Egg quality in laying hens exposed to Mycoplasma gallisepticum F-strain attenuated vaccine.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum causes coughing, ocular and nasal discharge, reduction in feed intake, lower and uneven growth, decline in egg production and quality, and increase in mortality. Among the attenuated vaccination strains, MGF can reduce clinical signs and lesions in layer hens, stimulate immune responses of cellular and humoral basis, act as an instrument of competitive exclusion in relation to field strains, and reduce the use of antimicrobials. This study aimed to investigate the effects of attenuated MG F-strain vaccination on egg quality in 3 groups of 30 hens each, being one control and 2 vaccinated. Vaccination was applied by ocular route at 8 and 12 wk of age. Comparisons were made among unvaccinated hens; vaccinated at 8 wk of age; and vaccinated at 8 and 12 wk of age. There were no statistical differences in eggshell thickness and weight among groups. Eggs from twice vaccinated birds yielded a Haugh unit significantly lower than the other groups without affecting egg classification. There was no significant difference in ELISA results between the vaccinated groups.

Valor nutritivo do resíduo da indústria processadora de abacaxi (Ananas comosus L.) em dietas para ovinos. 1. Consumo, digestibilidade aparente e balanços energético e nitrogenado / Nutritive value of pineapple by-product (Ananas comosus L.) in diets for sheep. 1. Intake, apparent digestibility, energetic and nitrogenous balance

O presente estudo foi conduzido para avaliar a influência da inclusão do resíduo do processamento de abacaxi (Ananas comosus L.) nas dietas sobre os consumos (por unidade de tamanho metabólico - UTM) e coeficientes de digestibilidade da matéria seca (MS), matéria orgânica (MO), proteína bruta (PB), extrato etéreo (EE), fibra detergente neutro (FDN), fibra detergente ácido (FDA), hemiceluloses (HCEL), celulose (CEL) e energia de dietas experimentais isofibrosas e isoprotéicas. Avaliaram-se também os balanços nitrogenados e de energia dos animais. Vinte ovinos machos, inteiros receberam rações com quatro níveis de inclusão do resíduo (0; 11 por cento; 16 por cento; 27 por cento) em base de matéria seca, em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com cinco repetições por tratamento. Maiores consumos de matéria seca foram evidenciados quando as rações continham 11 por cento do resíduo. Maiores consumos de proteína bruta, fibra detergente neutro, fibra detergente ácido e celulose (g/UTM) e energia metabolizável (kcal/UTM) foram apresentados por animais alimentados com dietas contendo 11 por cento de resíduo em relação ao das dietas com 27 por cento de inclusão (P<0,05). Maior coeficiente de digestibilidade da FDA ocorreu para dietas que não continham o resíduo de abacaxi. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade da CEL foram semelhantes. Os balanços energéticos e protéicos foram positivos. Melhores resultados para os parâmetros analisados foram observados para dietas que incluíam até 16 por cento do resíduo de abacaxi na base da matéria seca.

The influence of increasing levels of pineapple by-product (Ananas comosus L.) on intake (unit metabolic size - UMS) and apparent digestibility ( percent) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), hemicelluloses (HCEL) and cellulose (CEL) and energy of isofibrous and isoproteic experimental diets of sheep were evaluated. Energetic and nitrogenous balance were also measured. Twenty rams were randomly allotted to four treatments in a completely randomized design with five replications. The treatments were formulated to contain zero; 11, 16 and 27 percent of pineapple by-product on DM basis. Higher dry matter intake was observed on 11 percent pineapple by-product diet. CP, NDF, ADF, CEL intake (g/UMS) and metabolizable energy intake (kcal/UMS) of 11 percent pineapple by-product diet were higher than 27 percent pineapple by-product diet (P<0.05). ADF digestibility was higher for 0 percent pineapple by-product diet. Energy and nitrogenous balances were positives. Diets formulated to contain up to 16 percent of pineapple by-product presented the best results.

Hardware acceleration for real time simulation of physiological systems.

Testing of medical equipment such as pacemaker is a critical task, because any malfunction may cause patient death or serious and long-lasting health consequences. Thus, device behavior under normal functioning conditions as well as under faulty conditions should be tested as thoroughly as possible under the project's budget. This paper presents a real-time digital simulator (DRTS) for possible use in testing of medical devices. The simulator runs a model of a physiological system (an organ or a group of organs) in real time and uses A/D and D/A cards to interface the simulation results to real medical equipment. With this simulator, the tests can be made as thorough as needed without much increase in cost.

Intramedullary neuroma of the cervical spinal cord: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Intramedullary neuromas are rare tumors; only 37 cases have been described in the literature since 1931. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The case of a 36-year-old woman presenting with an 8-month history of a progressive cervical myelopathy is reported. A diagnosis of a cervical intramedullary tumor was made by magnetic resonance imaging. INTERVENTION: A C3-C7 laminectomy and a near total resection were performed. Pathological examination revealed a neuroma; the various operative and pathological findings are presented. CONCLUSION: The existence of intraparenchymal neuromas is difficult to explain. Various pathogenic hypotheses are discussed. Microsurgical resection is considered the therapeutic option of choice for these entities.

[92 cases of allergic-type nasal polyp. A methodology for its etiological characterization]. / Estudo de 92 casos de polipo nasal de tipo alergico. Uma metedologia para a sua caracterização etiológica.

The etiopathogenesis of nasal allergic polyps is poorly understood; an immunological mediated mechanism is commonly admitted. A clinic-pathological study of 92 cases of nasal polyps is reported. The occupational and or environmental background of the patients was recorded. Appropriate histochemical techniques were applied to identify pollutants within the lesions. Iron, wood, cement, cork, paper, glass, tobacco, textile fibres and chalk could be identified. The follow-up of patients at 12 years after excision of polyps revealed a decrease in recurrence whenever exposure to pollutants was discontinued. The etiology of nasal allergic polyps is probably related to the inhalation of some foreign materials reported.

[Clinical course, particularities, and possibility of etiologic characterization of sarcoid-type granulomas of the skin]. / Aspectos evolutivos particularidades e possibilidade de caracterização etiológica dos granulomas da pele de tipo sarcóide.

Granulomatous inflammation is a well recognized environmentally produced skin disease. Four cases of sarcoid-type skin granuloma associated with foreign materials introduced into the skin are reported. In two of the cases, caused by windscreen glass debris and gunpowder, there were multiple lesions which revealed a tumor-like appearance several years after the accident. In a third case, associated with occupational exposure to cork dust, the granulomatous lesions was unique and formerly misdiagnosed as malignant. The skin lesions caused by gunpowder and cork dust coexisted with lung lesions caused by the inhalation of the same materials, which were identified in the histological sections with appropriate methods. The fourth case, caused by sea-urchin spines, revealed a progressive reduction in the latency period between the spine injury and granuloma formation. The relationship between the skin and lung lesions are discussed as well as the role of the foreign materials within the lesions.

[Systemic granulomatous disease, of the sarcoid type, caused by inhalation of titanium dioxide. Anatomo-clinical and experimental study]. / Doença granulomatosa sistémica, de tipo sarcoide, causada pela inalação de dióxido de titânio. Estudo anátomo-clínico e experimental.

Epithelioid granulomas, sarcoid type, are reported in four workers exposed to the inhalation of titanium dioxide dust. The granulomas were observed in the lungs, associated with respiratory insufficiency leading to death, in the hilum lymph nodes and liver. Diagnosis was done after a search of the occupational background of the patients followed by chemical and histochemical identification of the inhaled dusts within the lesions (morin and chromotropic acid methods and atomic absortion spectrophotometry) and experimental production of the disease in guinea-pigs. The harmful effects of titanium are not restricted to its dioxide, or to the inhalatory route. Different types of ceramic used in human implants and prostheses and the textile and aerospace industries use titanium.

Sarcoid granulomas of the skin produced by acrylic and nylon fibres.

The introduction into the skin of organic or inorganic substances can produce sarcoid-like granulomas. Two new granulomas of this type are described related to acrylic and nylon fibres. The aetiological diagnosis of such lesions can be confirmed by the identification of these synthetic materials within the-granuloma cells, using histochemical techniques used in the textile industry. An 'individual factor', probably immunological in nature, may be implicated.

Liver disease in vineyard sprayers.

Liver disease with inclusions of copper was recognized among 30 rural workers with "vineyard sprayer's lung." The pathological findings were varied: focal or diffuse swelling and proliferation of Kupffer cells; histiocytic and sarcoid-like granulomata; fibrosis of variable degree in the perisinusoidal, portal, and subcapsular areas, accompanied by atypical proliferation of the sinusoidal lining cells; micronodular cirrhosis; angiosarcoma of the liver; idiopathic portal hypertension. Abundant deposits of copper were revealed by histochemical techniques within hepatic and pulmonary lesions in these patients. The observations on the human and experimental material suggest an etiological relationship between exposure to copper sulfate and the lesions described. A morphological resemblance was noted between the "liver disease of vineyard sprayers" and the hepatic lesions reported in workers exposed to inorganic arsenic and to vinyl chloride. The identification of the inhaled foreign material within the liver lesions raises important etiological considerations.

Respiratory disease caused by synthetic fibres: a new occupational disease.

Seven patients exposed to the inhalation of synthetic fibres presented with various bronchopulmonary diseases, such as asthma, extrinsic allergic alveolitis, chronic bronchitis with bronchiectasis, spontaneous pneumothorax, and chronic pneumonia. The histological features are described and an attempt has been made to set up immunological techniques for the diagnosis. A series of histochemical techniques, based on textile chemistry, are proposed for the identification of the inclusions found in bronchopulmonary lesions. The results of the experimental production of the disease in guinea-pigs by the inhalation of synthetic fibre dusts are presented. The prognosis of these cases is good in the acute or recently established cases but is poor when widespread and irreversible fibrosis has set in. The authors consider that pulmonary disease due to inhaled particles is probably set off by an individual factor, possibly immunological.

Liver granulomas containing copper in vineyard sprayer's lung. A new etiology of hepatic granulomatosis.

In a previous publication the writers described a new pulmonary disease in rural workers who sprayed vineyards with Bordeaux Mixture, a copper sulfate solution neutralized with hydrated lime for the prevention of mildew. The study of the liver of these patients at autopsy and percutaneous biopsy revealed histiocytic and noncaseating granulomas containing inclusions of copper, identified by histochemical techniques. The occupational exposure to copper sulfate, the characteristic pulmonary lesions of vineyard sprayer's lung, and the presence of copper in the liver of these patients define this new variety of hepatic granulomatosis.