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Raccoons are an invasive species continuously spreading throughout Europe with Germany as the core area. Here, raccoons mostly live in rural regions, but some urban populations are already established (city of Kassel) or starting to build up (Berlin). The objective of this study was to investigate Sarcoptes infections in racoons in these two urban areas and try to identify the putative origin of the parasite. Parasite morphology, gross and histopathology examinations of diseased skin tissue were consistent with Sarcoptes scabiei infection. Moreover, using 9 microsatellite markers we genotyped individual mites from five raccoons and compared them with fox-, wild boar- and Northern chamois-derived Sarcoptes mites, originating from Italy and Switzerland. The raccoon-derived mites clustered together with the fox samples and were clearly differentiated from those of the wild boar and chamois suggesting a fox origin for the raccoon mange infection. These results are evidence of cross-transmission of S. scabiei among wild carnivores. Although our results cannot elucidate whether raccoons became infected by frequent interaction with endemically or epidemically infected foxes or if these cases were the result of occasional contacts among these animal species. Nevertheless, they show that pathogens can be shared among urban populations of native and invasive carnivores

We investigated the hypothesis that benfotiamine, a lipophilic derivative of thiamine, affects replication delay and generation of advanced glycosylation end-products (AGE) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured in the presence of high glucose. Cells were grown in physiological (5.6 mM) and high (28.0 mM) concentrations of D-glucose, with and without 150 microM thiamine or benfotiamine. Cell proliferation was measured by mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity. AGE generation after 20 days was assessed fluorimetrically. Cell replication was impaired by high glucose (72.3%+/-5.1% of that in physiological glucose, p=0.001). This was corrected by the addition of either thiamine (80.6%+/-2.4%, p=0.005) or benfotiamine (87.5%+/-8.9%, p=0.006), although it not was completely normalized (p=0.001 and p=0.008, respectively) to that in physiological glucose. Increased AGE production in high glucose (159.7%+/-38.9% of fluorescence in physiological glucose, p=0.003) was reduced by thiamine (113.2%+/-16.3%, p=0.008 vs. high glucose alone) or benfotiamine (135.6%+/-49.8%, p=0.03 vs. high glucose alone) to levels similar to those observed in physiological glucose. Benfotiamine, a derivative of thiamine with better bioavailability, corrects defective replication and increased AGE generation in endothelial cells cultured in high glucose, to a similar extent as thiamine. These effects may result from normalization of accelerated glycolysis and the consequent decrease in metabolites that are extremely active in generating nonenzymatic protein glycation. The potential role of thiamine administration in the prevention or treatment of vascular complications of diabetes deserves further investigation.

At a meeting that was held in Paris (France) on 14 October 1999, the directors of National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) of 38 member states belonging to the Meter Convention and two representatives of international organizations signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM-MRA 1999) to support international traceability of national measurement standards and the calibration and measurement certificates issued by NMIs. This document, amended in 2003, is integrally given in English in Appendix G and is freely available on BIPM web site http://www.bipm.org/en/cipm-mra/documents/ in its French and English versions.

In this chapter an analysis will be made of the different pressure transducers for static gas pressure measurements in the pressure ranges from 100 Pa to about 100 MPa approximating those considered for absolute, gauge, and differential pressure measurements in Chapter 7. Many of these transducers can work as well in liquid media, but some, particularly those for absolute pressures typically between 100 Pa and some megapascals, are designed for operation only in gas media.

The “universal” cryostat and the “best” cryostat are ideal terms. The literature contains a very large number of papers describing cryostats. No attempt will be made to review all the papers, or to describe the extremely numerous and varied cryostats. Besides, many of them are specifically designed for types of applications other than thermometry and temperature control; indeed most are too specialized, since their function as thermostats has been unnecessarily confused with the requirements of a specific experiment mounted in them.

Chronologically, gas thermometry was the first method used for the accurate measurement of the thermodynamic temperature—with air used as a working substance—the reason being that the very simple law of the ideal gas [Eq. (1.16)] is applicable to several real gases with close approximation. Air was soon replaced by hydrogen and then by helium. The reader is directed to the “Further Readings” at the end of Part I, for the history and the developments of gas thermometry.

Vapor pressures have been used for a long time for temperature measurements or for calibrating thermometers against a physical property, since the saturated vapor pressure of a pure substance above its liquid phase depends only on temperature. The physical basis of vapor-pressure thermometry has already been discussed in Sect. 2.1 (see Fig. 2.1). Vapor pressures are very commonly used as well for the realization of the fixed points called “boiling points”. These fixed points are simply specific points on the vapor pressure line, generally those at 101 325 Pa (normal boiling point). They do not deserve special attention, as they differ in no way from any other point of the vapor pressure line, and are often simply the highest point attained by the experimenter.

Background Microsporum canis is a dermatophyte fungus harbored by cats and dogs and is frequently transmitted to humans. Molecular tools able to discriminate fungal isolates at the strain level would prove extremely useful for confirming the route of infection, thus contributing to optimization of prophylaxis and hygienic regimens. Objective To develop and validate a microsatellite marker-based method for use in tracking infections by M. canis. Methods Primers were designed against sequences flanking the microsatellites individuated by a BLAST search using the nucleotide sequence information assembled by the M. canis CBS 113480 genome project. The PCR conditions were standardized and fragment analysis was performed using a genetic analyzer. The resolving power of the markers was investigated on 26 unrelated M. canis strains while the reproducibility of the technique and the stability of the markers were evaluated on a single strain subcultured in time as well as on 36 strains isolated from nine outbreak episodes. Results Eight markers were recognized as being the most polymorphic within the set of M. canis strains isolated from unrelated distant hosts, with a total of 22 multilocus genotypes, which corresponded to a genotypic diversity of 97%. Repeated tests on subcultures of M. canis reference strain CBS 113480 always yielded the same results. Identical multilocus genotypes were obtained for all the isolates from each outbreak episode. Conclusion The high resolving power and reproducibility of the markers that were identified support the potential of these tools to detect sources and routes of infection by M. canis.

Finite element analysis methods were developed and applied to gas piston–cylinder units (PCUs) of piston- and cylinder-floating configuration (2, 5, 10 and 20) cm 2 nominal effective area, operated in gauge and absolute mode at pressures (0.06–7.5) MPa to determine their zero pressure and pressure-dependent effective areas, as well as pressure distortion coefficients ( λ ) with associated uncertainties. Real dimensional properties of the PCUs were used. λ were found to be independent of gas (ideal, N 2 , He) within the viscous flow model, but strongly dependent on the gap shape, operation mode and elastic properties. Results demonstrate good agreement for λ , with its uncertainty for different PCUs varying between (0.03 and 0.21) × 10 −6 MPa −1 corresponding to maximum relative uncertainties in pressure of (0.07–0.34) × 10 −6 .

The development of non-manipulative molecular tools to determine the origin of parasite infections in the animal trade (if infected before their export or import) is of great interest worldwide for both the animal trade industry and for animal welfare. Molecular tools have a wide range of applications, including forensic identification, wildlife preservation and conservation, veterinary public health protection, and food safety. Nonetheless, genetic markers were not reported to detect the source of infection in the animal trade. In this study we tested the applicability of molecular tools to detect the origin of Sarcoptes mite infection of wildebeest imported by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) from Tanzania. Using one multiplex of seven microsatellite markers and control samples from UAE, Kenya and Italy, we demonstrated the usefulness of the multiplex STR-typing as a molecular tool of pivotal interest to help commercialist, authorities, and conservationists, to identify the geographical origin of parasitic infections. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

[Background]: Implicitly, parasite molecular studies assume temporal genetic stability. In this study we tested, for the first time to our knowledge, the extent of changes in genetic diversity and structure of Sarcoptes mite populations from Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) in Asturias (Spain), using one multiplex of 9 microsatellite markers and Sarcoptes samples from sympatric Pyrenean chamois, red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). [Results]: The analysis of an 11-years interval period found little change in the genetic diversity (allelic diversity, and observed and expected heterozygosity). The temporal stability in the genetic diversity was confirmed by population structure analysis, which was not significantly variable over time. Population structure analysis revealed temporal stability in the genetic diversity of Sarcoptes mite under the host-taxon law (herbivore derived- and carnivore derived-Sarcoptes mite) among the sympatric wild animals from Asturias. [Conclusions]: The confirmation of parasite temporal genetic stability is of vital interest to allow generalizations to be made, which have further implications regarding the genetic structure, epidemiology and monitoring protocols of the ubiquitous Sarcoptes mite. This could eventually be applied to other parasite species., The research was supported by a RTA 2009-00114-00-00 (INIA) project, RNM-6400, Proyecto de Excelencia (Junta de Andalucia, Spain) and Juan de la Cierva grant. This work is a contribution to the agreement between IREC - CSIC and Principado de Asturias.

Western blotting was used to describe the Microsporum canis proteins with antigenic activity in dogs with dermatophytosis. Electrophoretic separation of whole fungal strain extract cultured from a cat was performed under denaturing conditions. The proteins were blotted onto nitrocellulose and probed with sera collected from 22 dogs with dermatophytosis (18 M. canis, 3 M. gypseum, 1 Trichophyton mentagrophytes; group A), 20 dogs with skin diseases other than dermatophytosis, and 22 dogs with no clinical cutaneous signs (group B, n = 42). Nine principal IgG-binding proteins with apparent molecular weights of 180, 144, 130, 120, 102, 96, 80, 68, and 48 kD were visualised on group A blots. For these proteins, serological cross-reactivity with different strains of M. canis may be indirectly confirmed, whereas additional proteins were found to react with sera from individual dogs. The proteins visualised in this study may represent diagnostic markers of dermatophyte infection. The proteins should be further evaluated for their role in the cellular immune response of dogs with dermatophytosis.

Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus, fam. Leporidae) has previously been shown to be a potential healthy carrier of dermatophyte fungi both geophilic (Microsporum gypseum, M. cookei, Trichophyton ajelloi, T. terrestre) and zoophilic (M. canis, T. mentagrophytes). In this communication, the first case, to the best of our knowledge, of a symptomatic dermatophyte infection in S. floridanus is described.

This study was performed to determine the frequencies and specificities of IgG antibodies binding to component of Sarcoptes scabiei extracts in swine with hypersensitive and chronic mange. The hypersensitive form is characterised by pruritus and the presence of small red papules over the flanks and belly. The chronic form is characterised by crusts, which contain large numbers of mites and are attached to the skin; the lesions are most commonly found on the internal pinna extending into the auditory canal. S. scabiei mite extract was separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with subsequent immunoblotting. IgG-binding proteins were detected with individual sera from 30 hypersensitive and 21 chronically infected pigs; eight "Specific Pathogen Free" pigs were used as negative controls. Seven protein bands with molecular weights ranging from >220 to 30 Kilodalton (KDD) (>220, 218, 110, 80, 66, 52, 36 KDD) strongly bound with IgG antibodies; five out of these seven components (218, 110, 80, 66, 52 KDD) bound also with sera from negative pigs. There is a statistically significant difference in the antigenic recognition spectra between hypersensitive and chronically infected pigs; component of >220 KDD is more frequently recognized by chronically infected pigs (P=0.0006, chi(2)=11.74), in contrast component of 36 KDD is more frequently recognized by hypersensitive pigs (P=0.001, chi(2)=10). Our results clearly indicate there is a difference in the reactivity to antigenic peptides/proteins of S. scabiei mite between hypersensitive and chronically infected pigs, and revealed that only two antigens may be considered S. scabiei-specific and used for diagnostic purposes in swine.