Incidence of clinical mastitis in dairy herds in England

The annual incidence of clinical mastitis was measured in 144 Holstein/Friesian dairy herds in England (average size 132 cows) during 1994, 1995 and 1996 by means of carefully defined mastitis indices. The mean annual incidence of the disease over the three-year period was 43.4 quarter-cases per 100 cows, and the disease affected 25.9 per cent of the cows in the herds, with 1.6 quarter-cases per affected cow. In terms of cow-cases, the mean incidence was 39.9 cases per 100 cows in the herd and hence the ratio of quarter-cases to cow-cases was on average 1:1. The proportion of repeat quarter-cases was on average 19.4 per cent, and the recurrence rate was 18.3 per cent. The new infection rate was 28.3 per cent.     

Mathematical modeling to estimate efficacy of postmilking teat disinfection in split-udder trials of dairy cows

A mathematical model was used to estimate the efficacy of postmilking teat disinfection from observations in split-udder trials with natural exposure. Data were studied from an outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus IMI during a split-udder trial in a commercial herd with low SCC. The efficacy of postmilking teat disinfection was similar when calculated based on incidence density rates or on transmission rates of IMI in dipped and control quarters. If, however, first and subsequent S. aureus IMI in a cow were not assumed to be independent and were therefore treated separately in the models, the efficacy of post-milking teat disinfection was calculated as being higher with the modeling procedure. The analysis using mathematical modeling, which includes the effect of the number of existing IMI on the number of new IMI, is presented and discussed. This analysis also allows estimation of the basic reproduction ratio. The impact of postmilking teat disinfection on transmission of pathogens is quantified, and proposals for additional preventive measures can be generated. We concluded that efficacy estimations from split-udder trials, assuming quarters to be independent observations, might underestimate the effect of postmilking teat disinfectants on udder pathogens.     

Accuracy of methods using somatic cell count and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity in milk to assess the bacteriological cure of bovine clinical mastitis

This study examined the capability of milk somatic cell count (SCC) and NAGase activity to discriminate between quarters that had been cured versus those that had not been cured at 4 wk after antimicrobial therapy for clinical mastitis. The distribution of microorganisms that were isolated before therapy from 630 quarters with mastitis was as follows: 225 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 96 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci, 152 strains of streptococci (Streptococcus dysgalactiae and Streptococcus uberis), and 157 strains of coliform bacteria. Bacteriological cure rates were 35% for mastitis caused by Staph. aureus, 75% for mastitis caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci, 66% for mastitis caused by streptococci, and 72% for mastitis caused by coliforms. Diagnostic accuracy of milk SCC and NAGase and their interquarter ratios for predicting bacteriological status of the control samples was assessed by calculating sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy and by means of receiver operating characteristic analysis. The efficiency of milk SCC and NAGase for predicting bacteriological cure was greatest for cows that had been infected with Staph. aureus. The main problem in detecting coagulase-negative staphylococci was low sensitivity, and the main problem in detecting streptococci and coliforms was low specificity. Receiver operating characteristic analysis is not completely suitable for the detection of mastitis because reference method bacteriology and indirect tests can never fully agree. To assess the recovery of cows from mastitis caused by Staph. aureus, bacteriology should be supplemented with an examination of milk SCC or NAGase activity at threshold values such as those presented here.     

Effects of antimicrobial treatment at the end of lactation on milk yield, somatic cell count, and incidence of clinical mastitis during the subsequent lactation in a dairy herd with a low prevalence of contagious mastitis

Calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs) have been described as involved in the stimulus-secretion coupling mechanisms in secretory glands. CaBPs were revealed with 45Ca, after electrophoresis in SDS-PAGE and transference to Zeta probe membranes, in Duvernoy's or venom gland homogenates from three families of South American snakes: Viperidae (Bothrops jararaca and Crotalus durissus terrificus); Elapidae (Micrurus corallinus), and Colubridae (Phylodrias patagoniensis and Oxyrhopus trigeminus). A band with an estimated molecular weight of 12 KDa was found in all glands studied. Bands with 17, 28, and 67 KDa were found in all glands, except in O. trigeminus Duvernoy's gland. A 18 KDa band was found in Viperidae and Elapidae venom glands, and a 88 KDa band was observed only in Viperidae venom gland homogenates. Some of these CaBPs were identified by Western blotting or by immunohistochemistry, as parvalbumin (12 KDa) and calbindin (28 KDa). When the secretion of these glands were analyzed, CaBPs were detected only in B. jararaca venom, with bands of 14, 35, 42, and 72 KDa. The profile of CaBPs was not modified at different phases of the secretory cycle of the glands, as well as after isoproterenol treatment.     

Bovine mastitis pathogens in New York and Pennsylvania: prevalence and effects on somatic cell count and milk production

Milk samples were collected from 108,312 dairy cows during 1601 farm visits made between January 1991 and June 1995. The herd visits were made by personnel from the Central Laboratory of the Quality Milk Promotion Services at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) to farms located in central New York and northern Pennsylvania. Dairy Herd Improvement Association records were available for 32,978 cows in 327 herds. Intramammary infections, as defined by positive milk cultures, were present in 48.5% of all cows and in 36.3% of cows in herds enrolled in the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Over 75% of the intramammary infections were caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus spp. other than Strep. agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Mean days in milk at the time of diagnosis, linear score of the somatic cell count, cost of milk loss per lactation, and milk production effects were calculated for 24 etiologic agents of bovine mastitis.     

Association between milk somatic cell counts up to 400,000 cells/ml and clinical mastitis in French Holstein cows

The relationship between somatic cell counts (SCCs) up to 400,000 cells/ml in individual cows and clinical mastitis was studied by collecting monthly records for a year from 101 Holstein herds in the west of France. Monthly records obtained after any case of clinical mastitis occurring within the lactation were excluded. The resulting dataset consisted of 29,700 records from 4677 cows. The data were analysed by the logistic regression method. Herd, lactation number, calendar month, milk production, stage of lactation on the day of test, and SCC on previous test days were assumed to affect the likelihood of clinical mastitis. There was no significant relationship between SCC and the subsequent occurrence of clinical mastitis for an SCC up to 100,000 cells/ml, but the risk of clinical mastitis increased as the SCC increased up to 400,000 cells/ml. These results suggest that in individual cows, a low SCC recorded after five days in milk does not lead to an increased risk of clinical mastitis.     

Influence of parity and stage of lactation on the somatic cell count in bacteriologically negative dairy cows

This study examines the influence of parity, stage of lactation, and single isolations (i.e., the isolation of a microorganism that could not be reisolated in the same quarter in the next sampling) of staphylococci other than Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase-negative staphylococci), Corynebacterium bovis, or esculin-positive cocci other than Streptococcus uberis (referred to as esculin-positive cocci throughout) on the monthly log(e)-transformed somatic cell count (SCC) for 180 first, second, and third parity cows that were observed over a whole lactation. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data. No significant effect was found for the infection variable. However, the results indicated that even single isolations of coagulase-negative staphylocci, C. bovis, or esculin-positive cocci resulted in a numerical or statistically significant increase in SCC. Least squares mean SCC (log(e)-transformed) for bacterio-logically negative cows and cows with single isolations of coagulase-negative staphylococci, C. bovis, or esculin-positive cocci were 3.90, 3.97, 4.08, and 4.17, respectively. Significant effects of parity, stage of lactation, and the interaction of parity and stage of lactation could not be found when only bacteriologically negative cows were considered. Least squares mean SCC for first, second, and third parity cows were 3.80, 3.93, and 3.97, respectively. However, the effects of parity, stage of lactation, and the interaction of parity and stage of lactation were significant when all 180 cows were included. Therefore, these effects must be due to factors that were present in the infected groups.     

Eosinophilia detected by automated blood cell counting in ambulatory North American outpatients. Incidence and clinical significance

OBJECTIVES: To audit a cohort of ambulatory outpatients with eosinophilia detected on automated blood cell counting. Specific objectives included the determination of whether the eosinophilia had been anticipated, the etiology of the eosinophilia, the clinical follow-up and investigations performed on patients with eosinophilia, and the effect of the detection of eosinophilia on patient management and ultimate clinical outcome. DESIGN: A year-long retrospective review of all patients with an absolute eosinophil count of greater than 0.7 x 10(9)/L. SETTING: A large outpatient laboratory system. The patient population was managed by family physicians and specialists. INTERVENTION: Data collection included the results of the hematology profile, the absolute eosinophil count, the clinical situation responsible for the hematologic profile determination, and the probable cause of eosinophilia. Individual physicians were surveyed to determine if discovery of the eosinophilia had changed patient management plan or clinical outcome. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: Out of 195,300 patients who had a hematology profile performed, 225 were found to have an absolute eosinophilia count higher than 0.7 x 10(9)/L. The overall incidence of eosinophilia in the study population was 0.1%. The eosinophilia was not anticipated in 85% of patients. No obvious cause was detected for the eosinophilia in 36% of patients. Various allergic diseases were responsible for the eosinophilia in the majority of the remaining patients. Fewer than 9% of individuals manifested a serious systemic illness or parasitemia. Further clinical follow-up had been performed in 69% of patients. Additional laboratory tests had been ordered in 59% of patients. The laboratory tests most frequently ordered were a repeat hematology profile or stool examinations for ova and parasites. In only two instances did the discovery of the eosinophilia appear to result in a significant change in patient management or ultimate clinical income. CONCLUSION: The vast majority of eosinophilias detected in ambulatory outpatients are associated with allergic processes. An extensive investigation of eosinophilia in ambulatory North American outpatients does not appear to be warranted unless specifically indicated by the results of the history and physical examination.     

The effect of vaccination against Mycoplasma hypopneumoniae in pig herds with a continuous production system

An inactivated Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccine was evaluated in five pig herds clinically infected with enzootic pneumonia and practising a continuous production system in the growing/finishing unit. In each herd, a vaccinated and control group of approximately 47 pigs each were individually monitored from birth until slaughter. Vaccinated pigs received the first dose at about 1 week of age and the second approximately 3 weeks later. During all production stages, an equal number of vaccinated and control pigs was present in the same pen. Both groups were compared with respect to zootechnical parameters (major variables) and by means of serological, pathological, and bacteriological parameters (ancillary variables). Daily weight gain was improved by 14 gr/day during the period from 8 days of age until slaughter (P = 0.0486) and by 25 gr/day during the growing/finishing period (P = 0.0067). Mortality rate, and the costs for curative medication were not significantly improved by vaccination. The results of the ancillary variables are presented and discussed.     

The low temperature magnetic circular dichroism spectra of iron-sulphur proteins. I. Oxidised rubredoxin

Variable temperature magnetic circular dichroism spectra have been measured on oxidised Clostridium pasteurianum rubredoxin. Evidence has been obtained for the presence of two one-electron charge-transfer transitions, sulphur to ferric ion, in the region 15 000 to 28 000 cm-1. The first moment of the lower energy band is consistent with it being the orbital transition t1 non-bonding sulphur orbital, to the 2 e ferric d-orbital. The magnitude of the spin-orbit coupling constant in the lower excited state has been determined and shown to be small compared with the axial distortion. The splitting of the low energy band observed in the absorption spectrum can therefore be equated directly with the axial distortion of the lowest excited charge-transfer state. Finally, the potential utility of making saturation experiments at very low temperatures has been examined.     

Azimuth coding in primary auditory cortex of the cat. I. Spike synchrony versus spike count representations

The neural representation of sound azimuth in auditory cortex most often is considered to be average firing rate, and azimuth tuning curves based thereupon appear to be rather broad. Coincident firings of simultaneously recorded neurons could provide an improved representation of sound azimuth compared with that contained in the firing rate in either of the units. In the present study, a comparison was made between local field potentials and several measures based on unit firing rate and coincident firing with respect to their azimuth-tuning curve bandwidth. Noise bursts, covering a 60-dB intensity range, were presented from nine speakers arranged in a semicircular array with a radius of 55 cm in the animal's frontal half field. At threshold intensities, all local field potential (LFP) recordings showed preferences for contralateral azimuths. Multiunit recordings showed in 74% a threshold for contralateral azimuths, in 16% for frontal azimuths, and in only 5% showed an ipsilateral threshold. The remaining 5% were not spatially tuned. Representations for directionally sensitive units based on coincident firings provided significantly sharper tuning (50-60 degrees bandwidth at 25 dB above the lowest threshold) than those based on firing rate (bandwidths of 80-90 degrees). The ability to predict sound azimuth from the directional information contained in the neural population activity was simulated by combining the responses of the 102 single units. Peak firing rates and coincident firings with LFPs at the preferred azimuth for each unit were used to construct a population vector. At stimulus levels of >/=40 dB SPL, the prediction function was sigmoidal with the predicted frontal azimuth coinciding with the frontal speaker position. Sound azimuths >45 degrees from the midline all resulted in predicted values of -90 or 90 degrees, respectively. No differences were observed in the performance of the prediction based on firing rate or coincident firings for these intensities. This suggests that although coincident firings produce narrower azimuth tuning curves, the information contained in the overall neural population does not increase compared with that contained in a firing rate representation. The relatively poor performance of the population vector further suggests that primary auditory cortex does not code sound azimuth by a globally distributed measure of peak firing rate or coincident firing.     

The effect of dietary fiber supplementation in man. I. Modification of eating habits

Six subjects were studied for an 8-week period that consisted of a 3-week control period, followed by a 3-week period during which their daily diets were supplemented with 3 oz of a high fiber breakfast food, All-bran, and a final 2 weeks on their regular diet. Daily diet records of food intake were recorded and analyzed for seven dietary constituents; carbohydrates, proteins, fats, cholesterol, fiber, alcohol, and total calories. The most significant change in eating behavior due to the fiber food supplementation was a decrease in eating eggs, butter, and breakfast meats. These foods were most often replaced because all six subjects chose to eat the major portion of All-bran during breakfast. An increase in milk and fruit also occurred during the supplemented feeding. These particular foods were added to make All-bran more palatable and served to increase carbohydrate and protein intake. Five subjects added the supplement to the between meal-time intake and thus caused an increase in total daily caloric intake. At lunch and dinner few foods were altered with no particular pattern of substitution. Notwithstanding the knowledge that increased fiber content may have beneficial effects, none of the subjects modified his eating behavior to include even 1 oz of a high fiber food daily after the experimental period was concluded. Thus behavior modification by forced diet intake of a high fiber breakfast food resulted in definite diet pattern changes that did not persist following the experimental period.     

The effect of dipyridamole on the thrombocyte count and bleeding tendency in open-heart surgery

The effect of dipyridamole (Persantine) on the thrombocyte count and bleeding tendency in connection with open-heart surgery and perfusion was studied in 22 patients. A control series of 21 patients undergoing open-heart surgery was available. The treatment group received dipyridamole, 0.5 mg. per kilogram of body weight, in the beginning of cardiopulmonary bypass into the heart-lung machine and thereafter 10 mg. intravenously three times daily for 2 days. From the third day dipyridamole was administered by mouth, 75 mg. three times a day, until the patient was discharged from hospital. We found that dipyridamole had the effect of maintaining the thrombocyte count during cardiopulmonary bypass and the first and second postoperative days. Thereafter no significant difference was seen between the dipyridamole and control groups. The use of dipyridamole did not increase the postoperative hemorrhagic tendency. There were no significant differences in per- and postoperative blood loss and in bleeding and activated partial thromboplastin times between the groups.     

Panic disorder. The pattern of somatic contacts in patients

The epidemiology, phenomenology and treatment of panic disorder have been thoroughly studied in recent years. The symptomatology of panic attacks may mimic cardiopulmonary, neurological and gastrointestinal disease. Forty Danish panic patients with panic disorder of ten years' duration had had contact with several medical specialists, hospital emergency and outpatient services. Thus, 28% had visited neurologists, 8% cardiologists and 20% an emergency service. One third had been admitted to hospital departments. Almost all patients had consulted psychiatrists or psychologists. Ninety had been treated with a benzodiazepine, 35% with tricyclic antidepressants and 57% with neuroleptics. To prevent costly medical testings and delay in accurate diagnosis in psychiatric and somatic settings, the phenomenology of panic disorders should be recognized by all medical specialists and general practitioners.     

Incidence and magnitude of the "priming effect" in self-stimulating rats.

Describes the "priming effect" in electrical self-stimulation of the brain as the tendency for self-stimulation performance to weaken and slow down as the time since the last stimulation increases. Collaborative experiments among 3 laboratories with a total of 27 male albino rats varied the intertrial interval in a runway task in order to measure the effect for 37 electrode placements. The incidence of the effect was 100%, despite wide variation in type and placement of electrodes, type of runway, and type of stimulus wave form. The magnitude of the effect varied greatly. Some Ss ran only .5-2.0 sec/run more slowly at the longer intertrial interval; whereas others would not perform. The choice of stimulation parameters could influence considerably the magnitude of the effect. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spontaneous tumors and common diseases in two colonies of Syrian hamsters. I. Incidence and sites

Syrian hamsters from two colonies [Eppley colony (EC); Hannover colony (HC)] were examined for spontaneous neoplastic and noneoplastic diseases. Significant differences were found in tumor incidence (30%, EC' 42%, HC), occurrence of malignant neoplasms (15%, EC; 32%, HC), appearance of multiple primary tumors in different organs (42%, EC; 30%, HC), average survival rates of tumor-bearing animals, organ distribution and histologic types, and average survival rates of all animals. The frequencies of nonneoplastic diseases also varied between the two colonies. The findings indicated a need for precise histologic evaluation to generate information for comparative purposes regarding the use of hamsters in experimental pathology and carcinogenesis studies.     

The stress of patient suicidal behavior during clinical training: Incidence, impact, and recovery.

Enhances and replicates an earlier study (P. Kleespies et al, 1990) on the incidence and impact of patient suicidal behavior on psychology interns/trainees, using a much larger sample, a broader spectrum of patient suicidal behaviors, and more adequate comparison groups. The findings indicate that more than one-fourth of the interns/trainees needed to deal with a patient suicide attempt, and that one-ninth had to cope with a patient suicide completion. Stress level followed a graduated increase in impact with increasing severity of patient suicidal behavior (i.e., from suicidal ideation to suicide attempt to suicide completion). Trainees who had a patient suicide were distinguished from those who experienced patient suicide by ideation significantly greater feelings of shock, disbelief, failure, sadness, self-blame, guilt, shame, and depression. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of developing mechanisms to assist trainees in anticipating and working through the strong psychological impact of losing a patient through a self-inflicted death. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)