bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavioural husbandry: the way to a client's heart
Authors: Shepherd Kendal
Published: October 2010

THE field of behaviour is frequently presented as complicated and labour intensive, involving copious letter‐writing and inordinate amounts of time spent in the presence of one particular client. But, says Kendal Shepherd, the same ground rules apply to creating and maintaining appropriate behaviour as a lifestyle for both human and dog as to treating behaviour problems once they have already arisen. Advice regarding these rules should be given in a generic fashion in the same way as advice regarding vaccination, worming, grooming and diet. Managing a client's relationship with their pet in the most fruitful and welfare‐oriented way will hugely enhance a client's relationship with the veterinary practice. She suggests that by demonstrating a practical knowledge of learning theory and its impact on emotional and behavioural welfare, practitioners should aim to instruct not merely ‘do as I say’ but ‘do as I do’.
Taking stock: ensuring accurate medicines records
Authors: Vernon Ruth
Published: October 2010

STOCK management is just one of the many things that veterinary surgeons in practice have to consider. However, it must be given serious thought, not least because profitability is affected if it is not done properly. Additionally, there are also legal responsibilities that have to be fulfilled under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. Ruth Vernon discusses what information needs to be recorded to allow a practice to respond to, say, a batch recall, and ways to ensure accurate stock control.
Fluid therapy in small animals
Authors: Goggs Robert , Humm Karen , Hughes Dez
Published: October 2010

COLLOID fluid therapy is indicated to treat hypovolaemia and aid the maintenance of plasma volume and intravascular colloid osmotic pressure. The numerous types, preparations and concentrations of colloid solutions available all have varying indications, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Selection of a particular product should be based on a sound understanding of these individual characteristics, including their benefits, limitations and side effects. This article describes the properties of commonly used colloid solutions and their indications. Part 1, published in January 2008 (In Practice, volume 30, pp 16‐19), discussed patient assessment and the principles of fluid therapy in small animals. Part 2, published in the last issue (In Practice, February 2008, volume 30, pp 85‐91), reviewed crystalloid solutions.
Working with SQPs: opportunities for a team approach
Authors: Sketchley Phil
Published: October 2010

TWO‐AND‐A‐HALF years ago the Veterinary Medicines Regulations introduced new medicines distribution categories and new rules for supply. The Regulations are revised and updated each year, and continue to evolve. Here, Phil Sketchley takes a fresh look at who can do what in the new medicines supply environment.
Differential diagnosis of bluetongue in cattle and sheep
Authors: Williamson Susanna , Woodger Nick , Darpel Karin
Published: October 2010

IN 2006, bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV‐8) caused the first recorded bluetongue outbreak in northern Europe. This occurred in countries with no previous history of bluetongue virus incursion, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Following a halt to disease transmission over the winter, the virus re‐emerged in 2007, spreading throughout northern Europe and eventually reaching the UK in September 2007. The chances that BTV‐8 will emerge again in the UK in 2008 are considered to be very high. Due to the wide spectrum of clinical signs and variation in severity of disease seen in cattle and sheep with bluetongue, a variety of diseases may resemble some or all features of bluetongue infection. This article describes the main differential diagnoses of bluetongue in cattle and sheep, and summarises the distinguishing features and laboratory tests that can assist in their differentiation.
Respiratory disease in sheep
Authors: Bell Suzanna
Published: October 2010

RESPIRATORY disease can lead to severe financial losses and welfare implications in sheep flocks. Individual animals may be affected or outbreaks can occur, with losses due to mortality, reduced production – poor or delayed growth in fattening lambs with a greater feed consumption for finishing, and illthrift and poor milk production in adult ewes – and treatment costs. This article discusses how to reduce the impact of the condition in flocks and describes specific methods for the control and treatment of common pathogens. An article in the last issue (In Practice, April 2008, volume 30, pp 200‐207) discussed the diagnosis of respiratory disease in sheep and its potential aetiologies.
Self‐directed learning for lifelong career development
Authors: Shuttleworth Sue
Published: October 2010

IN 1993, the Confederation of British Industry stated that ‘the concept of lifelong learning requires the individual to become an independent learner’. With lifelong learning now an essential element of all the professions, there is a logical requirement that vets develop the skills needed to become self‐directed learners. In this article, Sue Shuttleworth outlines some of the broad principles of self‐directed learning and makes the case for its importance to both the individual vet and the profession as a whole.
Everyday ethics
Authors: Forrest Niky
Published: October 2010

THIS series gives readers the opportunity to consider and contribute to the discussion of some of the ethical dilemmas that can arise in veterinary practice. Each month, a case scenario is presented, followed by discussion of some of the issues involved. In addition, a possible way forward is suggested; however, there is rarely a cut‐and‐dried answer in such cases, and readers may wish to suggest an alternative approach. This month's dilemma, entitled ‘A question of ownership’, is presented and discussed by Niky Forrest. Readers with comments to contribute are invited to send them as soon as possible, so that they can be considered for publication in the next issue. Discussion of the dilemma ‘Rabbit tooth abscess’, which was published in the April issue of In Practice, appears on page 293.

The series is being coordinated by Siobhan Mullan, of the University of Bristol. It is hoped it will provide a framework that will help practices find solutions when facing similar dilemmas.
Teaching communication skills
Authors: Mossop Liz , Gray Carol
Published: October 2010

GOOD communication makes for a more effective and contented veterinary surgeon, nurse, receptionist and practice manager, and the entire practice can benefit from improved communication skills. In this article, Liz Mossop and Carol Gray describe the Calgary‐Cambridge guide, a consultation tool used to teach communication skills in veterinary schools. It lists the simple steps and techniques required for practitioners to communicate effectively with their clients, which ultimately results in a better outcome for patients and better business for the practice.
A Fellowship thesis from practice: is it for you?
Authors: Harcourt‐Brown Frances
Published: October 2010

BECOMING a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons while in practice requires a large amount of hard work and commitment, but can be extremely rewarding. Here, Frances Harcourt‐Brown describes the process that she went through when researching and writing her thesis, highlighting factors that would‐be Fellows should consider.
Seizures: intracranial or extracranial disease?
Authors: Chandler Kate , Volk Holger
Published: October 2010

EPILEPSY, or the propensity to have recurrent seizures, is the most common chronic neurological disorder in dogs, with an estimated prevalence of between 0·5 and 5·7 per cent. There are numerous primary intracranial diseases and extracranial (eg, metabolic or toxic) conditions that cause recurrent seizures, although idiopathic epilepsy is the most common in dogs. Metabolic and toxic disorders are much less frequent causes of seizures. This article discusses the importance of a methodical diagnostic work‐up in successfully reaching a definitive diagnosis in patients with recurrent seizures. At first glance, there may be little clinical information to differentiate between intracranial and extracranial causes of seizures but, with careful history taking, examination and a systematic approach to diagnosis, the underlying aetiology can usually be identified.
Fracture management in small animal practice
Authors: Shales Chris
Published: October 2010

AN article in the June issue of In Practice discussed the triage and stabilisation of the small animal fracture patient, and outlined how to assess the initial radiographs. This article describes the steps and decisions involved in fracture planning, and reviews the options available for repair.
The practitioner's role in SAR reporting
Authors: O'Rourke Declan
Published: October 2010

SPONTANEOUS reporting of suspected adverse reactions (SARs) is an inexpensive and effective system for ensuring the continued safe and efficacious use of veterinary medicinal products following their introduction to the marketplace. This postauthorisation surveillance (pharmacovigilance) depends on the contribution and cooperation of veterinary surgeons and other health care professionals. Although SAR reporting by veterinary surgeons is voluntary in the UK, it is important that practitioners view it as a professional responsibility and recognise that the quality of data generated from spontaneous reports is determined by the quality of the information submitted. This article discusses the need for and benefits of pharmacovigilance, and highlights its importance in improving animal health and welfare, and public health.
Diagnosis of white line lesions in sheep
Authors: Winter Agnes
Published: October 2010

FOOT problems and associated lameness in sheep can have important welfare and economic consequences and can be challenging to manage both for clinicians and those involved in sheep production. White line lesions, sometimes causing lameness, are common in many flocks and are often misdiagnosed, which can lead to the administration of inappropriate or ineffective treatments, incur unnecessary costs and result in client dissatisfaction. Such lesions can affect a wide range of age groups, including lambs as young as one to two months of age, rams and pregnant and non‐pregnant ewes, indicating that a variety of predisposing factors are likely to be involved. This article describes and illustrates white line lesions in sheep to help farmers and veterinary surgeons make a correct diagnosis.
Use of ocular fluids to aid postmortem diagnosis in cattle and sheep
Authors: Edwards Gareth , Foster Aiden
Published: October 2010

THE use of ocular fluids ‐ aqueous humour and vitreous humour ‐ for postmortem diagnosis, especially of hypomagnesaemia, is controversial. This is usually due to an incomplete understanding, or inappropriate interpretation, of clinical chemistry results. The limitations of sampling, analysis and interpretive information have to be fully understood when dealing with clinical biochemistry, but postmortem measurement of calcium, magnesium, beta‐hydroxybutyrate, urea and nitrates in the ocular fluids of ruminants may be of value. This article discusses the appropriate use of ocular fluids as aids to postmortem diagnosis.
Practice‐based clinical research: an introduction
Authors: Holmes Mark
Published: October 2010

Carrying out practice‐based clinical research can make a valuable contribution to veterinary medicine, and can often lead to improved patient care. Mark Holmes outlines factors that need to be taken into account when planning the various phases of a clinical research project in practice.
Canine blood donor
Authors: Ashall Vanessa
Published: October 2010

THIS series gives readers the opportunity to consider and contribute to discussion of some of the ethical dilemmas that can arise in veterinary practice. Each month, a case scenario is presented, followed by discussion of some of the issues involved. In addition, a possible way forward is suggested; however, there is rarely a cut‐anddried answer in such cases, and readers may wish to suggest an alternative approach. This month's dilemma, ‘Canine blood donor’, is presented and discussed by Vanessa Ashall. Readers with comments to contribute are invited to send them as soon as possible, so that they can be considered for publication in the next issue. Discussion of the dilemma ‘Injured fawn’, which was published in the October issue of In Practice, appears on page 528.

The series is being coordinated by Siobhan Mullan, of the University of Bristol. It is hoped it will provide a framework that will help practices find solutions when facing similar dilemmas.
Identification of tortoises
Authors: Jessop Mike
Published: October 2010

CHELONIA are very ancient in evolutionary terms. The total number of species worldwide remains variable as species differentiation is difficult and studies in the wild are limited. The small range of some species has allowed complex, local diversification that will take a lot of research to unravel. Members of the Chelonia Order (ie, shelled reptiles) include seven species of marine turtle, 199 species of freshwater terrapin and 50 species of land tortoise. This article provides some key points to help identify the tortoise species seen more commonly in the UK pet market.
Ultrasonography of the gastrointestinal tract and associated organs in dogs and cats
Authors: Agthe Petra
Published: October 2010

THE use of ultrasonography for the investigation of gastrointestinal diseases has increased considerably over the past decade. The main advantage of this imaging technique is that the gastrointestinal walls and motility can be readily assessed, replacing more complex and time‐consuming barium contrast studies in many cases. Ultrasonography also allows the direct visualisation of surrounding structures such as the pancreas, lymph nodes and peritoneal cavity, and can help to guide further procedures such as fine‐needle aspiration and biopsies. This article describes the normal and abnormal findings that can be seen on ultrasound examination of the gastrointestinal tract and associated organs.
Bluetongue in northern Europe: the story so far
Authors: Hateley Gareth
Published: October 2010

BLUETONGUE was first seen in northern Europe in August 2006 when there was a sudden incursion of bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 8 (BTV‐8). The disease recurred in 2007, with serious consequences for affected countries because of its rapid spread over a wide area of mainland Europe, and caused direct (due to both clinical and subclinical disease) and indirect (due to significant trade restrictions) losses. The virus arrived in the UK in August 2007. The availability of BTV‐8 vaccine in 2008 led to one of the biggest mass vaccination campaigns ever experienced across Europe. The success of this vaccination programme was mixed, as the serotype continued to spread through France. The situation was further complicated by the arrival of BTV serotype 1 (BTV‐1) in the Iberian Peninsula and, later, France; BTV serotype 6 (BTV‐6) in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium; BTV serotype 11 (BTV‐11) in Belgium; and the so‐called Toggenburg orbivirus in Switzerland. This article reviews the events relating to the bluetongue outbreaks in Europe and the UK in 2007/08, describes the control methods that are currently available and the rationale for their use, and discusses what the likely course of the management of this disease might be in the future.
Reducing practice costs
Authors: Reffold Pippa
Published: October 2010

THE current financial situation has been the main topic of discussion in the media in recent months and, this time around, it seems that veterinary practices are not immune from the consequences. Pippa Reffold believes that saving money is something that all staff should be involved in when times are hard, and suggests ways of lowering the costs involved in running a practice.
Guide to the rumen health visit
Authors: Atkinson Owen
Published: October 2010

ON dairy farms, there are usually three diets to consider – the one on the nutritionist's computer, the one the farmer feeds and the one the cow actually eats! Of course, it is the last one of these that is important and if it is incorrect in terms of nutrient supply and/or rumen health characteristics, the consequences will be unhealthy cows and reduced production. Many elements have to be assessed when considering dairy cow nutrition, so it is essential to adopt a logical and consistent approach in order to make a holistic and informed opinion about how cows are utilising their diet. It is also desirable that such an on‐farm review is carried out within a reasonable time frame (eg, three hours) and for it to be practically feasible for the veterinary surgeon and farmer alike. This article describes the initial approach to a rumen health visit and discusses how to interpret the results obtained, although some findings may warrant further diagnostic work.
Vaccination programmes for sheep flocks
Authors: Winter Agnes
Published: October 2010

IMPLEMENTING a vaccination programme, and regularly reviewing how appropriate it remains, is an important part of flock health planning. Programmes need to be considered individually for each flock and, apart from vaccines to protect against clostridial diseases (and now bluetongue) to which all flocks are potentially at risk, the use of vaccines will depend on factors such as the history of disease in a flock, the risk of disease occurring, the risk of disease introduction associated with purchased stock, the cost of a vaccine versus the likely cost of losses if vaccination is not carried out and the owner's/shepherd's attitude to risk. This article discusses the vaccines available in the UK and, for each, describes the appropriate schedules that should be employed.
Impact of flooring on the health and welfare of pigs
Authors: KilBride Amy , Gillman Claire , Ossent Pete , Green Laura
Published: October 2010

HOUSING for pigs reared for meat has been revolutionised over the past 50 years, and modifications in flooring have been a key component of this change. While the introduction of slatted floors that do not require manual removal of soiled bedding and dung has reduced labour requirements and production costs, solid floors are still in use on some commercial farms in Britain, particularly in older or converted buildings, and are more common in Britain than in other European pig‐producing countries. Floors in pig housing can impact on the health and welfare of pigs by affecting an animal's opportunity to engage in normal behaviour and increasing the risk of infectious disease and physical damage due to contact with the floor. This article highlights the impact of floor types on the prevalence of foot, limb and body lesions, and lameness in pigs, and provides typical examples of the pathology of some lesions.
Dental disease in pet rabbits
Authors: Harcourt‐Brown Frances
Published: October 2010

DENTAL disease in pet rabbits may manifest as a range of clinical signs. Recognising that there is a dental problem and establishing exactly what that problem is will facilitate appropriate treatment. This article, the second of three discussing dental disease in pet rabbits, describes how to diagnose dental problems and highlights some options for treatment. The final article in this series, to be published in the November/December issue of In Practice, will discuss jaw abscesses, which is a common problem in rabbits.
PDP: the story so far
Authors: Wells Julian
Published: October 2010

THE Professional Development Phase (PDP) was conceived by the RCVS Education Strategy Steering Group, which began work in 2000 and piloted the first PDP logbook in 2002/03. Refinement over succeeding years led to its full introduction for the 2007 cohort of graduates. The scheme remains voluntary under the terms of the current Veterinary Surgeons Act, but has become a professional obligation for anyone qualifying after 2007, who will need to have completed their PDP before enrolling to study for a RCVS postgraduate certificate. Here, Julian Wells provides an update on how the scheme is progressing.
Tricuspid regurgitation: contemporary management of a neglected valvular lesion
Authors: Irwin Richard Bruce , Luckie Matthew , Khattar Rajdeep S
Published: October 2010

Right-sided cardiac valvular disease has traditionally been considered less clinically important than mitral or aortic valve pathology. However, detectable tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is common and recent data suggest that significant TR can lead to functional impairment and reduced survival, particularly in patients with concomitant left-sided valvular disease. The tricuspid valve is a complex anatomical structure and advances in three dimensional echocardiography and cardiac MRI have contributed to a greater understanding of tricuspid valve pathology. These imaging techniques are invaluable in determining the aetiology and severity of TR, and provide an assessment of right ventricular function and pulmonary artery pressure. TR is more prevalent in women and those with a history of myocardial infarction and heart failure. It also occurs in about 10% of patients with rheumatic heart disease. Chronic severe TR may have a prolonged clinical course culminating in the development of fatigue and poor exercise tolerance due to a reduced cardiac output. Approximately 90% of cases of TR are secondary to either pulmonary hypertension or intrinsic right ventricular pathology and about 10% are due to primary tricuspid valve disease. Primary causes such as Ebstein’s anomaly, rheumatic disease, myxomatous changes, carcinoid syndrome, endomyocardial fibrosis, and degenerative disease have characteristic morphological features readily identifiable by echocardiography. Ascertaining an accurate right ventricular systolic pressure is important in separating primary from secondary causes as significant TR with a pressure <40 mm Hg implies intrinsic valve disease. Cardiac MRI may be indicated in those with inadequate echocardiographic images and is also the gold standard for the evaluation of right ventricular function and morphology. The assessment of leaflet morphology, annular dimensions, and pulmonary artery pressure are particularly important for determining subsequent management. Along with appropriate treatment of the underlying cause of TR and pulmonary hypertension, management guidelines indicate a move towards more aggressive treatment of TR. In those undergoing left-sided valve surgery, tricuspid valve repair is universally recommended in the presence of severe coexistent TR; in those with isolated severe TR, surgery is recommended in the presence of symptoms or progressive right ventricular dilatation or dysfunction.
SCOAL
Authors: Deodhar Meghana , Ghosh Joydeep
Published: October 2010

For difficult classification or regression problems, practitioners often segment the data into relatively homogeneous groups and then build a predictive model for each group. This two-step procedure usually results in simpler, more interpretable and actionable models without any loss in accuracy. In this work, we consider problems such as predicting customer behavior across products, where the independent variables can be naturally partitioned into two sets, that is, the data is dyadic in nature. A pivoting operation now results in the dependent variable showing up as entries in a “customer by product” data matrix. We present the Simultaneous CO-clustering And Learning (SCOAL) framework, based on the key idea of interleaving co-clustering and construction of prediction models to iteratively improve both cluster assignment and fit of the models. This algorithm provably converges to a local minimum of a suitable cost function. The framework not only generalizes co-clustering and collaborative filtering to model-based co-clustering, but can also be viewed as simultaneous co-segmentation and classification or regression, which is typically better than independently clustering the data first and then building models. Moreover, it applies to a wide range of bi-modal or multimodal data, and can be easily specialized to address classification and regression problems. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on both these problems through experimentation on a variety of datasets.
Learning multiple nonredundant clusterings
Authors: Cui Ying , Fern Xiaoli Z. , Dy Jennifer G.
Published: October 2010

Real-world applications often involve complex data that can be interpreted in many different ways. When clustering such data, there may exist multiple groupings that are reasonable and interesting from different perspectives. This is especially true for high-dimensional data, where different feature subspaces may reveal different structures of the data. However, traditional clustering is restricted to finding only one single clustering of the data. In this article, we propose a new clustering paradigm for exploratory data analysis: find all non-redundant clustering solutions of the data, where data points in the same cluster in one solution can belong to different clusters in other partitioning solutions. We present a framework to solve this problem and suggest two approaches within this framework: (1) orthogonal clustering, and (2) clustering in orthogonal subspaces. In essence, both approaches find alternative ways to partition the data by projecting it to a space that is orthogonal to the current solution. The first approach seeks orthogonality in the cluster space, while the second approach seeks orthogonality in the feature space. We study the relationship between the two approaches. We also combine our framework with techniques for automatically finding the number of clusters in the different solutions, and study stopping criteria for determining when all meaningful solutions are discovered. We test our framework on both synthetic and high-dimensional benchmark data sets, and the results show that indeed our approaches were able to discover varied clustering solutions that are interesting and meaningful.
Fluid Transport Across Leaky Epithelia: Central Role of the Tight Junction and Supporting Role of Aquaporins
Authors: Fischbarg Jorge
Published: October 2010

The mechanism of epithelial fluid transport remains unsolved, which is partly due to inherent experimental difficulties. However, a preparation with which our laboratory works, the corneal endothelium, is a simple leaky secretory epithelium in which we have made some experimental and theoretical headway. As we have reported, transendothelial fluid movements can be generated by electrical currents as long as there is tight junction integrity. The direction of the fluid movement can be reversed by current reversal or by changing junctional electrical charges by polylysine. Residual endothelial fluid transport persists even when no anions (hence no salt) are being transported by the tissue and is only eliminated when all local recirculating electrical currents are. Aquaporin (AQP) 1 is the only AQP present in these cells, and its deletion in AQP1 null mice significantly affects cell osmotic permeability (by ∼40%) but fluid transport much less (∼20%), which militates against the presence of sizable water movements across the cell. In contrast, AQP1 null mice cells have reduced regulatory volume decrease (only 60% of control), which suggests a possible involvement of AQP1 in either the function or the expression of volume-sensitive membrane channels/transporters. A mathematical model of corneal endothelium we have developed correctly predicts experimental results only when paracellular electro-osmosis is assumed rather than transcellular local osmosis. Our evidence therefore suggests that the fluid is transported across this layer via the paracellular route by a mechanism that we attribute to electro-osmotic coupling at the junctions. From our findings we have developed a novel paradigm for this preparation that includes 1) paracellular fluid flow; 2) a crucial role for the junctions; 3) hypotonicity of the primary secretion; and 4) an AQP role in regulation rather than as a significant water pathway. These elements are remarkably similar to those proposed by the laboratory of Adrian Hill for fluid transport across other leaky epithelia.
Advances in Diagnosis of Respiratory Virus Infections
Authors: Loeffelholz Michael , Chonmaitree Tasnee
Published: October 2010

The diagnosis of respiratory virus infections has evolved substantially in recent years, with the emergence of new pathogens and the development of novel detection methods. While recent advances have improved the sensitivity and turn-around time of diagnostic tests for respiratory viruses, they have also raised important issues such as cost, and the clinical significance of detecting multiple viruses in a single specimen by molecular methods. This article reviews recent advances in specimen collection and detection methods for diagnosis of respiratory virus infections, and discusses the performance characteristics and limitations of these methods.
The Improved Photocatalytic Properties of Methylene Blue for V2O3/CNT/TiO2Composite under Visible Light
Authors: Chen Ming-Liang , Oh Won-Chun
Published: October 2010

Multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT), vanadyl acetylacetonate (V(acac)3), and titaniumn-butoxide (TNB) were used as carbon, vanadium oxide, and titanium oxide precursor to prepare V2O3/CNT/TiO2composite. The obtained composite was characterized by BET surface area measurement, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In addition, we used methylene blue (MB) solution under condition of visible light irradiation to determine their photocatalytic degradation efficiency. In conclusion, the V2O3/CNT/TiO2composite had excellent photocatalytic degradation for MB solution under visible light.
Clear-Cell Adenocarcinoma of Vesical Origin: A Case Study of Metastatic Disease Treated with Chemotherapy
Authors: Pena Álvarez Carolina , Lorenzo Lorenzo Isabel , Varela Ferreiro Silvia , Pardavila Gómez Rosa , Suh Oh Hae Jin , Saénz de Miera Rodríguez Andrea , Covela Rúa Marta , Carbonell Luyo Wilver Federico , García Arroyo Francisco Ramón , López Clemente Pedro , Palacios Ozores Patricia , Constenla Figueiras Manuel
Published: October 2010

Vesical clear cell adenocarcinoma is an uncommon tumour. The description of nearly all published cases focuses on histological issues, providing few clinical particulars and limited followup. The treatment choice is resection. No publications have been found regarding systemic treatments for advanced disease. We present a case of metastatic clear cell adenocarcinoma of the bladder treated with chemotherapy.
Airbag Pneumonitis
Authors: Govindarajan Raghav , Ferrer Gustavo , Smolley Laurence A. , Oliveira Eduardo Araujo , Rahaghi Franck
Published: October 2010

The widespread and mandatory use of airbags has resulted in various patterns of injuries and complications unique to their use. Airbags have been implicated in a spectrum of pulmonary conditions ranging from exacerbation of asthma, reactive airway diseases to new onset asthma. We report a case of inhalational chemical pneumonitis that developed after exposure to the airbag fumes.
The Availability of a Recombinant Anti-SNAP Antibody in VHH Format Amplifies the Application Flexibility of SNAP-Tagged Proteins
Authors: Aliprandi Marisa , Sparacio Eleonora , Pivetta Flavia , Ossolengo Giuseppe , Maestro Roberta , de Marco Ario
Published: October 2010

Antibodies are indispensable reagents in basic research, and those raised against tags constitute a useful tool for the evaluation of the biochemistry and biology of novel proteins. In this paper, we describe the isolation and characterization of a single-domain recombinant antibody (VHH) specific for the SNAP-tag, using Twist2 as a test-protein. The antibody was efficient in western blot, immunoprecipitation, immunopurification, and immunofluorescence. The sequence corresponding to the anti-SNAP has been subcloned for large-scale expression in vectors that allow its fusion to either a 6xHis-tag or the Fc domain of rabbit IgG2 taking advantage of a new plasmid that was specifically designed for VHH antibodies. The two different fusion antibodies were compared in immunopurification and immunofluorescence experiments, and the recombinant protein SNAP-Twist2 was accurately identified by the anti-SNAP Fc-VHH construct in the nuclear/nucleolar subcellular compartment. Furthermore, such localization was confirmed by direct Twist2 identification by means of anti-Twisit2 VHH antibodies recovered after panning of the same naïve phage display library used to isolate the anti-SNAP binders. Our successful localization of Twist2 protein using the SNAP-tag-based approach and the anti-Twist2-specific recombinant single-domain antibodies opens new research possibilities in this field.
Incarcerated Femoral Hernia Containing Ipsilateral Fallopian Tube
Authors: Atmatzidis Stefanos , Chatzimavroudis Grigorios , Dragoumis Dimitrios , Atmatzidis Konstantinos
Published: October 2010

Femoral hernias are more common in women and lead to a substantial higher rate for an emergency operation, due to strangulation. Incarcerated femoral hernia with fallopian tube as a content is an extremely rare condition. A 20-year-old woman presented to the emergency department complaining of a 6-day right groin swelling, which became painful and tender to palpation during the last 48 hours. Preoperative ultrasonography detected an oedematous hernia sac, above the femoral vessels, suggesting the presence of an incarcerated femoral hernia. The patient eventually underwent emergency surgery and the diagnosis of a strangulated femoral hernia sac, containing fallopian tube, was established. No resection of the uterine tube was performed and the hernia was repaired with polypropylene plug. The postoperative period was uneventful and the woman was discharged on the second postoperative day.
Toll-Like Receptor Signaling Pathways—Therapeutic Opportunities
Authors: Zhu Jiankun , Mohan Chandra
Published: October 2010

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are transmembrane proteins acting mainly as sensors of microbial components. Triggering TLRs results in increased expression of multiple inflammatory genes, which then play a protective role against infection. However, aberrant activation of TLR signaling has a significant impact on the onset of cancer, allergy, sepsis and autoimmunity. Various adaptor proteins, including MyD88, IRAKs, TIRAP, TRIF, and TRAM, are involved in specific TLR signaling pathways. This article reviews the role of these molecules in TLR signaling, and discusses the impact of this pathway on various disease scenarios. Given their important role in infectious and non-infectious disease settings, TLRs and their signaling pathways emerge as attractive targets for therapeutics.
Increased Survivorship and Altered Cytokine Profile from Treatment of Influenza A H1N1‐Infected Mice with Ekybion: A Drug Complex of Natural Extracts and Inorganic Compounds
Authors: Lupfer Christopher , Besnouin Didier , Tepper Samuel E. , Maselko Maciej , Patton Kristin M. , Pastey Manoj
Published: October 2010

Ekybion is a drug complex of 16 natural extracts and inorganic compounds designed to treat a variety of respiratory pathogens of bacterial and viral origin. It is licensed throughout Europe for the treatment of respiratory tract infections from equine parainfluenza type 3 and equine herpes virus type 1 in equine stables. The purpose of this paper was to test the efficacy of Ekybion on a well‐developed animal model of influenza A infection and determine a mode of action. Experiments were performed with Balb/c mice infected with a lethal dose of influenza A/PR/8/34 H1N1 virus and treated with nebulized Ekybion every 8 h in a time‐dependant or dose‐dependant fashion. These experiments showed that mice treated prior to infection with Ekybion had a higher survival rates (~46%) compared with untreated animals (~0%). Paradoxically, these mice showed no significant difference in lung virus titer or weight loss. There was, however, a decrease in the level of GM‐CSF, IL‐6, and G‐CSF cytokines in the lungs of Ekybion‐treated, infected mice. It is possible that decreases in proinflammatory cytokines may have contributed to increased survivorship in Ekybion‐treated influenza‐infected mice.
Kinetics of CD34+ Cells in Blood and Leukapheresis Products of G-GSF-Mobilized Patients and Related Donors
Authors: Cassens U. , Gutensohn K. , Peters C. , Kühnl P. , Zander A. , Sibrowski W.
Published: October 2010

Hintergrund: Da es nur wenig schlüssige Daten über die Leukapherese-induzierten Veränderungen der CD34+ Zellen im Blut gibt, untersuchten wir das jeweilige Ver-hältnis der CD34+ Zellen im Blut vor und nach den Apheresen und den Gehalt an CD34+ Zellen in den Leukaphereseprodukten. Methode: Es wurden insgesamt 51 Leukapheresen bei 20 Patienten und Verwand-tenspendern durchgeführt und untersucht. Progenitorzellen wurden durch Verabrei-chung von 2×12µg G-CSF/kg Körpergewicht (Patienten) und 2×5 µg G-CSF/kg Körpergewicht (Verwandtenspender) mobilisiert. Ergebnisse: Die durchfluβzytometrische Analyse ergab für beide Gruppen für auf-einanderfolgende Apheresen eine Verminderung der CD34+ Zellen im Blut und in Leukaphereseprodukten. Der Abfall der CD34+ Zellen im Blut zeigte für Patienten (-34,8%) und Verwandtenspender (-34,3%) eine ähnliche Kinetik. Die Regres-sionsanalyse ergab eine Korrelation von r=0,75 zwischen CD34+ Zellen im Blut und Produkt und r-0,24 zwischen Leukozyten im Blut und CD34+ Zellen im Pro-dukt. Schluβfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Wichtigkeit des CD34+ Monitorings im Blut zur Abschätzung der Effizienz von Apheresen. Die Kinetik der CD34+ Zellen zeigt ein Maximum im Blut und in Leukaphereseprodukten nach 5 Tagen G-CSF-Mobilisierung mit täglichem Abfall der CD34+ Zellen im Blut und in Leukaphereseprodukten.
Intrinsic Coagulation Activation and the Risk of Arterial Thrombosis in Young Women
Authors: Siegerink B. , Govers-Riemslag J.W.P. , Rosendaal F.R. , ten Cate H. , Algra A.
Published: October 2010

Background—

Classically, intrinsic coagulation proteins are thought to have a minor role in hemostasis. Recently, these proteins, especially FXII, were implicated as possible key players in the pathogenesis of arterial thrombosis. This study aims to determine the risks of arterial thrombosis conferred by increased activation of intrinsic coagulation proteins in young women and the effect of oral contraceptive use on this association.

Methods and Results—

The Risk of Arterial Thrombosis In relation to Oral contraceptives (RATIO) study is a population-based case-control study including young women (age 18 to 50 years) with myocardial infarction (n=205) and ischemic stroke (n=175) and 638 healthy controls. Intrinsic coagulation protein activation was determined by measuring activated protein-inhibitor complexes. This complex is with C1 esterase inhibitor (FXIIa-C1-INH, FXIa-C1-INH, Kallikrein-C1-INH) or antitrypsin inhibitor (FXIa-AT-INH). Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated with logistic regression. High levels of protein activation (>90th percentile of controls) showed an increased risk of ischemic stroke: FXIIa-C1-INH (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.5), FXIa-C1-INH (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.7), FXIa-AT-INH (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.0), and Kallikrein-C1 (OR, 4.3; 95% CI, 2.6 to 7.2). If anything, myocardial infarction risk was only increased by Kallikrein-C1-INH (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 0.9 to 2.5). Oral contraceptive use further increased the risks.

Conclusions—

High levels of activated proteins of the intrinsic coagulation system are associated with arterial thrombosis, whereas the strength of these associations differs for myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. This contradicts similar analyses among men in the Northwick Park Heart Study. Together with the finding that oral contraceptive use further increases the risks, the question of whether the role of intrinsic coagulation proteins in the pathogenesis of arterial thrombosis is sex-specific is raised.
Vascular Dysfunction in Women With a History of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Authors: Yinon Yoav , Kingdom John C.P. , Odutayo Ayodele , Moineddin Rahim , Drewlo Sascha , Lai Vesta , Cherney David Z.I. , Hladunewich Michelle A.
Published: October 2010

Background—

Women with a history of placental disease are at increased risk for the future development of vascular disease. It is unknown whether preexisting endothelial dysfunction underlies both the predisposition to placental disease and the later development of vascular disease. The aim of this study was to assess vascular function in postpartum women and to determine whether differences emerged depending on the presentation of placental disease.

Methods and Results—

Women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia (n=15), late-onset preeclampsia (n=9), intrauterine growth restriction without preeclampsia (n=9), and prior normal pregnancy (n=16) were studied 6 to 24 months postpartum. Flow-mediated vasodilatation and flow-independent (glyceryl trinitrate–induced) vasodilatation were studied through the use of high-resolution vascular ultrasound examination of the brachial artery. Arterial stiffness was assessed by pulse-wave analysis (augmentation index). Laboratory assessment included circulating angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1, placental growth factor, and soluble endoglin). Flow-mediated vasodilatation was significantly reduced in women with previous early-onset preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction compared with women with previous late-onset preeclampsia and control subjects (3.2±2.7% and 2.1±1.2% versus 7.9±3.8% and 9.1±3.5%, respectively;
P
<0.0001). Flow-independent vasodilatation was similar among all groups. Similarly, the radial augmentation index was significantly increased among women with previous early-onset preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction, but not among late preeclamptic women and control subjects (
P
=0.0105). Circulating angiogenic factors were similar in all groups.

Conclusion—

Only women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction without preeclampsia exhibit impaired vascular function, which might explain their predisposition to placental disease and their higher risk of future vascular disease.
Estimating Actual Evapotranspiration from Satellite and Meteorological Data in Central Bolivia
Authors: Seiler Christian , Moene Arnold F.
Published: October 2010

Spatial estimates of actual evapotranspiration are useful for calculating the water balance of river basins, quantifying hydrological services provided by ecosystems, and assessing the hydrological impacts of land-use practices. To provide this information, the authors estimate actual evapotranspiration in central Bolivia with a remote sensing algorithm [Surface Energy Balance Algorithms for Land (SEBAL)]. SEBAL was adapted for the effects of topography (particularly for elevation, slope, and aspect) and atmospheric properties on incoming solar radiation. Instantaneous fluxes are converted to daily and annual fluxes using reference evapotranspiration. The required input data consist of meteorological data and satellite data. Results show more evapotranspiration for humid regions and less evapotranspiration for dry regions and deforested land. Actual evapotranspiration estimates are compared with annual precipitation measurements from 27 meteorological observations. In case annual actual evapotranspiration is estimated correctly, it must be lower than the precipitation measurements. This is the case for 23 stations. The remaining four stations are all located at higher altitudes (>2700 m). Unfortunately, no actual evapotranspiration measurements are available for additional validation purposes.
The Role of the North Atlantic Oscillation in Shaping Regional-Scale Peak Seasonal Precipitation across the Indian Subcontinent
Authors: Roy Shouraseni Sen
Published: October 2010

The present study focuses on the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in shaping the regional-level precipitation during the peak months of the two main rainy seasons over the Indian subcontinent. Monthly precipitation data from 1871 to 2005 were collected for 30 homogenous regions across the subcontinent. Regression analysis was used to analyze the strength of the relationship between NAO on regional-level precipitation patterns. The results of the study showed distinct spatial variations in the response of regional-level rainfall to the monthly NAO index. There were greater variations in the strength of the regression coefficients for peak monsoon rainfall (PMR) compared to the peak winter rainfall (PWR) season. During the latter half of the year, the association between PMR and the NAO index was predominantly negative. In general, the role of NAO was more pronounced across most of the regions in the peninsular India.
Exploring Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Earth Highpoint Attachment Geography by Peak Current
Authors: Vogt Brandon J.
Published: October 2010

This study applied remotely sensed cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning strike location data, a digital elevation model (DEM), and a geographic information system (GIS) to characterize negative polarity peak current CG lightning Earth attachment behavior. It explored the propensity for (i) flashes to favor topographic highpoint attachment and (ii) striking distance (a near-Earth attachment force) to increase with peak current. On a 16 000 km2 10-m DEM covering a section of southeast and south-central Colorado, a GIS extraction method identified approximately 5000 hilltop and outcrop highpoints containing at least 15 m of vertical gain in a 300-m radius neighborhood with a minimum horizontal separation of 600 m. Flashes with peak currents ranging from −20 to −119 kiloamps (kA), collected between February 2005 and May 2009, were subdivided into 10 kA classes and mapped on this modified DEM. Buffers of 100-, 200-, and 300-m radii created around each highpoint were used to assess the hypothesis that striking distance increases with higher negative peak current. Point-in-polygon counts compared actual CG strike totals to random point totals received inside buffers. CG strikes favored topographic highpoints by as much as 5.0% when compared to random points. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests further corroborated that actual CG strikes at highpoints were generated by a more nonrandom process. A positive trend between striking distance and peak current was also observed. Although this correlation has been characterized in controlled settings, this study is the first to document this physical process at real-world landscape scales over multiple years.