bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Requiem for a “Tough Guy”: Representing Hockey Labor, Violence and Masculinity in Goon
Authors: Boyle Ellexis
Published: October 2014

This paper explores the ongoing construction of hockey in Canada through a textual analysis of the popular comedy, Goon (2012). Touted by its authors as “the Canadian sequel to Slap Shot” and “an homage to enforcers”, Goon is analyzed in relation to simmering debates about fighting in hockey as well as the broader crisis of employment and masculinity that characterize the sociopolitical milieu in which the film circulates. A crisis of masculinity narrative is found to emerge in and through a discourse about working-class labor that both celebrates and devalorizes violent labor and the capitalist relations in which it is embedded. The analysis provides insight into the interlocking relationships among texts and contexts as well as the role of sport films in perpetuating dominant ideologies about violent labor in hockey.
Ratcheting the evolution of multicellularity
Authors: Libby Eric , Ratcliff William C.
Published: October 2014

Traits that entrench cells in a group lifestyle may pave the way for complexity
U.S. halts two dozen risky virus studies
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: October 2014

One-year “pause” to develop new policy on controversial research that enhances pathogens.
Does science suffer an ‘innovation deficit’?
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: October 2014

New catch phrase represents a two-edged sword for research community.
Comparison of Test Specificities of Commercial Antigen-Based Assays and In-House PCR Methods for Detection of Rotavirus in Stool Specimens
Authors: Ye S. , Lambert S. B. , Grimwood K. , Roczo-Farkas S. , Nimmo G. R. , Sloots T. P. , Kirkwood C. D. , Whiley D. M.
Published: October 2014

Seven commercial rotavirus antigen assays were compared with in-house PCR methods for detecting rotavirus in stool specimens. The assay sensitivities were 80% to 100%, while the specificities were 54.3% for one commercial immunochromatographic (ICT) method and 99.4% to 100% for other assays. Thus, except for one commercial ICT, all the assays were generally reliable for rotavirus detection.
Identification and Characterization of HIV-1 Latent Viral Reservoirs In Peripheral Blood
Authors: Chargin Amanda , Yin Fangfang , Song Min , Subramaniam Srividyabhuvaneswari , Knutson Grace , Patterson Bruce K.
Published: October 2014

Plasma viral load and CD4 counts are effective for clinical monitoring, but they do not give a full representation of HIV-1 quasispecies in cellular reservoirs, the major repository of replication-competent HIV-1 in infected individuals. We sought to develop a diagnostic system that might stimulate the replication-competent HIV-1 reservoirs for enhanced clinical monitoring, including selection of antiretroviral regimens. Whole-blood samples from 45 HIV-infected individuals were collected into 1 ViraStim HIV-1 activation tube and 1 EDTA tube. Samples were tested for viral load and cell type-specific HIV-1 replication. Further, 7 matched activated/nonactivated samples were sequenced using the Trugene HIV-1 genotyping kit. The percentage of patients with replication-competent virus in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) varied, depending on the baseline plasma viral load in the EDTA tubes. Six out of 24 patients with a starting plasma viral load of <20 copies/ml (cp/ml), 6 out of 8 patients with starting viral loads of >20 and <1,000 cp/ml, and 8 out of 13 patients with starting viral loads of >1,000 all showed increases in viral replication of >5-fold. These increases came from cellular reservoirs in blood as determined by simultaneous ultrasensitive subpopulation staining/hybridization in situ (SUSHI). When resistance genotypes in plasma from activation tubes were compared to those from EDTA tubes for 7 patients, all patients showed additional mutations in the activation tube, while 3 patients demonstrated additional genotypic resistance determinants. We show that HIV-1 viral replication can be stimulated directly from infected whole blood. The sequencing results showed that 3 of 7 cases demonstrated additional drug resistance following stimulation.
Whole-Genome Sequencing of Burkholderia pseudomallei Isolates from an Unusual Melioidosis Case Identifies a Polyclonal Infection with the Same Multilocus Sequence Type
Authors: Price Erin P. , Sarovich Derek S. , Viberg Linda , Mayo Mark , Kaestli Mirjam , Tuanyok Apichai , Foster Jeffrey T. , Keim Paul , Pearson Talima , Currie Bart J.
Published: October 2014

Twelve
Burkholderia pseudomallei
isolates collected over a 32-month period from a patient with chronic melioidosis demonstrated identical multilocus sequence types (STs). However, whole-genome sequencing suggests a polyclonal infection. This study is the first to report a mixed infection with the same ST.
Identification of Capsid Mutations That Alter the Rate of HIV-1 Uncoating in Infected Cells
Authors: Hulme Amy E. , Kelley Z , Okocha Eneniziaogochukwu A. , Hope Thomas J.
Published: October 2014

After viral fusion with the cell membrane, the conical capsid of HIV-1 disassembles by a process called uncoating. We recently utilized the cyclosporine (CsA) washout assay, in which TRIM-CypA-mediated restriction of viral replication is used to detect the state of the viral capsid, to study the kinetics of uncoating in HIV-1-infected cells. Here we have extended this analysis to examine the effects of p24 capsid protein (p24
CA
) mutations and cellular environment on the kinetics of uncoating in infected cells. We found that p24
CA
mutations can significantly increase (A92E), delay (E45A and N74D), or have no effect (G94D) on the rate of uncoating and that these alterations are not due to changes in reverse transcription. Inhibition of reverse transcription delayed uncoating kinetics to an extent similar to that of the wild-type virus with all the p24
CA
mutant viruses tested. In addition, we observed differences in uncoating in two cell lines, which suggests that the cellular environment can differentially impact the disassembly of wild-type and mutant capsids. Collectively, these experiments suggest that viral and cellular factors are important for the process of uncoating. Finally, these data support the model whereby early steps in reverse transcription facilitate HIV-1 uncoating.

IMPORTANCE
The HIV-1 capsid is a cone-shaped structure, composed of the HIV-1-encoded protein p24
CA
, which contains the viral RNA and other proteins needed for infection. After the virus enters a target cell, this capsid must disassemble by a process called uncoating. Uncoating is required for HIV-1 infection to progress, but the details of how this process occurs is not known. In this study, we used an
in vivo
assay to examine the uncoating process in HIV-1-infected cells. We determined that p24
CA
mutations could increase or decrease the rate of uncoating and that this rate varied in different cell lines. We also found that reverse transcription of the viral RNA altered the process of uncoating before the p24
CA
mutations. Collectively, these experiments provide a better understanding of how viral and cellular factors are involved with a poorly understood step in HIV-1 infection.
Antibody Informatics: IMGT, the International ImMunoGeneTics Information System
Authors: Lefranc Marie-Paule
Published: October 2014

Antibody informatics, a part of immunoinformatics, refers to the concepts, databases, and tools developed and used to explore and to analyze the particular properties of the immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies, compared with conventional genes and proteins. Antibody informatics is based on a unique ontology, IMGT-ONTOLOGY, created in 1989 by IMGT, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system (
http://www.imgt.org
). IMGT-ONTOLOGY defined, for the first time, the concept of ‘genes’ for the IG and the T cell receptors (TR), which led to their gene and allele nomenclature and allowed their entry in databases and tools. A second IMGT-ONTOLOGY revolutionizing and definitive concept was the IMGT unique numbering that bridged the gap between sequences and structures for the variable (V) and constant (C) domains of the IG and TR, and for the groove (G) domains of the major histocompatibility (MH). These breakthroughs contributed to the development of IMGT databases and tools for antibody informatics and its diverse applications, such as repertoire analysis in infectious diseases, antibody engineering and humanization, and study of antibody/antigen interactions. Nucleotide sequences of antibody V domains from deep sequencing (Next Generation Sequencing or High Throughput Sequencing) are analyzed with IMGT/HighV-QUEST, the high-throughput version of IMGT/V-QUEST and IMGT/JunctionAnalysis. Amino acid sequences of V and C domains are represented with the IMGT/Collier-de-Perles tool and analyzed with IMGT/DomainGapAlign. Three-dimensional (3D) structures (including contact analysis and paratope/epitope) are described in IMGT/3Dstructure-DB. Based on a friendly interface, IMGT/mAb-DB contains therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (INN suffix–mab) that can be queried on their specificity, for example, in infectious diseases, on bacterial or viral targets.
Vector-Mediated
In Vivo
Antibody Expression
Authors: Schnepp Bruce C. , Johnson Philip R.
Published: October 2014

This article focuses on a novel vaccine strategy known as vector-mediated antibody gene transfer, with a particular focus on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This strategy provides a solution to the problem of current vaccines that fail to generate neutralizing antibodies to prevent HIV-1 infection and AIDS. Antibody gene transfer allows for predetermination of antibody affinity and specificity prior to “immunization” and avoids the need for an active humoral immune response against the HIV envelope protein. This approach uses recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors, which have been shown to transduce muscle with high efficiency and direct the long-term expression of a variety of transgenes, to deliver the
gene
encoding a broadly neutralizing antibody into the muscle. Following rAAV vector gene delivery, the broadly neutralizing antibodies are endogenously synthesized in myofibers and passively distributed to the circulatory system. This is an improvement over classical passive immunization strategies that administer antibody
proteins
to the host to provide protection from infection. Vector-mediated gene transfer studies in mice and monkeys with anti-HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-neutralizing antibodies demonstrated long-lasting neutralizing activity in serum with complete protection against intravenous challenge with virulent HIV and SIV. These results indicate that existing potent anti-HIV antibodies can be rapidly moved into the clinic. However, this methodology need not be confined to HIV. The general strategy of vector-mediated antibody gene transfer can be applied to other difficult vaccine targets such as hepatitis C virus, malaria, respiratory syncytial virus, and tuberculosis.
“Preharvest” Food Safety for
Escherichia coli
O157 and Other Pathogenic Shiga Toxin-Producing Strains
Authors: Besser Thomas E. , Schmidt Carrie E. , Shah Devendra H. , Shringi Smriti
Published: October 2014

Preharvest food safety refers to the concept of reducing the rates of contamination of unprocessed foods with food-borne disease pathogens in order to reduce human exposure and disease. This article addresses the search for effective preharvest food safety practices for application to live cattle to reduce both contamination of foods of bovine origin and environmental contamination resulting from cattle. Although this research has resulted in several practices that significantly decrease contamination by
Escherichia coli
O157, the effects are limited in magnitude and unlikely to affect the incidence of human disease without much wider application and considerably higher efficacy than is presently apparent. Infection of cattle with
E. coli
O157 is transient and seasonally variable, likely resulting from a complex web of exposures. It is likely that better identification of the true maintenance reservoir of this agent and related Shiga toxin-producing
E. coli
is required to develop more effective control measures for these important food- and waterborne disease agents.
Genetics of Mycobacterial Trehalose Metabolism
Authors: Kalscheuer Rainer , Koliwer-Brandl Hendrik
Published: October 2014

Trehalose [alpha-
d
-glucopyranosyl-(1→1)-alpha-
d
-glucopyranoside] is a highly abundant disaccharide in mycobacteria that fulfills many biological roles and has a plethora of possible metabolic fates. Trehalose is synthesized in mycobacteria
de novo
either from glycolytic intermediates or from alpha-glucans via two alternative routes, the OtsA-OtsB and the TreY-TreZ pathways, respectively. Intracellular trehalose can serve as an endogenous remobilizable carbon storage compound and as a biocompatible stress protectant. Furthermore, trehalose functions as the sugar core of many glycolipids with important structural or immunomodulatory functions such as the cord factor trehalose dimycolate, sulfolipids, and polyacyltrehalose. Moreover, trehalose plays a central role in the formation of the mycolic acid cell wall layer because it serves as a carrier molecule that shuttles mycolic acids in the form of the glycolipid trehalose monomycolate between the cytoplasm and the periplasm. In this process, a specific importer recycles the free trehalose that is extracellularly released as a by-product during mycolate processing via the antigen 85 complex, which might represent a specific adaptation to the intracellular lifestyle of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
with limited carbohydrate availability. Finally, trehalose is converted to glycogen-like branched alpha-glucans by a four-step metabolic pathway involving the essential maltosyltransferase GlgE, which may be further processed to derivatives with intracellular or extracellular destinations such as polymethylated lipopolysaccharides or capsular alpha-glucans, respectively. In this article we summarize the current knowledge of the genetic basis of trehalose biosynthesis and metabolism in mycobacteria, the biological functions of trehalose-based molecules, and their roles in virulence of the human pathogen
M. tuberculosis
.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Serine/Threonine Protein Kinases
Authors: Prisic Sladjana , Husson Robert N.
Published: October 2014

The
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
genome encodes 11 serine/threonine protein kinases (STPKs). A similar number of two-component systems are also present, indicating that these two signal transduction mechanisms are both important in the adaptation of this bacterial pathogen to its environment. The
M. tuberculosis
phosphoproteome includes hundreds of Ser- and Thr-phosphorylated proteins that participate in all aspects of
M. tuberculosis
biology, supporting a critical role for the STPKs in regulating
M. tuberculosis
physiology. Nine of the STPKs are receptor type kinases, with an extracytoplasmic sensor domain and an intracellular kinase domain, indicating that these kinases transduce external signals. Two other STPKs are cytoplasmic and have regulatory domains that sense changes within the cell. Structural analysis of some of the STPKs has led to advances in our understanding of the mechanisms by which these STPKs are activated and regulated. Functional analysis has provided insights into the effects of phosphorylation on the activity of several proteins, but for most phosphoproteins the role of phosphorylation in regulating function is unknown. Major future challenges include characterizing the functional effects of phosphorylation for this large number of phosphoproteins, identifying the cognate STPKs for these phosphoproteins, and determining the signals that the STPKs sense. Ultimately, combining these STPK-regulated processes into larger, integrated regulatory networks will provide deeper insight into
M. tuberculosis
adaptive mechanisms that contribute to tuberculosis pathogenesis. Finally, the STPKs offer attractive targets for inhibitor development that may lead to new therapies for drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Resistance to Isoniazid and Ethionamide in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
: Genes, Mutations, and Causalities
Authors: Vilchèze Catherine , Jacobs JR. William R.
Published: October 2014

Isoniazid (INH) is the cornerstone of tuberculosis (TB) chemotherapy, used for both treatment and prophylaxis of TB. The antimycobacterial activity of INH was discovered in 1952, and almost as soon as its activity was published, the first INH-resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strains were reported. INH and its structural analog and second-line anti-TB drug ethionamide (ETH) are pro-drugs. INH is activated by the catalase-peroxidase KatG, while ETH is activated by the monooxygenase EthA. The resulting active species reacts with NAD
+
to form an INH-NAD or ETH-NAD adduct, which inhibits the enoyl ACP reductase InhA, leading to mycolic acid biosynthesis inhibition and mycobacterial cell death. The major mechanism of INH resistance is mutation in
katG,
encoding the activator of INH. One specific KatG variant, S315T, is found in 94% of INH-resistant clinical isolates. The second mechanism of INH resistance is a mutation in the promoter region of
inhA
(c-15t), which results in
inhA
overexpression and leads to titration of the drug. Mutations in the
inhA
open reading frame and promoter region are also the major mechanism of resistance to ETH, found more often in ETH-resistant clinical isolates than mutations in the activator of ETH. Other mechanisms of resistance to INH and ETH include expression changes of the drugs’ activators, redox alteration, drug inactivation, and efflux pump activation. In this article, we describe each known mechanism of resistance to INH and ETH and its importance in
M. tuberculosis
clinical isolates.
Mycobacterial Lipidomics
Authors: Layre Emilie , Al-Mubarak Reem , Belisle John T. , Branch Moody D.
Published: October 2014

Lipidomics is a distinct subspecialty of metabolomics concerned with hydrophobic molecules that organize into membranes. Most of the lipid classes present inMycobacterium tuberculosisare found only inActinobacteriaand show extreme structural diversity. This article highlights the conceptual basis and the practical challenges associated with the mass spectrometry–based lipidomic study ofM. tuberculosisto solve basic questions about the virulence of this lipid-laden organism.
Mobilizable Rolling-Circle Replicating Plasmids from Gram-Positive Bacteria: A Low-Cost Conjugative Transfer
Authors: Fernández-López Cris , Bravo Alicia , Ruiz-Cruz Sofía , Solano-Collado Virtu , Garsin Danielle A. , Lorenzo-Díaz Fabián , Espinosa Manuel
Published: October 2014

Conjugation is a key mechanism for horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. Some plasmids are not self-transmissible but can be mobilized by functions encoded
in trans
provided by other auxiliary conjugative elements. Although the transfer efficiency of mobilizable plasmids is usually lower than that of conjugative elements, mobilizable plasmids are more frequently found in nature. In this sense, replication and mobilization can be considered important mechanisms influencing plasmid promiscuity. Here we review the currently available information on two families of small mobilizable plasmids from Gram-positive bacteria that replicate via the rolling-circle mechanism. One of these families, represented by the streptococcal plasmid pMV158, is an interesting model since it contains a specific mobilization module (MOB
V
) that is widely distributed among mobilizable plasmids. We discuss a mechanism in which the promiscuity of the pMV158 replicon is based on the presence of two origins of lagging strand synthesis. The current strategies to assess plasmid transfer efficiency as well as to inhibit conjugative plasmid transfer are presented. Some applications of these plasmids as biotechnological tools are also reviewed.
The effect of maternal age and planned place of birth on intrapartum outcomes in healthy women with straightforward pregnancies: secondary analysis of the Birthplace national prospective cohort study
Authors: Li Yangmei , Townend John , Rowe Rachel , Knight Marian , Brocklehurst Peter , Hollowell Jennifer
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To describe the relationship between maternal age and intrapartum outcomes in ‘low-risk’ women; and to evaluate whether the relationship between maternal age and intrapartum interventions and adverse outcomes differs by planned place of birth.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Obstetric units (OUs), midwifery units and planned home births in England.

Participants

63 371 women aged over 16 without known medical or obstetric risk factors, with singleton pregnancies, planning vaginal birth.

Methods

Log Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between maternal age, modelled as a continuous and categorical variable, and risk of intrapartum interventions and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Main outcome measures

Intrapartum caesarean section, instrumental delivery, syntocinon augmentation and a composite measure of maternal interventions/adverse outcomes requiring obstetric care encompassing augmentation, instrumental delivery, intrapartum caesarean section, general anaesthesia, blood transfusion, third-degree/fourth-degree tear, maternal admission; adverse perinatal outcome (encompassing neonatal unit admission or perinatal death).

Results

Interventions and adverse maternal outcomes requiring obstetric care generally increased with age, particularly in nulliparous women. For nulliparous women aged 16–40, the risk of experiencing an intervention or adverse outcome requiring obstetric care increased more steeply with age in planned non-OU births than in planned OU births (adjusted RR 1.21 per 5-year increase in age, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.25 vs adjusted RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.15) but absolute risks were lower in planned non-OU births at all ages. The risk of neonatal unit admission or perinatal death was significantly raised in nulliparous women aged 40+ relative to women aged 25–29 (adjusted RR 2.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 4.09).

Conclusions

At all ages, ‘low-risk’ women who plan birth in a non-OU setting tend to experience lower intervention rates than comparable women who plan birth in an OU. Younger nulliparous women appear to benefit more from this reduction than older nulliparous women.
UK multiple sclerosis risk-sharing scheme: a new natural history dataset and an improved Markov model
Authors: Palace Jacqueline , Bregenzer Thomas , Tremlett Helen , Oger Joel , Zhu Fheng , Boggild Mike , Duddy Martin , Dobson Charles
Published: October 2014

Objectives

In 2002, the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence concluded that the multiple sclerosis (MS) disease modifying therapies; interferon-β and glatiramer acetate, were not cost effective over the short term but recognised that reducing disability over the longer term might dramatically improve the cost effectiveness. The UK Risk-sharing Scheme (RSS) was established to ensure cost-effective provision by prospectively collecting disability-related data from UK-treated patients with MS and comparing findings to a natural history (untreated) cohort. However, deficiencies were found in the originally selected untreated cohort and the resulting analytical approach. This study aims to identify a more suitable natural history cohort and to develop a robust analytical approach using the new cohort.

Design

The Scientific Advisory Group, recommended the British Columbia Multiple Sclerosis (BCMS) database, Canada, as providing a more suitable natural history comparator cohort. Transition probabilities were derived and different Markov models (discrete and continuous) with and without baseline covariates were applied.

Setting

MS clinics in Canada and the UK.

Participants

From the BCMS database, 898 ‘untreated’ patients with MS considered eligible for drug treatment based on the UK's Association of British Neurologists criteria.

Outcome measure

The predicted Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score was collected and assessed for goodness of fit when compared with actual outcome.

Results

The BCMS untreated cohort contributed 7335 EDSS scores over a median 6.4 years (6357 EDSS ‘transitions’ recorded at consecutive visits) during the period 1980–1995. A continuous Markov model with ‘onset age’ as a binary covariate was deemed the most suitable model for future RSS analysis.

Conclusions

A new untreated MS cohort from British Columbia has been selected and will be modelled using a continuous Markov model with onset age as a baseline covariate. This approach will now be applied to the treated UK RSS MS cohort for future price adjustment calculations.
Childhood socioeconomic position, young adult intelligence and fillings of prescribed medicine for prevention of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged men
Authors: Kriegbaum Margit , Kildemoes Helle Wallach , Rasmussen Jeppe Nørgaard , Hendriksen Carsten , Vass Mikkel , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Osler Merete
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To explore the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and filling of medicine prescriptions for prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), with young adult intelligence (IQ) as a potential mediator.

Design

Birth cohort study with logistic and Cox-proportional hazard regression analyses of associations between childhood SEP, retrieved from birth certificates, and prevalence, initiation of and refill persistency for CVD preventive medicine.

Setting

Denmark.

Participants

8736 Danish men born in 1953, who had no CVD at the start of follow-up in 1995, were followed in the Danish National Prescription Register for initiation of and refill persistency for antihypertensives and statins, until the end of 2007 (age 54 years).

Results

Low childhood SEP at age 18 was not associated with prescription fillings of antihypertensives, but was weakly associated with initiation of statins (HR = 1.19 (95% CI 1.00 to1.42)). This estimate was attenuated when IQ was entered into the model (HR=1.10 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.23)). Low childhood SEP was also associated with decreased refill persistency for statins (HR=2.23 (95% CI 1.13 to 4.40)). Thus, the HR for SEP only changed slightly (HR=2.24 (95% CI 1.11 to 4.52)) when IQ was entered into the model, but entering other covariates (education and body mass index in young adulthood and income in midlife) into the model attenuated the HR to 2.04 (95% CI 1.00 to 4.16).

Conclusions

Low childhood SEP was related to more frequent initiation of and poorer refill persistency for statins. IQ in young adulthood explained most of the association between childhood SEP and initiation of statins, but had no impact on refill persistency.
The place for individual conscience
Authors: Kissling Frances
Published: October 2014

From a liberationist, feminist, and Catholic point of view, this article attempts to understand the decision of abortion. People are constantly testing their principles and values against the question of abortion. Advances in technology, the rise of communitarianism and the rejection of individualism, and the commodification of children are factors in the way in which the abortion debate is being constructed in society. The paper offers solutions to end the ugliness of the abortion debate by suggesting that we would be able to progress further on the issue of abortion if we looked for the good in the opposing viewpoint. The article continues with a discussion of Catholics For a Free Choice's position on abortion, and notes firstly that there is no firm position within the Catholic Church on when the fetus becomes a person; secondly that the principle of probablism in Roman Catholicism holds that where the church cannot speak definitively on a matter of fact (in this case, on the personhood of the fetus), the consciences of individual Catholics must be primary and respected, and thirdly that the absolute prohibition on abortion by the church is not infallible. In conclusion, only the woman herself can make the abortion decision.
Keratomycosis in six horses in the United Kingdom
Authors: Sansom J. , Featherstone H. , Barnett K. C.
Published: October 2014

Six horses with keratomycosis were examined and three different clinical expressions of the disease were recognised. The diagnostic work‐up and response to treatment is described.
Influence of outlying values and variations between sampling days on reference ranges for clinical chemistry in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)
Authors: Scope A. , Schwendenwein I. , Frommlet F.
Published: October 2014

Reference ranges for clinical chemistry variables were established for 99 budgerigars sampled monthly for 12 months. The data from the repeated measurements were compiled to obtain the most reliable population‐based reference range defined to be relevant for the population of budgerigars over the whole year. Outlying values were excluded by reference to the population‐based reference range and to previously determined values from the same individual, following the guidelines of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry. The exclusion of outliers significantly reduced the calculated reference ranges.
Efficacy of the treatment of dogs with leishmaniosis with a combination of metronidazole and spiramycin
Authors: Pennisi M. G. , De Majo M. , Masucci M. , Britti D. , Vitale F. , Del Maso R.
Published: October 2014

Twenty‐seven dogs infected naturally with Leishmania infantum were used in a randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical and parasitological efficacy of an oral treatment with a combination of metronidazole and spiramycin (13 dogs) with the efficacy of conventional treatment with meglumine antimonate and allopurinol (14 dogs) as controls. In the test group one dog had to be withdrawn from the treatment because it developed pemphigus foliaceus; 10 of the dogs were clinically responsive but none was cured parasitologically. In the control group four dogs were withdrawn from the treatment because of side effects; eight of the dogs were clinically responsive but none was cured parasitologically. The control group showed signs of improvement after an average of 30 days, whereas the test group did not show signs of improvement until after an average of 45 days.
Myocarditis and myositis due to infection with Hepatozoon species in pine martens (Martes martes) in Scotland
Authors: Simpson V. R. , Panciera R. J. , Hargreaves J. , McGarry J. W. , Scholes S. F. E. , Bown K. J. , Birtles R. J.
Published: October 2014

Postmortem examinations of four pine martens which had died as a result of road accidents in Scotland revealed focal, granulomatous lesions in the heart and skeletal muscles of three of them. An immunoperoxidase staining technique showed that the lesions were due to infection with Hepatozoon species. A PCR‐based assay was used to confirm the presence of Hepatozoon DNA in the infected tissues. The nucleotide base sequence of the PCR products suggested that the infecting organism was probably a new species of Hepatozoon, most closely related to, but distinct from, Hepatozoon canis. The pine martens were in good physical condition and there was no indication that the infection was causing ill health.
Effects of diets fed to dairy cows before and after calving on their plasma progesterone profiles after calving
Authors: Fahey J. , McNamara S. , Murphy J. J. , O’Callaghan D. , Mee J. F.
Published: October 2014

Four weeks before their predicted mean second lactation calving date, 60 spring‐calving Holstein‐Friesian cows were blocked into groups of six on the basis of their predicted calving date and body condition score, and allocated at random to one of six dietary treatments in a factorial design: ad libitum grass silage, ad libitum grass silage plus barley straw or ad libitum grass silage plus 3 kg of concentrates, was offered for four weeks before the expected calving date, and after calving they were offered either 4 kg or 8 kg of concentrates plus ad libitum grass silage for eight weeks. On average, the first luteal activity occurred in all the groups at 29 days after calving. Seventeen of the cows had an atypical first plasma progesterone profile; 12 were anovulatory, three had prolonged luteal phases and two became anovulatory after having been cyclic. The cows offered grass silage only before calving had a significantly shorter mean (se) interval between calving and second luteal activity (44·9 [2·1] days), than the cows offered grass silage and straw (53·5 [1·9] days) or grass silage and concentrates (51·5 [3·2] days) (P<0·05). After calving none of the 28 cows offered grass silage and 4 kg of concentrates started cycling before day 21, whereas five of the 30 cows offered grass silage and 8 kg of concentrates cycled before day 21 (P<0·05).
Controlled clinical trial of the effect of a homoeopathic nosode on the somatic cell counts in the milk of clinically normal dairy cows
Authors: Holmes M. A. , Cockcroft P. D. , Booth C. E. , Heath M. F.
Published: October 2014

Cows in a 250‐cow Holstein‐Friesian herd were allocated at random to be treated with either a homoeopathic nosode or a negative control, both treatments being applied by means of an aerosol spray to the vulval mucous membranes. A total of six treatments were given over a period of three days and milk samples were taken for the determination of somatic cell counts (SCC) on days –3, 3, 7, 9, 14, 21 and 28. Individuals applying the treatments or carrying out the SCC determination were unaware of which animals were receiving which treatment. Owing to the wide natural variations in SCC, the trial had only a 71 per cent possibility of detecting a 30 per cent difference in SCC between the two groups. There were no significant differences between the SCC of the two groups on any sample day, but there were significant variations between the SCC on different days (P=0·003) in both groups.
Linear hoof defects in sheep infected with foot‐and‐mouth disease
Authors: Dekker A. , Moonen P. , Pol J. M. A.
Published: October 2014

During the epidemic of foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) in the Netherlands in 2001, a sheep farm was identified that had been subclinically infected with the disease. The FMD virus genome was detected in 12 of 16 probang samples collected from the sheep and the virus was isolated from four of these samples. Linear defects were observed, 1 to 3 cm from the coronary band, in the hooves of several of the sheep. The defects were thought to have been caused by the FMD infection. It was thought that the distance of the defects from the coronary band might be an indication of the time since the animals had been infected. To determine the growth rate of the claws of sheep, the growth of the hoof horn of uninfected lambs and ewes was measured; in the lambs the growth rate was 0·44 mm per day and in the ewes it was 0·29 mm per day.
Effect of urogenital diseases on subsequent reproductive performance of indoor and outdoor sows
Authors: Thacker M. H. , Bilkei G.
Published: October 2014

URINARY tract infection and swine urogenital disease are often found concurrently with mastitis metritis agalactia syndrome in pigs (Sanders and Bilkei 2004). A high percentage of outdoor sows suffer from swine urogenital disease (Karg and Bilkei 2002). Although outdoor production systems are attractive as a cheaper approach to weaner pig production (Akos and Bilkei 2004), stress and exposure to high levels of bacterial contamination can affect outdoor production (Anon 1997). Reproductive problems in an outdoor herd are thought to be the main reason for a failure to achieve the equivalent production targets of sows kept indoors (Karg and Bilkei 2002). This short communication describes a study to determine the effect of urogenital disease on the reproductive performance of sows kept indoors or outdoors.
Clinical management of sarcoptic mange in Indian buffalo calves with a botanical ointment
Authors: Naresh R. , Swarup D. , Sharma M. C. , Ranjan R.
Published: October 2014

A HIGH incidence (60·8 per cent) of sarcoptic mange has been reported in Indian buffalo calves (Patel and others 2003). The treatment for mange usually depends on the administration of allopathic drugs, but these may carry a risk of toxicity to animals and people; thus, finding a nonallopathic treatment for mange remains a great challenge. Medicinal herbs have reportedly been used worldwide to treat mange and other skin infections of animals, with varied efficacy (Chhabra and others 1994, Chifundera 1998, Viegi and others 2003). To the authors’ knowledge there are no reports of clinical field trials of herbal preparations in the treatment of mange in dairy animals. This short communication describes the clinical management of sarcoptic mange infestation in Indian buffalo calves with an ointment containing several botanical extracts.
Effects of intravenous infusions of sodium bicarbonate on blood oxygen binding in calves with diarrhoea
Authors: Cambier C. , Clerbaux T. , Detry B. , Marville V. , Frans A. , Gustin P.
Published: October 2014

Twelve diarrhoeic calves were treated intravenously with an isotonic solution containing sodium bicarbonate, and their oxygen equilibrium curves (OEC s) were calculated under standard conditions and compared with those of a group of healthy calves. The relationships between the OEC s for arterial and venous blood and the oxygen extraction ratio were investigated. In the diarrhoeic calves, the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen, measured under standard conditions, was increased compared with the healthy animals. During the infusion, the standard partial oxygen pressure at 50 per cent saturation of haemoglobin (P50) values stayed below the values recorded in the healthy animals. At the end of the infusion the mean standard P50 of the diarrhoeic calves was lower than before the infusion. The combined effects of all the regulating factors on blood oxygen binding resulted in the OEC s of the arterial and jugular venous blood of the diarrhoeic calves remaining unchanged compared with the healthy calves. However, the administration of the infusion decreased the P50 of both the arterial and venous blood to below the value recorded in the healthy calves. Oxygen extraction by the tissues was impaired in the diarrhoeic calves throughout the infusion, and they remained dehydrated and depressed until 120 minutes after the infusion began.
Influence of the calcium content of the diet offered to leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis)
Authors: Fledelius B. , JØrgensen G. W. , Jensen H. E. , Brimer L.
Published: October 2014

Twenty‐four juvenile leopard tortoises were divided into four groups of six; one group was fed a basic low‐calcium feed for six months, and the other three groups were fed the same basic diet supplemented with one, three and nine times the amount of calcium recommended as a supplement to the diet of reptiles. The animals’ bone mineral content and bone mineral density were estimated by dual energy x‐ray absorptiometry, and blood samples were taken at the start and at the conclusion of the study. One tortoise from each group was examined postmortem. There was a clear depletion of calcium in the body of the tortoises receiving no calcium supplement, and the shell of the tortoises receiving the recommended calcium supplement did not calcify to the extent expected. The tortoises that received three times the recommended calcium supplementation had the highest growth rate and were thriving. However, metastatic calcifications were observed postmortem in the two groups that were given the highest doses of calcium.
Prevalence and characterisation ofCryptosporidiumspecies in cattle faeces and on beef carcases at slaughter
Authors: Moriarty E. M. , McEvoy J.M. , Sheridan J. J. , Duffy G. , Lowery C. J. , Thompson H. P. , Finn M. , Blair I. S. , McDowell D. A.
Published: October 2014

Cattle are known reservoirs and asymptomatic excretors ofCryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite that causes severe and protracted diarrhoea in people. The incidence ofCryptosporidiumwas investigated in 288 matched samples taken from beef carcases of 1 g samples of faeces retrieved immediately after de‐legging, 25 cm2samples of beef excised from the rump of uneviscerated carcases, and 25 cm2 samples of beef excised from the brisket area of eviscerated carcases.Cryptosporidiumspecies were detected in 21 of the faecal samples after salt flotation and immunofluorescent microscopy. The species isolated from the positive samples were identified by restriction fragment length polymorphism and PCR asCryptosporidiumandersoni (54·5 per cent) andCryptosporidium parvumgenotype 2 (45·5 per cent). In the faecal samples, there was a significantly higher prevalence of the parasite in samples taken in summer (May to July) and winter (November to January) than in spring or autumn. NoCryptosporidiumspecies were recovered from any of the beef samples.
Subdural accumulation of fluid in a dog after the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt
Authors: Kitagawa M. , Sakai T. , Kanayama K.
Published: October 2014

A dog with hydrocephalus as a result of aqueduct stenosis and cerebellar herniation underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunting. Magnetic resonance images and computed tomography scans taken after the surgery revealed subdural accumulations of haemorrhagic fluid and cereberocortical collapse caused by overshunting and leakage of cerebrospinal fluid from the site of insertion of the shunt. However, the degree of cerebellar herniation was reduced after the shunt was inserted, and the dog did not develop any neurological signs and made good progress.
Inactivation of the BSE agent by the heat and pressure process for manufacturing gelatine
Authors: Grobben A. H. , Steele P. J. , Somerville R. A. , Taylor D. M. , Schreuder B. E. C.
Published: October 2014

Dietary exposure to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent is the probable cause of variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease in people. The industrial manufacturing process for the production of gelatine and colloidal protein by the heat and pressure process was downscaled accurately and its capacity to remove or inactivate BSE infectivity was investigated. Gelatine was made from bones experimentally contaminated with mouse brain infected with the 301V strain of mouse‐passaged BSE agent in which the infective titre was 108·7 ID50 /g. No infectivity was detected in the extracted protein (≥100·45 ID50 /g), and the calculated clearance factor was 106·5 ID50 or more.
Haematological and biochemical measurements in healthy, adult, free‐ranging golden jackals (Canis aureus syriacus) held in captivity
Authors: Aroch I. , Shpigel N. Y. , Avidar Y. , Yakobson B. , King R. , Shamir M.
Published: October 2014

Blood from 31 healthy, free‐ranging golden jackals held in captivity for seven days was collected while they were anaesthetised. Haematological and serum biochemical measurements were analysed and the 95 per cent confidence interval for each variable was compared with the reference value for domestic dogs. The measurements of their red blood cells were within the reference interval for dogs, but the jackals had higher white blood cell counts and eosinophil counts than dogs. The male jackals had a higher haematocrit, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and a lower red blood cell distribution width than the female jackals. High activities of muscle enzymes were detected in many of the jackals, in several of which the activity of creatine kinase exceeded 5000 U/l; these were considered abnormal.
Electrocardiographic parameters of normal alpacas (Lama pacos)
Authors: Ferasin L. , Ogden D. M. , Davies S. J. , Kirby R. J. , D’Alterio G. L.
Published: October 2014

The electrocardiographic parameters of 40 healthy alpacas (Lama pacos) were recorded with a base‐apex lead system to establish the normal resting electrocardiographic parameters in this species. The following parameters were measured: heart rate and rhythm, QRS and T morphology, ST segment position, P amplitude and duration, QRS duration and PQ and QT intervals. The heart rate varied between 50 and 110 bpm, with a mean (sd) of 80 (17·8) bpm, and no significant differences were observed between males and females or between alpacas of different ages. Sinus arrhythmia was observed in 35 of the animals, and a regular sinus rhythm was recorded in the other five. The QRS morphology was variable, with an ‘rS’ pattern observed in 29 animals, ‘RS ’ in six, ‘Rs’ in three and ‘QS ’ in the other two. A variable morphology was also observed for the T wave, which was positive in 27 animals, negative in seven and biphasic in the other six. All the electrocardiographic parameters were normally distributed and no significant differences were observed between the sexes, except that the amplitude of the P wave was higher in males. The PQ interval was significantly shorter in animals less than six months old.
Diurnal variations in the plasma concentration of parathyroid hormone in dogs
Authors: López I. , Aguilera‐Tejero E. , Estepa J. C. , Bas S. , Mayer‐Valor R. , Jiménez A. , Rodríguez M.
Published: October 2014

The plasma concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH), ionised calcium (Ca2+), total calcium, albumin and inorganic phosphorus, and the pH were measured in blood samples obtained from nine dogs during a period of 26 hours. The plasma PTH levels fluctuated slightly during the day, by about 20 pg/ml, but there was a distinct peak (42·8 [8·8] pg/ml) at 07.00. Plasma Ca2+ showed a diurnal pattern in which two peaks (increases of 0·03 mmol/l) were observed at 05.00 and 17.00, and the plasma concentration of inorganic phosphorus showed a similar pattern. There were no diurnal changes in total calcium or albumin.
Microcomputed tomography and histology of a fragmented medial coronoid process in a 20‐week‐old golden retriever
Authors: Wolschrijn C. F. , Weijs W. A. , Gruys E.
Published: October 2014

A 20‐week‐old male golden retriever, which was not lame and showed no clinical signs of a fragmented medial coronoid process (FCP), was euthanased for another study and perfused intravenously with formaldehyde. Gross dissection revealed no abnormalities within the right elbow joint. The medial coronoid process was excised, embedded in methylmethacrylate, scanned in a microcomputed tomography (microCT) scanner and sectioned for histology. The microCT scans revealed a dense trabecular bone structure, much denser than in other dogs of similar age, which was considered to be responsible for the sclerosis visible at the base of the coronoid process in radiographs. Three‐dimensional reconstructions indicated that there was a small step within the subchondral bone, extending from the apex towards the radial notch. Histology revealed a necrotic lesion between locally thickened articular cartilage and the subchondral bone, characteristic of osteochondrosis.
Epidemiological study of the characteristics of veterinarians who pursue a research career: part 2
Authors: Murray J. K. , Fitzpatrick J. L. , French N. P. , Pinchbeck G. L.
Published: October 2014

This retrospective study investigated the characteristics associated with being a veterinary surgeon employed in veterinary research during 2001 to 2003. The main reasons for graduates entering a research career were having opportunities for more intellectual stimulation than was available in practice and having the opportunity to try a research career. Lack of funding and job insecurity were cited as the main factors that might cause a veterinary surgeon working in research to change career. The main reasons given by veterinary surgeons for not considering a research career were that they enjoyed veterinary practice, they liked the contact with animals and their owners, they considered they were not sufficiently academic, and they thought the salary associated with a research career was poor. The graduates working in research stated that the best aspects of their work were the greater intellectual stimulation and the more varied workload; the worst aspects were the conflicting work pressures and the lower salary.