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Carbonate rocks provide unique and valuable sedimentary archives for secular changes in Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological processes. However, reading the stratigraphic record produces overlapping, nonunique interpretations that stem from the difficulty in directly comparing competing biological, physical, or chemical mechanisms within a common quantitative framework. We built a mathematical model that decomposes these processes and casts the marine carbonate record in terms of energy fluxes across the sediment–water interface. Results showed that physical, chemical, and biological energy terms across the seafloor are subequal and that the energetic dominance of different processes varies both as a function of environment (e.g., onshore vs. offshore) as well as with time-varying changes in seawater chemistry and with evolutionary changes in animal abundance and behavior. We applied our model to observations from the end-Permian mass extinction—a massive upheaval in ocean chemistry and biology—revealing an energetic equivalence between two hypothesized drivers of changing carbonate environments: a reduction in physical bioturbation increased carbonate saturation states in the oceans. Early Triassic occurrences of ‘anachronistic’ carbonates—facies largely absent from marine environments after the Early Paleozoic—were likely driven more by reduction in animal biomass than by repeated perturbations to seawater chemistry. This analysis highlighted the importance of animals and their evolutionary history in physically shaping patterns in the sedimentary record via their impact on the energetics of marine environments.

To assess the roles of cell membranes and DNA as targets in radiation-induced apoptosis.Peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal human donors were exposed to different types of apoptosis-inducing agents. Several measures of apoptosis were used to compare the kinetics of the processes induced, as well as to correlate the processes with DNA damage and membrane oxidation.Two kinetically distinct processes were observed. DNA-damaging agents, such as ionizing radiation, bleomycin, cisplatin and the topoisomerase inhibitor m-amsacrine, induced apoptosis by a kinetically slow process initiated by DNA damage and dependent on protein synthesis, but which did not correlate with membrane oxidation. Conversely, the agents t-butyl hydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide induced apoptosis by a kinetically fast process independent of protein synthesis and which did correlate with membrane oxidation.Slowly repaired or unrepairable DNA lesions, such as some of those produced by ionizing radiation exposure, trigger apoptosis by a kinetically slow process. This slow apoptotic pathway is distinct from a fast process not induced by radiation but which is induced by membrane-oxidizing agents.

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the control of arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs) has not been studied in vivo in a thermoregulatory end organ. In this study. the effect of local inhibition of NO synthesis by N G -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on the microvasculature in the rabbit ear (n = 12) was observed in vivo through a chronically implanted ear microvascular chamber. Ear cutaneous blood perfusion (CBP), total auricular arterial flow (TAF), and ear temperature were monitored simultaneously with the direct microvascular observations. Results revealed that intrafacial artery infusion of L-NAME produced significant vasoconstriction of arterioles, AVAs, and venules (p < 0.05). A decrease of ear blood perfusion also was demonstrated by changes of CBP, TAF, and surface temperature. The data provide evidence that basal generation of NO influences the vascular resistance in the thermoregulatory end organ. Moreover, endogenous NO production may be more important in regulating the AVA flow than is flow in other parts of the rabbit ear microvasculature. The effects of NO inhibition on ear microvasculature were not abolished by superior cervical ganglionectomy, indicating that NO production in the rabbit ear is not a neurally mediated mechanism. Further study with a short-term rabbit ear preparation showed that inhibition of NO production with L-NAME enhanced microvascular constrictive responses to extraluminal application of norepinephrine. NO thus appears to play a role of basal vasodilator in opposition to the basal adrenergic vasoconstrictor tone in the rabbit ear.

Sickle cell anemia and thalassemia are hemoglobinopathies rarely encountered in the United States. Compounded with congenital heart disease, patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) requiring cardiopulmonary bypass and open-heart surgery represent the proverbial “needle in the haystack”. As such, there is some trepidation on the part of clinicians when these patients present for complex cardiac surgery. SCD is an autosomal, recessive condition that results from a single nucleotide polymorphism in the β-globin gene. Hemoglobin SS molecules (HgbSS) with this point mutation can polymerize under the right conditions, stiffening the erythrocyte membrane and distorting the cellular structure to the characteristic sickle shape. This shape change alters cellular transit through the microvasculature. As a result, circumstances such as hypoxia, hypothermia, acidosis or diminished blood flow can lead to aggregation, vascular occlusion and thrombosis. Chronically, SCD can give rise to multiorgan damage secondary to hemolysis and vascular obstruction. This review and case study details an 11-year-old African-American male with known SCD who presented to the cardiothoracic surgical service with congenital heart disease consisting of an anomalous, intramural right coronary artery arising from the left coronary sinus for surgical consultation and subsequent surgical correction. This case report will include a review of the pathophysiology and current literature regarding preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management of SCD patients.

Mechanical circulatory support emerged for the pediatric population in the late 1980s as a bridge to cardiac transplantation. The Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) (SynCardia Systems Inc., Tuscon, AZ) has been approved for compassionate use by the Food and Drug Administration for patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure as a bridge to heart transplantation since 1985 and has had FDA approval since 2004. However, of the 1,061 patients placed on the TAH-t, only 21 (2%) were under the age 18. SynCardia Systems, Inc. recommends a minimum patient body surface area (BSA) of 1.7 m2, thus, limiting pediatric application of this device. This unique case report shares this pediatric institution’s first experience with the TAH-t. A 14-year-old male was admitted with dilated cardiomyopathy and severe biventricular heart failure. The patient rapidly decompensated, requiring extracorporeal life support. An echocardiogram revealed severe biventricular dysfunction and diffuse clot formation in the left ventricle and outflow tract. The decision was made to transition to biventricular assist device. The biventricular failure and clot formation helped guide the team to the TAH-t, in spite of a BSA (1.5 m2) below the recommendation of 1.7m2. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the thorax, in conjunction with a novel three-dimensional (3D) modeling system and team, assisted in determining appropriate fit. Chest CT and 3D modeling following implantation were utilized to determine all major vascular structures were unobstructed and the bronchi were open. The virtual 3D model confirmed appropriate device fit with no evidence of compression to the left pulmonary veins. The postoperative course was complicated by a left lung opacification. The left lung anomalies proved to be atelectasis and improved with aggressive recruitment maneuvers. The patient was supported for 11 days prior to transplantation. Chest CT and 3D modeling were crucial in assessing whether the device would fit, as well as postoperative complications in this smaller pediatric patient.

To prevent the introduction of pathogens, specific pathogen-free (SPF) facilities generally have a "once out, never back" policy with respect to animals and materials. In a lifetime study of the long-term effects of ionizing radiation exposure in mice, large numbers of SPF mice needed to be transported from clean-animal barrier labs to a multiuser conventional building for radiation treatment and then back into the animal facility. The conventional building is known to harbor wild mice as well as insects, spiders, and mites, and this situation might potentiate the transfer of wild mouse pathogens to laboratory animals. Introduction of pathogens into the mouse population would jeopardize the entire study, but the radiation treatments were an essential component of the study. These considerations prompted development of a system for transporting individual animals out of and back into the facility without exposure to pathogens. The system consists of reusable transport/treatment vessels and transport protocols designed to minimize the potential for pathogen exposure.

The aim of this work was a pragmatic, statistically sound and clinically relevant approach to dose-proportionality analyses that is compatible with common study designs.Statistical estimation is used to derive a (1-alpha)% confidence interval (CI) for the ratio of dose-normalized, geometric mean values (Rdnm) of a pharmacokinetic variable (PK). An acceptance interval for Rdnm defining the clinically relevant, dose-proportional region is established a priori. Proportionality is declared if the CI for Rdnm is completely contained within the critical region. The approach is illustrated with mixed-effects models based on a power function of the form PK = beta0 x Dose(beta1); however, the logic holds for other functional forms.It was observed that the dose-proportional region delineated by a power model depends only on the dose ratio. Furthermore, a dose ratio (rho1) can be calculated such that the CI lies entirely within the pre-specified critical region. A larger ratio (rho2) may exist such that the CI lies completely outside that region. The approach supports inferences about the PK response that are not constrained to the exact dose levels studied.The proposed method enhances the information from a clinical dose-proportionality study and helps to standardize decision rules.

Increased gastrocnemius/soleus muscle tone in children with cerebral palsy may cause an equinus of the ankle. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX), a neuromuscular blocking agent, reduces muscle tone in various neuromuscular disorders. The safety and short-term efficacy of BTX injections were evaluated in a prospective, 3-month, double-blind, randomized clinical trial involving 114 children with cerebral palsy and dynamic equinus foot deformity. Outcome was determined by observational gait analysis, ankle range-of-motion measurements, and quantification of muscle denervation by nerve conduction. Patients in the BTX group demonstrated improved gait function and partial denervation of the injected muscle. No serious adverse events were reported.

Congenital dislocation of the knee (CDK) is rare and includes a spectrum of hyperextension disorders of the knee. Early recognition of CDK is important, and careful evaluation is required to rule out associated hip deformity. Early manipulation, combined with splinting and casting, is the mainstay of initial treatment. Patients with seemingly fixed contractures may respond rapidly to serial casting and then can be placed in a Pavlik harness. Severe recalcitrant deformities or late presentation of the deformity may require surgical release. We highlight the importance of diagnostic categorization, show management options, and provide an overview of this rare but clinically significant problem. We present two case reports that illustrate the full range of management options.

To determine the prevalence of Salmonella infections in horses at necropsy.Cross-sectional prevalence survey.102 horses.Mesenteric lymph nodes were collected from horses that were necropsied. Horses had died or were euthanatized because of severe disease or at the request of the owner. Twenty-eight of the horses were racehorses euthantized following acute catastrophic injuries on the racetrack. Mesenteric lymph nodes were submitted for Salmonella culture via direct plating of tissue specimens on MacConkey agar and by use of 4 enrichment culture techniques that used tetrathionate and selenite enrichment broth and brilliant green and Salmonella-Shigella selective plating media.Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from the mesenteric lymph nodes of 2 foals (2/102, 1.96% of the horses). Salmonella organisms were not isolated from the mesenteric lymph nodes of adult horses.Prevalence of Salmonella infections in horses of our study (1.96%) suggests that the results of cross-sectional surveys, using bacteriologic culture to determine prevalence of Salmonella infection, should be interpreted with caution. Prevalence of Salmonella infections determined in a single facility may not reflect the prevalence of Salmonella-infected horses in the general population; furthermore, obtaining a Salmonella isolate from a horse does not establish that the horse is a chronic Salmonella carrier.

To identify risk factors for nosocomial Salmonella infections among hospitalized horses.Longitudinal study.1,583 horses hospitalized in an intensive care unit between January 1992 and June 1996.Survivor functions were used to estimate time to shedding salmonellae for various Salmonella serotypes. Survival analysis was then used to determine how variables associated with patient management, environmental conditions, hospital conditions, and other disease processes affected the risk of nosocomial Salmonella infection.78 horses shed Salmonella organisms: 35 shed Salmonella krefeld, 26 shed S typhimurium, and 17 shed other Salmonella serotypes. Mean time from admission to shedding was significantly longer for horses shedding S krefeld or S typhimurium than for horses shedding other Salmonella serotypes. Therefore, infection with S krefeld or S typhimurium was considered nosocomial. Seven variables were found to be significantly associated with risk of nosocomial Salmonella infection: mean number of horses in the hospital shedding S krefeld during the 4 days prior to and the day of admission, mean number of horses shedding S typhimurium during this period, a diagnosis of large colon impaction, withholding feed, number of days fed bran mash, duration of treatment with potassium penicillin G, and mean daily ambient temperature.Results suggest that risk of nosocomial Salmonella infections is greater for horses with large colon impactions. In addition to implementing hospital protocols that minimize cross contamination between patients, strategies to reduce the risk of nosocomial Salmonella infection should include minimizing use of potassium penicillin G and regulation of environmental temperature in the hospital.

This study assessed the accuracy of arteriography and laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI) as predictors of digital ischemia and correlated upper extremity symptoms, function, and nutritional flow with arteriographic and laser Doppler assessments. Multiple-level occlusive disease was documented in 25 hands (23 patients) by arteriography. LDPI demonstrated one or more hypoperfused digits in 17 hands. Patient questionnaires were used to assess upper extremity symptoms, pain, cold sensitivity, and function. Spearman correlation coefficients indicated that arteriography is a poor indicator of nutritional perfusion as measured by LDPI. Neither arteriography or laser Doppler perfusion imaging served as an indicator of the severity of cold intolerance. However, upper extremity symptoms and functional status correlated with both laser Doppler measurements and the level of cold sensitivity. Laser Doppler perfusion imaging and arteriographic analysis provide complimentary data in the evaluation of upper extremity ischemia.

A 7-day-old Jersey calf was evaluated because of diarrhea and pneumonia. The calf was hypernatremic, hypoproteinemic, and acidemic, and was treated initially with i.v. administration of fluids with sodium concentration (175 mEq/L) similar to the calf's serum sodium concentration. Sodium concentration of the administered fluids was gradually decreased over the following days, but the calf's serum sodium concentration decreased too rapidly, and the calf developed neurologic signs attributed to cerebral edema. Treatment with mannitol and i.v. administration of fluids with a higher concentration of sodium resulted in abatement of clinical signs. In calves, hypernatremia may develop over several days. Prescribing traditional isotonic or hypotonic fluids in such cases will be harmful, because during chronic hypernatremia, the brain's adaptive mechanisms involve accumulation of organic osmoles that may take several days to equilibrate across cell membranes, and cerebral edema may result. Administration of fluids containing sodium concentration approximately equal to the patient's measured serum sodium concentration is required to decrease serum sodium concentration more slowly than is possible with traditional isotonic fluids.

To predict mortality of horses by use of clinical data from the first day of hospitalization, to determine whether fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms is related to severity of clinical disease, and to determine the impact of fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms on mortality.Prospective study.1,446 hospitalized horses.Medical information was obtained from horses hospitalized in an intensive care unit or isolation facility during a 4.5-year period. A model was created to predict mortality, using covariates determined on the day of admission. Predicted mortality provided a measure of clinical condition. Predicted mortality was compared between horses that were and were not shedding Salmonella organisms in their feces to determine whether shedding was associated with severity of disease. Predicted and observed mortality between horses were also compared to evaluate the association between fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms and mortality.92 horses were identified as shedding Salmonella organisms. In a multivariable model, 4 variables (heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, and clinical management) were associated with mortality. A higher predicted probability of death was observed in horses that shed Salmonella krefeld or more than 1 serotype. Relative risk (RR) of mortality was high for horses shedding S typhimurium (RR, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 3.59) and multiple serotypes (RR, 4.75; 95% confidence interval, 2.29 to 9.84). When the clinical condition (i.e., prior predicted probability of death) was taken into consideration, fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms was not significantly associated with mortality.In this horse population, fecal shedding of S krefeld was associated with more severe clinical conditions at the time of admission; however, fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms during hospitalization did not alter predicted mortality.

After upper extremity injury, pain on exposure to cold (cold sensitivity) is a significant problem. This cross-sectional observational study (1) assesses the incidence and prevalence of cold intolerance, (2) evaluates the relationship between functional status and degree of cold intolerance, and (3) correlates health-related quality of life (HRQL) with symptoms of cold intolerance. Patients in a tertiary care center completed questionnaires to document (1) cold sensitivity, (2) upper extremity pain, symptoms, and function, and (3) HRQL. Cold sensitivity was found to be associated with more functional limitations, greater pain, and reduced HRQL. As the severity of cold intolerance increased, functional limitations and pain increased and HRQL decreased. Cold intolerance has a profound effect on HRQL.

A rabbit ear model of the human digit was utilized to determine the vascular response to peripheral sympathectomy. Vascular responses were evaluated by subjecting chronically instrumented rabbits to a cold stress before and after sympathectomy surgery. The typical response to cold stress is for ear temperatures and auricular cutaneous perfusion to decrease during the cooling phase of the test and to increase toward baseline levels during the rewarming phase after cold exposure. Following peripheral sympathectomy, ear temperatures were significantly increased during both the cooling and rewarming phase of the cold stress test although overall ear perfusion and skin perfusion were not different from sham-operated rabbits. The responses observed in the rabbit ear following peripheral sympathectomy appear to mimic those noted in patients receiving digital peripheral sympathectomies for the treatment of refractory pain and ulceration. Peripheral sympathectomy may result in clinical improvements in patients because it improves both total digital and nutritional cutaneous blood flow. Peripheral sympathectomy in normal rabbit ears does not result in altered perfusion patterns with cold exposure although ear temperature is significantly higher. This pattern of changes suggests that the distribution of extremity perfusion is altered even though overall extremity perfusion and cutaneous perfusion per se are not significantly different from sham-operated controls. Complete sympathectomy was accompanied by a persistent increase in ear temperature and a dissociation between conductance and microvascular perfusion. Auricular conductance was transiently increased and then decreased to levels below preoperative control values. Microvascular perfusion is decreased immediately following amputation/replantation and thereafter increases.

The most common treatment of soft tissue contusions is ice application (cryotherapy). The physiological basis for this therapy is assumed to be cold-mediated vasoconstriction resulting in decreased edema formation and a reduction in overall morbidity. This proposed mechanism has not been tested. The present research examined the hypothesis that cryotherapy following contusion is effective because it reduces microvascular perfusion and subsequent edema formation.The microcirculatory responses to contusion were studied with and without cryotherapy in a chronically instrumented rat model. Initial studies evaluated the immediate effects of cryotherapy on arteriolar and venular diameters and microvascular perfusion (using laser Doppler floxmetry). Variables were measured before and immediately after 20 minutes of cryotherapy. Two additional studies monitored the same microvascular parameters longitudinally in four sets of chronically instrumented animals. Groups of rats studied had contusion or sham contusion with ice treatment or no ice treatment. Measurements were performed repeatedly before and after treatment for 24 hours or 96 hours after contusion/sham contusion.The acute microvascular effects of cryotherapy were vasoconstriction and decreased perfusion. However, when cryotherapy was used as a treatment following contusion/sham contusion, there were no long-lasting microvascular effects of cryotherapy either in the presence or absence of contusion.These results indicate that cryotherapy of striated muscle following contusion does not reduce microvascular diameters or decrease microvascular perfusion. Alternate mechanisms of action for cryotherapy treatment need to be investigated.

Hereditary fibrinogen deficiency is a rare condition in all species. Measurement of plasma fibrinogen should indicate low levels. Specific factor assays and pedigree analysis are essential in establishing a definitive diagnosis of the hereditary deficiency. Differentiation between afibrinogenemia, hypofibrinogenemia, and dysfibrinogenemia requires sophisticated techniques and assistance from a specialized laboratory.

In human, equine, and bovine neonates, early diagnosis of bacteremia remains a challenge for the internist. The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model for risk of bacteremia, based on a clinical evaluation system called the clinical sepsis score. Blood from 90 ill calves, 1- to 14-days-old from a calf-raising farm in the San Joaquin Valley of California was cultured. The calves were also scored according to a clinical score for hydration status, fecal appearance, general attitude, appearance of scleral vessels, and umbilical abnormality. Age, rectal temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and presence or absence of a focal site of infection were recorded. Prevalence of bacteremia was 31% (28/90). A logistic regression model indicated that high clinical score, presence of a focal infection, and increased age were associated with an increased risk of bacteremia in ill calves (P < 0.06). Calves for which the model predicted bacteremia with a probability > or = 40.8% were considered bacteremic, yielding acceptable sensitivity (75%) and specificity (71%) estimates. The predictive model was validated through a 2nd sampling of 100 calves (79 ill calves and 21 controls), of which 17 calves were bacteremic. The classification was 75% correct using the model, with an estimated sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 75%. Overall, results indicated that the model could be a useful tool for predicting bacteremia in ill calves in a clinical setting.

RSD can be approached using objective criteria in a logical and systematic fashion. Frustration during treatment is common because (1) the pathophysiology of RSD is incompletely understood, (2) there is significant variation in presentation because of disparate premorbid anatomy and physiology, and (3) the natural history may be affected by incomplete treatment. Therapeutic efforts that theoretically should be effective may fail, and a trial-and-error approach is often mandatory. In spite of vigorous intervention using all known strategies, patients may continue to have pain and disability that progresses to stiffness and arthrofibrosis. Early recognition and prompt intervention, however, provide the best opportunity for clinical improvement.

Two adult Holstein cattle were found to have unilateral maxillary sinus cysts. One had dyspnea and partial airway obstruction; the other had a swelling over the sinus. Both had a nonfetid, mucoid nasal discharge. Deviation of the nasal septum away from the cyst, soft-tissue opacity involving the left maxillary sinus, and a gas-capped fluid line on lateral projection were identified radiographically. The cyst fluid did not have an odor, was relatively acellular, and was of a mucoid (animal 1) or gelatinous (animal 2) nature. In 1 animal, the cyst wall and fluid were removed through a dorsolateral bone flap. The owner reported that the animal improved rapidly and remained clinically normal 27 months after surgery. In the second animal, the cyst was drained and the cyst lining was curetted through a trephine hole in the sinus. The animal improved, but was euthanatized 4 days after surgery because of concurrent problems (displaced abomasum, poor milk production) and financial constraints of the owner. The cyst walls were composed of granulation tissue and were line with stratified squamous epithelium.

Serologic testing to detect persistent IgG titer directed at Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has proven useful in detecting Salmonella carrier cattle without clinical signs of disease and in seroepidemiologic studies. Although little cross-reactivity exists between most Salmonella serogroups, groups B (O1, 4 [5], 12) and D (O1, 9, 12) share somatic (LPS cell wall) antigens O1 and O12, which results in some cross-reactions. This may be unimportant in most instances, because group-B and group-D carriers need to be identified and culled. It may be desirable in some situations, such as when trying to control S dublin, to determine which serogroup is present in a given herd. For this reason, a procedure to produce a pure O9 group-D antigen was developed. Salmonella dublin (group D) was grown by use of standard procedures, and LPS was extracted by use of the phenol-water method. The LPS was then oxidized with sodium periodate, dialyzed, reduced with sodium borohydride, cleaved with hydrochloric acid, and again dialyzed. This procedure successfully cleaved the saccharides comprising O antigens 1 and 12, leaving a pure O9 ELISA antigen. Sera from cattle vaccinated or naturally infected with S typhimurium, S agona, and S schwarzengrund (all group B), S montevideo (group C1), and S dublin (group D) were tested by ELISA, using modified and unmodified antigens. When the ELISA antigen used was the chemically modified (pure O9) group-D antigen, elimination of cross-reactions confirmed the structural loss of cross-reacting O1 and O12 antigens.

Milk samples were collected from all lactating cows on 60 dairies (mean number of cows/dairy, 584; range, 66 to 2,834) randomly selected from 701 California dairies enrolled in the Dairy Herd Improvement Association program. Samples were tested, by means of an ELISA, for antibodies against Salmonella serogroup B, C1, and D1 antigens (somatic antigens O1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12). Blood samples were collected from all cows with positive results and tested for serologic evidence of exposure to salmonellae. Samples for bacteriologic culture (pooled feces from 20 randomly selected calves, swabs of wet areas and feces from calf pens and dairy hospital pens, drag swab sample from wastewater lagoon, and samples of feed components) were also collected from all 60 dairies. Seven (11.7%) of the 60 dairies each had 1 sample that yielded Salmonella organisms (3 S typhimurium, 1 S dublin, 1 nonmotile Group D salmonella, 1 S derby, and 1 S oranienberg). Five of the Salmonella isolates came from the hospital pens and 2 came from calf pens. Thirty-three dairies did not vaccinate cattle against salmonellosis, and of these, 24 (72.7%) hador = 1 seropositive cow (titeror = 200), and 20 (61%) hador = 1 persistently seropositive cow (titer for each of 2 blood samples collectedor = 60 days apart wasor = 200). Of the 27 dairies that did vaccinate cows against salmonellosis, 24 (89%) hador = 1 seropositive cow, and 21 (78%) hador = 1 persistently seropositive cow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Force Sensing Resistors (FSR s) provide a method of quantitatively measuring force. These devices have been characterized, evaluating such factors as reproducibility, linearity, stability, and memory effects to determine their appropriateness for use in clinical and rehabilitative settings. It has been found that these devices work well in measuring forces in isometric systems, but are not well suited for measurement of rapidly changing forces such as finger impact. Characteristics of the FSR s and measurement techniques using these devices will be provided in this paper. Equipment designed using these sensors to determine handgrip force, heel-toe force, and foot drag tendency will be described.

Cows and calves from a 1,600-cow drylot dairy were screened for IgG antibodies to Salmonella dublin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), using an indirect ELISA. The ELISA was performed on milk samples from lactating cows and on sera from nonlactating cows and calves. Fecal samples were collected from calves and nonlactating cows for culture of Salmonella spp. All seropositive cattle were retested by culture and ELISA 5 times at monthly intervals or until antibody concentration decreased. None of the cattle remained culture-positive and seronegative. Prior to and during the sample collection period, approximately 30% of calves8 weeks old died of S dublin infection. Vaccination of cows with a killed S dublin/S typhimurium vaccine at cessation of lactation was a routine management practice. The ELISA-determined IgG response to vaccination had decreased by 50 days after vaccination. Eight cows and 5 calves that maintained a high serologic response to S dublin were purchased and moved to a research facility for 6 months of intensive monitoring. Lactating cows were milked twice daily, and culture of milk and feces for Salmonella spp was performed 5 times/wk. Serum IgG antibodies to S dublin LPS were measured weekly, using ELISA. At the end of 6 months, all 13 cattle were necropsied and tissues were obtained for culture of Salmonella spp. All 8 cows and 5 calves maintained persistently high ELISA titer for the 6 months of testing, and shed S dublin in the milk and/or feces during the same period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Genetically altered stable nonreverting aromatic-dependent (aro-) Salmonella dublin, strain SL5631, was administered orally to healthy colostrum-fed calves as vaccine. Twenty-six calves were allotted to 4 groups. There were 2 experiments, each with a vaccinated and nonvaccinated control group. Skin testing with 0.1 ml of sonicated S dublin was performed 3 days prior to challenge exposure. The IgG and IgM titers to S dublin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigen were determined by ELISA on sera before initial vaccination and at 1.5 to 2 weeks after each vaccination. In experiment 1, six calves received a dose of 1.7 x 10(10) colony-forming units (CFU) of aro-S dublin SL5631 orally at 2 and 4 weeks of age. After the first vaccination, 2 of 6 calves developed fever, but all 6 calves continued to have normal appetite and mental attitude. Adverse changes were not observed after the second vaccination. At the time of challenge exposure at 6 weeks of age, all 12 calves were seronegative for IgG and IgM LPS-specific antibodies, and the difference in percentage increase in skin test reaction at 48 hours was not significant. At 6 weeks of age, the 6 vaccinates and 6 controls were orally challenge-exposed with 1.5 x 10(11) CFU of virulent S dublin T2340. Protection from challenge was not evident, as 3 of 6 controls and 5 of 6 vaccinates died after challenge exposure. In experiment 2, eight calves received a dose of 5 x 10(11) CFU of aro-S dublin SL5631 orally at 2, 3.5, and 5 weeks of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This study investigated whether the number of hours of care needed by a person with disability could be predicted by his or her score on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) or the Edinburgh Rehabilitation Status Scale (ERSS). Seventy-five subjects (age range, 19 to 65), from a variety of residential services, with neurological disabilities, were visited by an experienced observer to estimate the number of hours of care per week required, from whatever source, for the subject to manage adequately. A second observer, blind to the observations of the first, assessed the subjects' FIM and ERSS scores by interview with the subjects and their carers. Wide ranges of scores on both scales suggested that subjects with many different dependency levels were surveyed, confirmed by "required care hours" varying between 0 and 168 per week (median 18). Pearson's correlation coefficients were 0.36 for ERSS (p0.002) and -0.39 for FIM (p0.001). Analysis of the scattergrams identified three aberrant cases. Investigation of these showed they each had a high level of dependency due to supervision rather than physical care; exclusion of these cases resulted in much stronger correlations for the remaining 72 cases (ERSS, 0.61; FIM, -0.76). Both ERSS and FIM correlate well with hours of care required, but their association with hours of supervision is poor.

Stress testing is an important element in the evaluation of upper extremity vascular perfusion. Advances in noninvasive testing provide mechanisms to evaluate the static structural characteristics of the arterial system, to define patient and nonpatient vessels to identify areas of thrombosis or occlusion, to evaluate arterial wall motility and elasticity, and to observe the nutritional capillary bed. To understand upper-extremity vascular function, however, some form of stress testing is crucial. The techniques discussed previously continue to evolve and serve only as examples of the potential of noninvasive tests evaluated before, during, and after stress. Stress testing provides techniques that allow us to understand the functional components of vascular perfusion and to monitor our attempts at interventions.

A commercially available Salmonella bacterin was administered to Holstein calves starting at 1 to 19 weeks of age. Serum samples were obtained before administering bacterin and at 2-week intervals thereafter. An ELISA with Salmonella dublin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or S dublin whole cells as antigen, was used to measure specific IgG and IgM responses. Antibody responses to LPS were not detected from calves12 weeks old inoculated with killed bacterin. Immunoglobulin responses to whole-cell antigen were detected from all age groups of calves inoculated with the same killed Salmonella bacterin. Calves11 weeks old are able to produce immunoglobulins to some whole-cell antigens, but are unable to produce anti-LPS immunoglobulins when inoculated with killed Salmonella bacterin. This age-related response to killed Salmonella antigens may account, in part, for increased susceptibility to salmonellosis in calves12 weeks old. In comparison to the response for killed antigen, 8 calves given modified-live aromatic-dependent S dublin bacterin at 1 to 3 weeks of age had detectable anti-LPS immunoglobulins after immunization, although the response was not as rapid and was of a lesser magnitude than that of older calves given killed Salmonella bacterin.

Twenty-six clinically normal colostrum-fed dairy calves were allotted to 5 groups. Calves of groups 1 and 2 served as nonvaccinated controls and were challenge-exposed with variable numbers of organisms. Group-3 calves were vaccinated SC with a modified Salmonella typhimurium bacterin. The bacterin was composed of killed acid-hydrolyzed S typhimurium G30/C21 (Re-mutant) whole cells coated with alkali-hydrolyzed S typhimurium LT-2 lipopolysaccharide, as antigen, and monophosphoryl lipid A, as adjuvant. Calves of groups 4 and 5 were vaccinated with a 2% mineral oil-in-water emulsion containing lipopolysaccharide as antigen and monophosphoryl lipid A and trehalose 6-6'-dimycolate as adjuvants. Calves of groups 3-5 were vaccinated at 2 weeks of age and again at 4 or 6 weeks of age. Adverse reactions were not observed after vaccination. Calves were challenge-exposed orally at 6 or 8 weeks of age with 1.5 X 10(11) (groups 1 and 4), or 3.0 X 10(11) (groups 2, 3, and 5) colony-forming units of S typhimurium UCD 108-11. Mortality after challenge exposure was 2 of 5 group-1 calves; 4 of 5 group-2 calves; 5 of 6 group-3 calves; 1 of 5 group-4 calves; and 4 of 5 group-5 calves. Statistical difference between calves of similarly challenge-exposed groups was not evident, indicating failure of either vaccine to protect calves of this age from oral challenge exposure with virulent S typhimurium.

Hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis were diagnosed in a 2-year-old Limousin bull. Salient historical and clinical observations included weight loss, anorexia, intermittent colic, polyuria, polydypsia, and an ammoniacal breath odor. Intravenous treatment with fluids and antibiotics did not induce a favorable response. An anomalous vas deferens was observed on postmortem examination. The vas deferens ended in a blind polyp that protruded into the lumen of the urethra. This polyp may have caused chronic intermittent obstruction, predisposing to the hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis.

Different compounds known to inhibit dark repair in bacterial and mammalian systems have been tested for a similar effect in the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. A marked inhibition of growth by these different drugs indicated that these were taken up by the cell, yet none except caffeine reduced the colony forming ability when present in the post-irradiation plating medium. The response of 22 different radiation sensitive mutants to the presence of caffeine in the plating medium was tested to investigate the probable number of pathways for repair of radiation damage in this organism. In some of the genetic crosses among single gene mutants showing a differential caffeine-response, supersensitive double mutants were obtained. Strains obtained either by additional crosses or by further mutagenic treatment of the supersensitive double mutants did not show a highly significant increase in radiation sensitivity. These observations indicate that the presently available radiation sensitive mutants represent defects in only two major pathways for repair of radiation damage in the wild type S. pombe.

Non-photoreactivable endonuclease V-sensitive sites have been detected in the DNA of wild type bacteriophage T4 irradiated with near UV light (320 nm). Such sites were not detected in the DNA of (a) wild type T4 irradiated with far UV (254 nm) or (B) in T4 mutants in which non-glucosylated 5-hydroxy-methylcytosine (5HMC) or cytosine replaces glucosylated 5HMC normally present in T4, irradiated with 320 nm or 254 nm light. Although the non-photoreactivable sites accounted for approximately 50% of the endonuclease V-sensitive sites in the DNA of glucosylated T4 irradiated with near UV, there was very little difference in the sensitivities of T4 containing glucosylated 5HMC, non-glucosylated 5HMC and cytosine to near UV (313 nm). We propose that the photoproduct responsible for the non-photoreactivable, but endonuclease V-sensitive, sites in glucosylated DNA is formed from glucosylated 5HMC and that a similar photoproduct is formed from non-glucosylated 5HMC or cytosine in the appropriate phage strains. We further propose that the glucosylated 5HMC photoproduct is non-photoreactivable whereas the cytosine and non-glucosylated 5HMC photoproducts are photoreactivable and are therefore possibly cyclobutane dimers.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide was monitored continously by infrared analysis near Barrow, Alaska, from September, 1965 to July, 1966. The purpose of these measures was to determine the fluctuations of carbon dioxide under the snow cover. Average daily surface values of carbon dioxide as measured at the tundra surface increased a few days after the first snowfall. High and variable values occurred until early December and then decreased to lower, relatively stable concentrations that persisted to early May. At that time, the carbon dioxide concentrations under the snow increased until the snow left the tundra in late June. Tundra surface temperature and wind speed four meters above the ground near the study area were monitored simultaneously with the carbon dioxide measurements. There was a general positive correlation between surface temperature and carbon dioxide, and an inverse relationship with wind speed. See full-text article at JSTOR

1. Individual body fat and body measurements such as lengths, girths and selected skinfold thicknesses were determined in our laboratory strain (BHE), a highly inbred strain (IN) of BHE rats and in a strain of Wistar rats. Measurements were made on unconscious rats in less than 5 min per rat just before autopsy; body fat content was determined in individual rats of both sexes at 50, 100 and 300 days of age.2. Among the strains, mean total body fat was highest in BHE rats at each age; IN rats of similar average body size were leanest. Statistically significant differences in body fat among the strains were due primarily to differences among the male rats at 300 days. Total protein and skeletal mass increased with increases in age and body size, as did body fat in rats after maturity. IN rats had the largest fat-free weights. Although significant age differences in body fat and body measurements occurred, they were in part dependent upon changes in body- weight, sex and strain of the animals. Female rats had more fat per unit body-weight than males at each age studied. Females, though fatter than males, had smaller skinfold thicknesses, indi- cating that female fat increases are primarily in visceral fat.3. Large variation in fat among individuals within strains of the same body-weight and age suggests a genetic influence in fat potential in rats not associated with age or body-weight.4. Results from multiple regression analyses showed differences among adjusted means and partial regression coefficients due to strain and sex of the animals. Although final body-weight was the predictor common to all equations, body length, abdominal girth and subscapular skinfold were common to all but one set of equations. Chest girth, tibia length, triceps and abdominal skinfolds decreased in frequency of appearance in that order. Some of the measurements were more effective predictors at one age than at another. It was clearly necessary to take into account body dimensions other than weight to obtain an optimal prediction of body fat.5. Differences in characteristics of the rats support the concept of genetic influences in fat deposition in individuals and indicate the complex nature of these influences.

Pleural effusion in 37 horses, including 15 acutely affected and 22 chronically affected, was found to be due to a variety of causes, including lymphocarcoma, pulmonary granulomas, coccidioidomycosis, equine infectious anemia, pulmonary abscesses, chronic pneumonia, and primary septic pleural effusion. Age, breed, or sex predilection was not found. Horses with chronic disease had weight loss, increased respiratory rate, dull respiratory sounds in the ventral portion of the thorax, and varying degrees of anorexia. Many horses were anemic. Those acutely affected had respiratory distress or signs of colic and many were anorectic. Most horses with acute primary disease had small volumes of pleural fluid. Culture and cytologic examination of pleural fluid and tracheal washings revealed the causative organism in some instances, but in a number of "primary" cases there were negative results on bacterial culture. The latter cases must be differentiated from other causes of chronic weight loss in the horse.