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The article presents a study on the interaction of Bordetella bronchiseptica, toxigenic pasteurella multocida serotype D and mycotoxin fumonisin B1 (FB1) on artificially reared 3 day old piglets. The piglets were divided into a control group, a group fed FB1 toxin, a group infected with the 2 pathogens, and a group infected with the 2 pathogens and fed FB1 toxin. Computed tomography showed lung lesions attributable to colonization by Bordetella bronchiseptica in the infected groups.

The aim of these experiments was to examine the applicability of two different methods (TOBEC and CT) for the in vivo prediction of egg composition. In the first experiment the electrical conductivity of 46 hen's eggs was measured by means of the TOBEC (Total Body Electrical Conductivity) method and correlations were calculated between the measured values and different egg components (dry matter, protein, fat). In the second experiment 120 hen's eggs were scanned by CT (computer tomography), in order to develop the CT measurement protocol and to determine correlations between the information content of the CT images and yolk content of the eggs. In the case of the TOBEC measurements it was established that the dry matter and fat content of the eggs could be measured with medium accuracy (R2=0.472 and R2=0.486, respectively), when the electrical conductivity (E-value) and the weight of the eggs are used as independent variables in the linear regression model. In the second experiment it was observed that the separation of egg yolk and albumen is not possible based on the X-ray density values of the pixels (CT picture elements) because of the overlapping values of yolk and albumen. The determination of the surface of egg yolk on the CT pictures gave fairly good results, but this type of the evaluation is very time consuming. Therefore further development of the new egg-separation and segmentation software is needed, which can be used to determine the whole volume of the yolk, albumen and shell automatically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and aim: In case of imaging modalities using ionizing radiation, radiation exposure of the patients is a vital issue. It is important to survey the various dose-reducing techniques to achieve optimal radiation protection while keeping image quality on an optimal level. Method: We reprocessed 105 patients' data prospectively between February and April 2017. The determination of the radiation dose was based on the effective dose, calculated by multiplying the dose-length product (DLP) and dose-conversation coefficient. In case of image quality we used signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) based on manual segmentation of region of interest (ROI). For statistical analysis, one sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used. Results: Using iterative reconstruction, the effective dose was significantly lower (p<0.001) in both native and contrast-enhanced abdominal, contrast-enhanced chest CT scans and in the case of the total effective dose. At native and contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scans, the noise content of the images showed significantly lower (p<0.001) values for iterative reconstruction images. At contrast-enhanced chest CT scans there was no significant difference between the noise content of the images (p>0.05). Conclusion: Using iterative reconstruction, it was possible to achieve significant dose reduction. Since the noise content of the images was not significantly higher using the iterative reconstruction compared to the filtered back projection, further dose reduction can be achievable while preserving the optimal quality of the images. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(35): 1387-1394.

Red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) hinds ( n = 3 × 10 ) of identical initial body weight (BW, ca. 68 kg) were reared on a monocotyledonous grass (G group), on a grass- papilionaceous (GP group) or on pure papilionaceous pasture each of 2 ha (P group) for 219 d. At the end of the experiment carcass tissue composition was assessed by means of computer tomography, slaughter value and meat quality were characterized and tissue - longissimus thoracis et lumborum  (LTL), thigh and liver - samples were taken for fatty acid composition analysis. The primary aim was to assess nutrition-driven differences. Hinds of group P provided higher final BW (101 kg vs. 90 and 91.9 kg in groups G and GP, respectively) and higher BW gain (32.6 kg during the total period vs. 22.4 and 22.1 kg). The carcass weight exceeded those of the other groups significantly (68.8 kg vs. 59.3 and 63.2 kg), while there was no difference among groups in the perirenal fat weight and red color tone ( a * ) of the LTL. Groups G and P differed significantly in the LTL weight (highest in P), its dripping loss (lowest in G), lightness (L; highest in P) and yellow color tone ( b * ). In the thigh muscle, LTL and liver the highest proportion of fatty acid CLA9c11t was reached on the G pasture, and the same trend was true for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA , C22:6 n3) in the muscles. The n6  /  n3 fatty acid ratio was the highest on the P pasture in the liver and both muscles. The liver incorporated the highest proportion of linoleic acid (C18:2 n6) and converted it rather effectively to arachidonic acid (C20:4 n6), coupled with the lowest α -linolenic acid presence. In conclusion, concerning muscle mass production, group P proved to be the most advantageous pasture; meanwhile LTL meat quality factors (dripping loss, DHA proportion, pH, color) were more favorable on the G pasture., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 János Nagy et al.)

Background and Purpose: Studies have shown that a high proportion of patients undergoing MRI examinations experience anxiety and distress which may compromise image quality and successful data acquisition. Research on fMRI related anxiety is limited as to date, therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the changes in anxiety as well as to examine its interactions with the implementation of a dedicated patient preparation phase prior to the examination., Methods: An fMRI examination consisting of six paradigms was performed on nine female and nine male healthy volunteers. Prior to the examination, the volunteers were subject to an extensive patient preparation phase including the professional support of a psychologist. The volunteers were subject to the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) pre and post fMRI. Blood pressure and heart rate were also measured pre and post fMRI examination., Results: A high level of trait and state anxiety was observed (STAI-T: 41.67 +/- 8.96; STAI-S: 34.78 +/- 9.79) prior to the examination. The level of state anxiety decreased significantly following the examination (STAI-S: 28.83 +/- 4.99, p<0.01). Correlation between the volunteers level of anxiety prior to the fMRI scan and the volume of the activation areas was observed in the fingertapping (r=0.656; 0.561) and word generation (r=0.471) paradigms., Conclusion: The results of this study support the contribution of a supportive patient preparation phase inclusive of professional guidance to help reduce the volunteers' level of distress and anxiety. These results encourage the study to be extended to clinical patients.