Comparison of the effectiveness of selected essential oils with mineral oil and spinosad on Dermanyssus gallinae.

It seems that essential oils can be a good ingredient in effective preparations against Dermanyssus gallinae. Dermanyssus affects animal health leading to financial losses and bird welfare issues. Collected mites were treated with various essential oils in four (20, 50, 80 and 100%) concentrations at a dose of 0.28 mg/cm2. The direct toxicity of the essential oils, mineral oil and spinosad to D. gallinae was tested in the laboratory. Eucalyptus oil was the most toxic essential oil in all concentrations to D. gallinae (87.6 - 97.6% mortality at all four concentrations), while geranium, pine and rosemary oils showed mortality rates of 14.2 - 68.2%. High mortality after 48 hours of contact was also recorded for the oil of cloves at 80% dilution (85.1% mortality), lavender 100% (94.2% mortality). Similarly, the thyme essential oil produced 83.5 - 93.2% mortality in three concentrations: 50, 80 and 100%. The mineral oil was the least effective oil against mites. Spinosad showed high effectiveness against D. gallinae.

The occurrence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors with second malignancies - Case series of a single institution experience.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) may coexist with different types of malignancies, either synchronously or metachronously. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical and histopathological features of GIST coexisting with other neoplasms. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 76 GISTs cases diagnosed at our institution between January 2003 and March 2020 was performed. A subgroup of cases with concomitant second malignancy was selected. The clinical and pathologic records were reviewed. RESULTS: 18 out of 76 patients (23.7%) with GISTs were diagnosed with the second neoplasms. In 11 cases GISTs were diagnosed metachronously to the second malignancy, whereas 7 cases of GIST were synchronous. The most common concomitant neoplasms were breast cancer and gastric cancer. The concomitant GIST were located mainly in small intestine (52.6%). 14 GISTs were classified as very low or low-risk (77.8%), 3 as moderate risk (16.7%) and 1 as high risk tumors (5.6%). CONCLUSION: The coexistence of GIST with other malignancies may be more common, than it has been considered. As the most of concomitant GISTs occurs metachronously to the second malignancy, studying of this phenomenon requires a long-term follow-up.

The Strongylidae belonging to Strongylus genus in horses from southeastern Poland.

Postmortem parasitic examinations of the large intestines of 725 slaughtered horses from individual farmers in southeastern Poland were carried out. The examinations were carried out monthly since February 2006 until January 2007 (except for August 2007 because of a technological stoppage in the slaughterhouse). The examinations included the intensiveness and extensiveness of the infestation of the Strongylidae belonging to the Strongylus genus. The Strongylidae were found in 26.5% of the examined horses. Strongylus vulgaris was the most dominant nematode and had a 22.8% prevalence, Strongylus edentatus was carried by 18.3% of the horses. Strongylus equinus was identified only in 1.7% of the examined horses. Our findings revealed that combined infestation of S. vulgaris and S. edentatus occurred in 100 (52.1%) of the 725 horses infected by the Strongylidae. The present results indicate that the lowest prevalence of strongyle species except for S. equinus was found in January, February, and March. However, it is difficult to draw a conclusion because of an extremely low extensiveness of infestation. The results indicate that the prevalence of the Strongylidae in horses from southeastern Poland is limited.

Aspects of the biomonitoring studies using mosses and lichens as indicators of metal pollution.

It has been shown that mosses and lichens, in spite of all disadvantages, are good tools for air pollution monitoring, but best results could be achieved while using both of them together, because of differences in their metal uptake and retention. The researcher dealing with biomonitoring faces many difficulties; for example, in the use of lichens, those of similar composition are not easy to find, because of the differences caused by the tree on which the lichens are growing. Also, terrestrial moss is not always a good choice because of variations in its composition caused by the area it is growing on. The "bag" technique seems to be suitable in many cases because it gives the possibility of comparing wet and dry deposition and there are no differences in its content at the beginning of research. The bag construction should be made to keep the humidity of the sample stable to avoid its drying. For a complete and informative data set the biomonitor content should be compared with precipitation, particulate matter fractionation, and speciation data and also with medical statistics to evaluate the correlation between the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere and the human reaction to them.

[Not Available]. / Gehalt von Ochratoxin A und Ergosterol in den Proben von Malz und Bier aus einer lokalen Brauerei.

Growing consumption of beer in present diet may lead to higher risk of piling up of ochratoxin A. In our studies we evaluated malt and beer from the local Pomeranian brewery which offers its products at the market in the lowest price. The evaluation had been conducted for 3 months during winter time and the content of fungi, OTA and ergosterol had been analyzed.High concentration of ergosterol was found in all the malt samples, whereas ochratoxin A was present in one delivery of the product only. In contrast, in 70% beer samples low concentration of OTA was found.

Residues of ochratoxin A in pet foods, canine and feline kidneys.

The occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in canned (26 samples) as well as dry pet foods (17 samples) for cats and dogs was investigated. In addition, 26 feline kidney samples with or without kidney alterations were surveyed for OTA-residues. The separation and detection of OTA was carried out by an isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography system based on reversed phase with fluorescence detection. After homogenization and extraction steps, immuno-affinity columns were applied for sample clean up. OTA could be detected in 47% (n=40) of the pet food samples. Those found positive contained generally low amounts of OTA (0.1-0.8 microg/kg original substance). Higher levels were only detected in two pet food samples (3.2 and 13.1 microg/kg toxin, respectively). Low concentrations of ochratoxin A could also be found iIn tissue of cat kidneys, with 16 of the analysed kidneys (n=26) being positive. The concentration levels were between 0.35 and 1.5 microg/kg OTA in tissue. No relation between pathological findings and ochratoxin levels in feline kidneys could be assessed.

Psychosocial adjustment, coping, and quality of life in persons with venous ulcers and a history of intravenous drug use.

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE: Psychosocial adjustment, coping, and quality of life for persons with a venous ulcer and a history of intravenous drug use were examined. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Data were collected in an urban outpatient clinic. All eligible persons were asked to participate. Thirty-two patients agreed to participate, providing an 89% response rate. The mean age of participants was 44.6 years (SD = 4.3); 91% were African American, and 72% were male. INSTRUMENTS: Subjects responded to questions about their health and substance abuse history and completed the Quality of Life With a Leg Ulcer Questionnaire, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS), Ways of Coping Instrument, and Pain Questionnaire. Leg ulcer tracings were measured with the SigmaScan computer program. METHODS: Questionnaires were read to participants. Leg ulcers were traced at their borders onto plastic. RESULTS: Wound area correlated significantly with the domestic environment (r = .43) and the psychosocial distress (r = .38) scores of the PAIS. Wound area was negatively correlated to Quality of Life With a Leg Ulcer Questionnaire score (r = -.52). Pain interference was significantly related to the self-controlling coping score (r = .40), domestic environment score of the PAIS (r = .51), and Quality of Life With a Leg Ulcer Questionnaire score (r = -.65). Cox and Wermuth's multiple regression modeling approach was used to summarize the study's variables. CONCLUSIONS: A larger wound area was associated with greater illness-induced difficulties in the home environment, greater psychological distress, and poor quality of life. Pain Interference was associated with a greater effort to regulate one's feelings and actions, difficulties in the home, and poor quality of life.

The effect of high and low doses of ochratoxin A in feed on growing chicken.

Effects of high and low dose of ochratoxin A (OTA) as pure toxin supplemented to feed were investigated on the performance of growing chicken. Two groups were fed with different doses of chemical pure OTA 0.5 ppm and 5 ppm in feed and the effects of toxin on body and organ weights were studied and compared with control group. No effects were observed by feeding 0.5 ppm OTA, whereas 5 ppm had a negative effect on the daily body mass gain. OTA in feed had a negative effect on the daily body mass gain. In contrary nephrotoxic effects could be observed by feeding the naturally OTA contaminated feed with only 0.2 ppm of OTA produced byPenicillium verrucosum.

On tautomerism of the cytosine molecule.

Tautomerism of the cytosine molecule is discussed in connection with recent experimental matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopic measurements and recent ab initio calculations of relative stabilities of tautomers and of IR spectra for different tautomeric forms of the compound. Experimental IR spectra in the N-H and O-H stretching regions and in the C = O stretching region are presented for cytosine and for its several derivatives considered as model compounds. This experimental evidence, as well as the quantum-mechanical calculations (including both electron correlation and zero-point vibrational contributions), clearly indicate that two tautomers of cytosine, i.e. the amino-hydroxy and amino-oxo forms with the hydrogen atom at the N(1) position, exist in equilibrium when the cytosine molecule is isolated in an inert environment. The effect of the environment on the relative stabilities of several tautomers is also discussed briefly.

A modulation of the anaphylactic basophil histamine release by selective H2 histamine agonists.

Two selective H2-histamine agonists, dimaprit and impromidine, have been tested for their action on histamine release from human basophils and rat mast cells. IgE-mediated basophil histamine release was inhibited by stimulation of histamine H2-receptors. However, differences between the actions of both dimaprit and impromidine were noticed. Both impromidine and dimaprit had no specific effect on 48/80-induced histamine release from rat mast cells, although the latter in higher concentrations either slightly increased spontaneous histamine release or non-specifically inhibited compound 48/80-induced release. The results are consistent with the view that activation of adenylate cyclase via H2-histamine receptors might be an important regulatory mechanism of histamine release from human basophils but not from rat mast cells.

The role of histamine H-receptors in the anaphylactic histamine release from human basophilic leukocytes.

The effect of two recently synthetized selective histamine H2-receptor agonists on anaphylactic histamine release from human basophilic leukocytes was investigated. It was found that both agonists tested, partially inhibited histamine release induced either by antigen or by human anti-IgE. Cimetidine, the histamine H2-receptor antagonist, generally antagonized this effect. It is concluded that anaphylactic basophil histamine release can be modulated by stimulation of histamine H2-receptors.