survival of S dysgalactiae on straw, hay and in water at different temperatures was performed, and it was isolated from these substrates for up to 42, 35 and 0 days, respectively.

Assessing parenting capacity: are mental health nurses prepared for this role?

Mental health nurses in the UK are involved in the assessment of the parenting capacity of mothers with a serious mental illness in psychiatric facilities. There is evidence that child and family social workers, as the frontline professionals in safeguarding children, rely heavily on the mental health parenting assessment. Parenting assessments have potentially major implications for mother and baby and can lead to the separation of mother and baby. However, there is little or no provision for mental health nurses to undertake this role. In the UK, as in many other countries, there is currently no data as to which psychiatric facilities are conducting parenting assessments nor about the quality of the assessment. There are significant tensions for mental health nurses undertaking parenting assessments and there is no specific training for the role. This paper challenges existing practice, highlights the need for an audit of the current services and recommends the development of a recognized training programme.

Modified gamma-cyclodextrins and their rocuronium complexes.

A series of per-6-substituted cyclodextrin derivatives was synthesized as synthetic host molecules for rocuronium, a steroidal muscle relaxant. By forming host-guest complexes with rocuronium, these cyclodextrin derivatives reverse the muscle relaxation induced by rocuronium in vitro and in vivo. The isothermal microcalorimetry data are consistent with the biological data supporting the encapsulation mechanism of action. Binary and biphasic complexes are reported with NMR experiments clearly showing free and bound rocuronium. [structure: see text]