Search

A 12‐day‐old, male Holstein Friesian calf was presented to the hospital due to progressive ataxia and tremors since birth. A diffuse central nervous system disorder primarily affecting white matter was suspected based on clinical neurological examination. Blood tests were unremarkable, except for positive serology for Schmallenberg virus. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain demonstrated severe, diffuse abnormalities primarily affecting the white matter regions of the encephalon and cranial cervical spinal cord, consistent with leukoencephalomyelopathy. Euthanasia was performed at 8 weeks of age after no clinical improvement. A postmortem examination was performed. Histopathological examination of the central nervous system revealed changes compatible with hypomyelinating leukodystrophy, with no signs of infectious agents observed. The disorder was considered most likely to be hereditary, as Schmallenberg virus infections during pregnancy in cattle have not been reported to result in such clinical, magnetic resonance imaging or histopathological findings, and no viral genomic material was identified with polymerase chain reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Calvarial hyperostosis syndrome is an uncommon and self‐limiting disease affecting juvenile dogs. Only symptomatic treatment has been described, and diagnosis is based on clinical findings, imaging, and disease progression. This is the first reported case of calvarial hyperostosis syndrome in a Dalmatian dog. It is an uncommon osteoproliferative disease with diagnosis frequently based on clinical signs, imaging findings, and disease progression, with only symptomatic treatment described. Case describes a 5‐month‐old Dalmatian dog presented with a facial mass and difficulty eating. After imaging, mass was observed to be osteoproliferative, nonaggressive, and without affection of the temporomandibular joints and mandibles. Histology revealed an osseous–cartilaginous and proliferative lesion, together with scant amount of neutrophiles. Clinical improvement was observed after symptomatic treatment, and moderate lesion regression was observed in a CT reevaluation 6 months later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid method is described for the quantitative analysis of anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants in water samples by flow injection analysis coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (FIA/ESI-MS). All surfactants were isolated by liquid-liquid extraction and quantified using labeled triethoxylated nonylphenol ([[sup.13][C.sub.6]]N[P.sub.3]EO) and sodium dibutylnaphthalenesulfonate as internal standards. FIA/ESI-MS was performed by alternating both positive and negative ionization modes, which allows simultaneous analysis of most common surfactants in a short time. Quality parameters of the method, such as linear range, repeatability, reproducibility, and limits of detection were studied. This method was applied to the analysis of wastewater treatment plant effluents from Catalonia (NE Spain).

The efficiency of cork waste in adsorbing aqueous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been previously reported. Biodegradation of contaminated cork using filamentous fungi could be a good alternative for detoxifying cork to facilitate its final processing. For this purpose, the degradation efficiency of anthracene by three ligninolytic white-rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Irpex lacteusandPleurotus ostreatus) and three non-ligninolytic fungi which are found in the cork itself (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium simplicissimumandMucor racemosus) are compared. Anthracene degradation by all fungi was examined in solid-phase cultures after 0, 16, 30 and 61 days. The degradation products of anthracene byP. simplicissimumandI. lacteuswere also identified by GC-MS and a metabolic pathway was proposed forP. simplicissimum. Results show that all the fungi tested degraded anthracene. After 61 days of incubation, approximately 86%, 40%, and 38% of the initial concentration of anthracene (i.e., 100 µM) was degraded byP. simplicissimum, P. chrysosporiumandI. lacteus, respectively. The rest of the fungi degraded anthracene to a lesser extent (<30%). As a final remark, the results obtained in this study indicate thatP. simplicissimum, a non-ligninolytic fungi characteristic of cork itself, could be used as an efficient degrader of PAH-contaminated cork. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Organochlorine pesticides are persistent lipophilic organic pollutants and tend to accumulate in growing plants. During growth, cork is in contact with the open air for long periods (9-12 years). Owing to the previous widespread use of organochlorine pesticides and their high persistence in the environment, there is a risk that residues of such pesticides may be present in cork. In this study, the concentrations of 14 organochlorine pesticides-all of which are indicators of environmental pollution-were analyzed in cork bark samples from three regions in Spain and one in Portugal. In addition, the concentrations of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) were also analyzed. Our results show only very low concentrations of lindane, γ-HCH (<2.6 ng g(-1)) and its byproducts α-HCH (<3.5 ng g(-1)) and β-HCH (<0.6 ng g(-1)). Among the DDT and its metabolites, only two were found: p,p'-DDT was found in a cork sample from Extremadura (0.1 ng g(-1)) and p,p'-DDE was present at a maximum concentration of 2.9 ng g(-1) in a cork sample from Castile-La Mancha. However, all concentrations were well below the legal limit established by Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 (10 ng g(-1) in foodstuffs). We can conclude, therefore, that the cork samples we studied complied with food safety standards., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)