Comparison of the effectiveness of selected essential oils with mineral oil and spinosad on Dermanyssus gallinae.

It seems that essential oils can be a good ingredient in effective preparations against Dermanyssus gallinae. Dermanyssus affects animal health leading to financial losses and bird welfare issues. Collected mites were treated with various essential oils in four (20, 50, 80 and 100%) concentrations at a dose of 0.28 mg/cm2. The direct toxicity of the essential oils, mineral oil and spinosad to D. gallinae was tested in the laboratory. Eucalyptus oil was the most toxic essential oil in all concentrations to D. gallinae (87.6 - 97.6% mortality at all four concentrations), while geranium, pine and rosemary oils showed mortality rates of 14.2 - 68.2%. High mortality after 48 hours of contact was also recorded for the oil of cloves at 80% dilution (85.1% mortality), lavender 100% (94.2% mortality). Similarly, the thyme essential oil produced 83.5 - 93.2% mortality in three concentrations: 50, 80 and 100%. The mineral oil was the least effective oil against mites. Spinosad showed high effectiveness against D. gallinae.

Development of a tonometric sensor for measurement and recording of arterial pressure waveform.

There are many techniques and devices for measurement and recording of arterial blood pressure. Some of them allow (enable) additionally to observe the shape of a wave of arterial pressure, which can be regarded as one of the most important diagnostic parameters of human cardiovascular system. This paper presents a novel design and prototype of a new, non-invasive blood waveform measuring device. It expounds theoretical and experimental (including latest preliminary clinical) results obtained during several years of extensive investigations into blood pressure waveform measuring and monitoring problem. According to investigations performed in the laboratory and preliminary clinical evaluation, the sensor has linear steady-state characteristics and satisfactory dynamic properties. It is an efficient and accurate tool for blood pressure waveform monitoring and assessing the cardiovascular condition of the patients. The novelty of this solution is that the device is equipped with a pneumatic pressure sensor based on the pneumatic nozzle flapper amplifier principle with negative feedback. Due to such a technical solution, the device does not require any cuff, which remains an essential component of the majority of contemporary non-invasive blood pressure measurement devices; therefore, it can be used on the artery where the application of a cuff would be impossible (e.g., carotid artery). This advantage makes possible to obtain an accurate shape of blood pressure waveform with high fidelity, comparable to a direct measurement method. Moreover, during the measurement the device converts directly "pressure into pressure." Such a principle of operation makes possible to eliminate additional calibration (at the current stage of research we have eliminated the necessity of calibration in laboratory conditions).

The Strongylidae belonging to Strongylus genus in horses from southeastern Poland.

Postmortem parasitic examinations of the large intestines of 725 slaughtered horses from individual farmers in southeastern Poland were carried out. The examinations were carried out monthly since February 2006 until January 2007 (except for August 2007 because of a technological stoppage in the slaughterhouse). The examinations included the intensiveness and extensiveness of the infestation of the Strongylidae belonging to the Strongylus genus. The Strongylidae were found in 26.5% of the examined horses. Strongylus vulgaris was the most dominant nematode and had a 22.8% prevalence, Strongylus edentatus was carried by 18.3% of the horses. Strongylus equinus was identified only in 1.7% of the examined horses. Our findings revealed that combined infestation of S. vulgaris and S. edentatus occurred in 100 (52.1%) of the 725 horses infected by the Strongylidae. The present results indicate that the lowest prevalence of strongyle species except for S. equinus was found in January, February, and March. However, it is difficult to draw a conclusion because of an extremely low extensiveness of infestation. The results indicate that the prevalence of the Strongylidae in horses from southeastern Poland is limited.

Comparison of some serological methods and coproscopic examinations for diagnosis of Giardia spp. invasion in dogs.

Giardiasis was detected in 53.5% of dogs examined by FASTest Giardia Strip for use in dogs. Using the ProSpecT Giardia EZ Microplate Assay 52.2% of these results was confirmed. Cysts of Giardia spp. were found only in 6.5% of samples of feces examined by flotation or decantation techniques. The examinations confirmed problems with coproscopic diagnosis of giardiasis in dogs. They confirmed the greater usefulness of FASTest Giardia Strip for immunodiagnostic of giardiasis in carnivores.