Spatial epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in dairy cattle in relation to night roosts Of Sturnus vulgaris (European Starling) in Ohio, USA (2007-2009).

The goal of our study was to use spatial scan statics to determine whether the night roosts of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) act as point sources for the dissemination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 among dairy farms. From 2007 to 2009, we collected bovine faecal samples (n = 9000) and starling gastrointestinal contents (n = 430) from 150 dairy farms in northeastern Ohio, USA. Isolates of E. coli O157:H7 recovered from these samples were subtyped using multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Generated MLVA types were used to construct a dendrogram based on a categorical multistate coefficient and unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). Using a focused spatial scan statistic, we identified statistically significant spatial clusters among dairy farms surrounding starling night roosts, with an increased prevalence of E. coli O157:H7-positive bovine faecal pats, increased diversity of distinguishable MLVA types and a greater number of isolates with MLVA types from bovine-starling clades versus bovine-only clades. Thus, our findings are compatible with the hypothesis that starlings have a role in the dissemination of E. coli O157:H7 among dairy farms, and further research into starling management is warranted.

Use of dairies by postreproductive flocks of European starlings.

Knowledge of the behavior and movement patterns of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris L.) is important to wildlife managers that seek to resolve conflicts at livestock facilities. We captured and radio tagged 10 starlings at each of 5 dairies in northeastern Ohio. From September 19 to October 31, 2007, we obtained sufficient data from 40 birds to study their behavior and movements. The birds visited the dairies where they were initially captured (home sites) on 85% of the days, spending 58% of each day at the dairies. Onsite arrival and departure times were 2.5h after sunrise and 3.1h before sunset. Daily visits by radio-tagged cohorts from the other dairies were greatest for the 2 most proximate dairies (1.3 km apart), with number of visits between this pairing >7× that of the 9 other pairings combined (4.1-6.5 km apart). Two birds used their home sites intermittently as roosts, arriving 3.8h before sunset and departing 0.2h after sunrise. In addition to using home-site roosts, these birds also used a distant roost (22km) that was used by 36 of the 40 birds. The efficacy of starling management programs, especially lethal management, depends on degree of site fidelity, use of other facilities, and roosting behavior. For example, starlings that use dairies as roosting sites may require a different management strategy than required at dairies used as daytime sites because of differences in arrival and departure behavior. Our research will help resource managers evaluate current management strategies already in place and change them, if needed, to fit the behavior profile of starlings using dairies and other types of livestock facilities.

Association of wild bird density and farm management factors with the prevalence of E. coli O157 in dairy herds in Ohio (2007-2009).

Our objective was to determine the role that European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) play in the epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in dairy cattle. We visited 150 dairy farms in Ohio twice during summer and fall months from 2007 to 2009. Fresh faecal pats from 30 lactating cows were collected during each visit. Information on farm management and environmental variables was gathered through a questionnaire administered to the farm owner. The number of starlings observed on the farm was also recorded. Approximately 1% of dairy cattle and 24% of farms were positive for E. coli O157. Risk factors associated with the presence of E. coli O157 in faecal pats included contact between adult cattle and calves, types or number of ventilation and manure management systems and number of birds per milking cow.

Substance P and CGRP expression in dental pulps with irreversible pulpitis.

The purpose of this study was to compare substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) expression in pulp tissue with clinically diagnosed symptomatic and asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Healthy pulps acted as controls. Five normal pulps and 40 with irreversible pulpitis (20 symptomatic and 20 asymptomatic) were obtained from 45 different patients. SP and CGRP expression was determined by competition binding assays using enzyme immunoassay. anova and Mann-Whitney tests were used to ascertain if there were statistically significant differences between the groups. The results showed that neuropeptides were found in all pulp samples. The highest and the lowest expressions for SP and CGRP were found in symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and healthy pulps groups, respectively. The differences between healthy pulps and the groups of pulps having irreversible pulpitis were significant (P < 0.001). Although Mann-Whitney's post-hoc tests showed statistically significant differences in CGRP expression between two pulpitis groups (P < 0.05), differences in SP expression between symptomatic and asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis groups were not significant. This study demonstrated that the expression of CGRP and SP is significantly higher in pulps with irreversible pulpitis compared with healthy pulps.

Endodontic treatment of a mandibular first molar with three mesial canals and broken instrument removal.

To succeed in any dental procedure, the clinician's awareness of the patient's dental anatomy and its variations is crucial. In endodontic therapy, obtaining full information about the root canals' variations can affect the outcome substantially. This case report presents the endodontic treatment of a mandibular first molar exhibiting three mesial root canals with 4 mm of a separated K-file in the coronal third of the mesiolingual canal on an 18-year-old female patient. This case demonstrates the importance of locating additional canals in any roots undergoing endodontic treatment and how the clinician's awareness of aberrant internal anatomy may change the treatment results.

The knowledge and attitude of general dentists toward denture adhesives in Tehran.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to generate discussion and communication among a group of general dentists in Tehran on their viewpoints regarding denture adhesives. Have they accepted denture adhesive as a material to enhance denture retention, stability and function? MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the summer of 2007, a questionnaire was mailed to 300 general dentists who were assigned with a random systematic sampling method from general dentists in Tehran. The questions were arranged in two parts of evaluating knowledge and attitude. In evaluation of knowledge, dentists were classified into groups of good, moderate, weak and lack of knowledge. In evaluation of attitude, dentists were classified into positive, moderate and negative groups. (Evaluating attitude was carried out in good and moderate groups of knowledge.) RESULTS: The study showed that 14%, 32% and 37% of the general dentists had respectively good, moderate and weak knowledge toward denture adhesive while 16.3% had no knowledge about this material. In evaluation of attitude through dentists with positive and moderate knowledge toward denture adhesive, 9.3%, 71.3% and 19.4% had respectively positive, moderate and negative attitude toward denture adhesive. The chi2 test showed a significant statistical relation between situation of knowledge and experiences of dentists. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrated that the rate of knowledge of these 300 general dentists in Tehran towards denture adhesives has not been in a good situation. It is believed that denture adhesive be able to enhance the fitness of a denture and provide psychological relief to the patient. Dentists agreed that education, not only for practitioners but also for patients, would raise the advantageous features and reduce the misuse of denture adhesive. Education of the topic "Denture adhesive" should be more concerned in dental universities.

The side effects of orthodontic mechanics in orthodontic treatments.

The side effects of orthodontic mechanics at each tissue level (alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, gingiva, pulp, cementum, and enamel) are addressed, along with the issue of pain following orthodontic appointments, and psychobehavioral alterations observed in orthodontic patients. It is necessary to know how orthodontic treatment affects enamel health, including methods to manage these side effects, which are still a dilemma for orthodontic clinicians. It is interesting to note that the dental pulp, which lies deep in the tooth core, also reacts to orthodontic force. The way the periodontal ligament responds to light and heavy forces, in young and adult patients, with or without periodontal disease, should be considered. Root resorption is a well-recognized phenomenon following orthodontic treatment. Advances made in this area of research to identify the parameters and genes associated with this process are developing.

Attractiveness of brown rice baits to non-target birds in harvested corn and soybean fields.

Brown rice is used as a bait-carrier for the avicide DRC-1339 (3-chloro-4-methylaniline) when baiting blackbirds (Icteridae). In March and April 1996 and 1997, we assessed non-target granivorous bird use of rice-baited plots placed in harvested corn and soybean fields in eastern South Dakota for 168 observation hours. In both years combined, we identified 10 and 14 granivorous species in corn and soybean fields, respectively. In 1996 (X = 0.2, SE = 0.04) and 1997 (X = 1.2, SE = 0.38), total numbers of granivores min(-1) were similar between crops (P > or = 0.322). In 1996, bird numbers were higher (P = 0.069) in rice-baited fields (X = 0.3, SE = 0.07) than in unbaited reference fields (X = 0.1, SE = 0.04). In 1997, bird numbers (X = 1.2, SE = 0.38) did not differ between treatments (P = 0.456). Our data show that small numbers of non-target birds visited the rice-baited plots. However, total number of different individual birds using the plots was unknown.

Microsatellite variation in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus).

Territorial male red-winged blackbirds from five locations in the United States and Canada were genotyped using a suite of six microsatellite loci. Each population possessed unique alleles, but numbers of alleles per locus (range = 7.3-8.8) and expected multilocus heterozygosities (range = 0.76-0.80) were similar in all populations. Significant overall allele frequency differences were detected between some population pairs, and some pairwise Fst values were significant (but small). However, Fst among populations, although significant, was also small (0.009). Despite revealing low levels of population structure, the high multilocus polymorphism indicates these loci will be valuable in the genetic analysis of behavior and reproductive strategies in this species.

[Intramuscular extremity metastasis of adenocarcinoma of the colon]. / Intramuskuläre Extremitätenmetastase eines Adenocarcinoms des Colons.

Metastases from colorectal carcinoma usually spread along abdominal lymph nodes or are hematogenous to the liver or lungs. So far, 13 cases of metastases to skeletal muscle have been described. In the following report, the case of a 72-year-old woman with a colonic carcinoma and metastases of this tumor in the thigh is described. Other reports about muscular metastases of colorectal tumors are discussed.

Strain Effects in Protonated Carbonyl Compounds. An Experimental and ab Initio Treatment of Acyclic Carboxamides and Ketones.

Strain effects have been quantitatively evaluated for a set of 22 compounds including ketones (R(2)CO), carboxamides (RCONH(2)), and N,N-dimethylcarboxamides (RCONMe(2)), where R = Me, Et, i-Pr, t-Bu, 1-adamantyl (1-Ad), in their neutral and protonated forms. To this end, use was made of the gas-phase proton affinities and standard enthalpies of formation of these compounds in the gas phase, as determined by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT ICR) and thermochemical techniques, respectively. The structures of 1-AdCOMe and (1-Ad)(2)CO were determined by X-ray crystallography. Quantum-mechanical calculations, at levels ranging from AM1 to MP2/6-311+G(d,p)//6-31G(d), were performed on the various neutral and protonated species. Constrained space orbital variation (CSOV) calculations were carried out on selected protonated species to further assess the contributions of the various stabilizing factors. Taking neutral and protonated methyl ketones as references, we constructed isodesmic reactions that provided, seemingly for the first time, quantitative measures of strain in the protonated species. A combination of these data with the results of theoretical calculations (which also included several "computational experiments") lead to a unified, conceptually satisfactory, quantitative description of these effects and their physical link to structural properties of the neutral and protonated species.

Nonisotopic binding assay for measuring vitamin B12 and folate in serum.

We evaluated a nonisotopic method (CEDIA; cloned enzyme donor immunoassay) for estimating vitamin B12 and folate in serum. The assays were performed with a Cobas-Mira analyzer. Intra-assay CVs were from 3.7% to 11.0% for vitamin B12 and from 1.2% to 10.7% for folate. Interassay CVs ranged from 9.5% to 11.9% for vitamin B12 and from 6.1% to 18.5% for folate. Linearity was satisfactory, with analytical recovery of 94% at 8.7 and 25.4 nmol/L for folate and 280 and 554 pmol/L for vitamin B12. The detection limit was 3.6 nmol/L for folate and 12.3 pmol/L for vitamin B12. Results of this assay correlated well with those of a conventional radioassay: r = 0.98 for vitamin B12 (n = 51) and r = 0.97 for folate (n = 57). The CEDIA was easy to perform but appeared to be unreliable for use with samples from myeloma patients.

IgD multiple myeloma with renal involvement: case report.

IgD multiple myeloma is a unique type of multiple myeloma which is characterized by increased serum IgD and IgD type M-component in immunoelectrophoresis. It frequently shows renal involvement but it is a rare form of myeloma. The distinctive features of IgD myeloma are the dominance in males, high frequency in younger persons, and the uncertain appearance of M-component in serum electrophoresis. We experienced 3 cases of IgD multiple myeloma with renal failure which required hemodialysis before IgD myeloma was diagnosed. It is important to consider IgD myeloma when treating the patients with renal involvement of unknown origin.

A quantitative method for assessing the extent of experimental gastric erosions and ulcers.

Evaluation of acute gastric erosions and ulcers induced by chemicals such as ethanol or aspirin is difficult because these lesions are predominantly multiple and irregularly shaped. A commercially available, relatively inexpensive microprocessor-linked planimeter (Micro-Plan II) with a stereomicroscope was used to measure the area of gastric mucosa damaged following intragastric administration of various doses of ethanol or aspirin. An enlarged image of rat glandular stomach was projected from the stereomicroscope onto a planimeter on which the perimeter of the entire glandular stomach and each lesion was traced with an electronic cursor. An attached printer recorded the area of stomach assessed, the number of lesions, the surface area of each lesion and the total area of mucosal damage. The technique was compared with semiquantitative methods used previously to assess experimentally induced gastric mucosal damage. The quantitative morphometric method was sufficiently sensitive to demonstrate a dose-response effect of ethanol and aspirin. The stereomicroscope--planimeter combination provides a sensitive method to quantitate either a few small, or numerous large, regularly or irregularly shaped hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic gastric mucosal lesions.

Screening of UV-absorbing solutes in uremic serum by reversed phase HPLC--change of blood levels in different therapies.

In order to screen UV-absorbing solutes in large numbers of uremic serum samples, an automated liquid chromatographic method was developed. The method proved to be reliable and reproducible in more than 500 analyses. HPLC separation was performed using gradient elution on a 25-cm Ultrasphere Octyl reversed phase column, with 5 microns particles. Characteristic profiles for the uremic state were obtained in the analyses of serum samples of 43 uremic patients before and just after artificial kidney treatment; hemodialysis (n = 14), hemodiafiltration (n = 13) and hemofiltration (n = 16). In these profiles 20-40 peaks were resolved of which nine were 'quantitated' by peak height relative to a standard. Of these solutes creatinine, uracil, uric acid, hypoxanthine, indoxylsulfate, tryptophan and hippuric acid were identified. The heterogeneity of the population of uremic patients, with respect to the UV-absorbing solutes, was estimated. Significant differences of solute blood level changes during hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration and hemofiltration, were observed.

The effects of d-amphetamine and potassium on serotonin release and metabolism in rat cerebral cortex tissue.

Chopped rat cerebral cortex tissue released tritiated serotonin (3H-5HT) when exposed to d-amphetamine (d-A) (10(-5)-10(-3)M) or potassium ion (K) (24-60mM). The d-A-induced release was not dependent upon calcium, whereas, K-induced release was dependent upon calcium. Potassium caused a significant increase in the percentage of 3H-5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (3H-5HIAA) released from the tissue. The increased metabolite was formed totally by oxidative deamination as shown by inhibition of the formation and release of 3H-5HIAA following inhibition of monoamine oxidase with clorgyline. The increased deamination as a result of incubation with K apparently occurred prior to release of 5HT from the nerve terminal, since incubation of the tissue with fluoxetine, a selective 5HT uptake inhibitor, did not alter the increased 3H-5IAA formation in response to K. These findings indicate that d-A and K apparently release 3H-5HT by different mechanisms and emphasize the importance of measuring metabolite formation in studies examining the effects of drugs on the release of 5HT in vitro.