An outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever in young rusa deer (Cervus timorensis)

On the basis of clinical signs and histological findings eight 9-month-old male rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) were diagnosed with sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever. Following a variable course involving rectal temperatures around 40.5 degrees C, depression, inappetence, diarrhoea, corneal opacity and hypopyon all animals died or were euthanased over a 5-week period. Severe multifocal vasculitis, mainly periglomerular and in the arcuate vessels were consistent histological findings which in the past have been adequate to confirm clinical diagnosis of sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever. A nested polymerase chain reaction test has been used to detect a sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever PRC product, 238 base-pairs in size, in DNA extracted from lymphocyte preparations. The result supported the diagnosis of sheep associated-malignant catarrhal fever in these deer.     

Variable presentation of cerebrovascular disease in monovular twins

We describe twin girls with bilateral cerebrovascular disease. In one child, a diagnosis of moyamoya disease was made after presentation in infancy with an acute hemiparesis; her asymptomatic sibling was found to have significant bilateral cerebrovascular disease after neuropsychological evaluation and assessment with transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Both subjects showed a discrepancy between verbal and performance IQ and deficits on a test of frontal-lobe function suggesting that these domains should be targeted in cognitive assessment. Family members of subjects with moyamoya are at risk of cerebrovascular disease. Clinical symptoms do not reliably predict disease and those at risk should be offered screening with non-invasive vascular imaging.     

The significance of traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage in severe head injury

Since the advent of computed tomography (CT) traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) has been diagnosed more often. It has reportedly been associated with a poor prognosis, but pure or solitary IVH is rare, suggesting that other lesions occurring concurrently with it may contribute to the poor outcome. In a series of 65 patients with severe head injury (GCS < or = 8), 14 (22%) had IVH on initial CT. Death rate in these 14 was 21%, not significantly different from that in patients without IVH (14%), although a significantly higher proportion of patients without IVH had a good outcome. These results suggest that mortality is related to other lesions associated with IVH rather than to IVH alone and that the presence of IVH does not necessarily lead to a poor outcome.     

Management of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal stenosis in children

Nasopharyngeal stenosis and oropharyngeal stenosis are rare and challenging problems in the pediatric population. The most common etiology is currently the surgical trauma associated with adenotonsillectomy. Stenosis can vary from a thin band to a complete obstructing cicatrix. Presenting symptoms range from mild hyponasal speech to severe airway obstruction. We present a series of eight children with varying degrees of stenosis and associated symptoms. Choice of treatment varied with the severity of disease. In our series, successful interventions included triamcinolone acetonide injection, lysis of adhesions, rotational and advancement mucosal flaps, and jejunal free flap. Preoperative evaluation and individualized surgical repair are essential for successful treatment.     

Economic Comparison of NdFeB and Hard Ferrites in Automotive Applications

With the increasing use of electric motors in automobiles—in some cases as many as 100 electric motors per vehicle—alternatives to ferrite magnetic materials are under consideration. If more powerful magnetic materials could be implemented, size reductions in these motors could result in curb weight reductions that lead to improved fuel economy. NdFeB magnets are attractive as potential replacement materials, due to their higher flux density and thus smaller required size; however, high material costs have limited their implementation. To investigate the economic competitiveness of alternative magnetic materials, technical cost models (TCMs) were developed and used to examine the manufacturing economics related to the production of both NdFeB and ferrite magnets. Results from the TCMs are used to identify the cost drivers and opportunities for cost reductions. Subsequent investigations will include effects on vehicle fuel efficiency, and the environmental impact of magnet manufacture and disposal.     

Neurotransmitter receptor plasticity in aging

Neurotransmitter receptor plasticity is an important part of the compensatory processes by which the central nervous system adapts to pathological insult, long-term exposure to drugs or neuronal loss with advanced age. Receptor plasticity can be manifest as changes in the number of receptors (i.e., up- or down-regulation), changes in expression of mRNA for discrete receptor proteins, or alterations in receptor coupling to signal transduction systems. Evidence exists for impaired plasticity of neurons in the aged brain, which results in decreased ability to adjust to changes in their environment. However, such data are highly dependent on the neurotransmitter examined, the stimulus for receptor regulation and the animal model chosen for study. For example, senescent rats show an age-related impairment of muscarinic receptor up- or down-regulation after long-term exposure to cholinergic drugs. Thus, young rats exposed to chronic (three weeks) intracerebroventricular infusions of methylatropine or oxotremorine exhibit compensatory changes in the density of muscarinic receptors in frontal cortex and hypothalamus. In contrast, 3H-QNB binding is unaltered in the same brain regions of identically treated senescent rats. Similar observations of impaired muscarinic receptor plasticity in senescent animals have been confirmed by other investigators. Age-related differences in coupling of brain muscarinic receptors to G-proteins and in muscarinic receptor-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis have also been reported. Interestingly, neuropeptides such as neurotensin, cholecystokinin and VIP can potentiate carbachol-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in frontal cortex of both young and aged rats. This adds another level at which cholinergic neurotransmission may be modulated in senescent animals. Potential age-related differences in the effects of chronic drug treatments or experimental brain lesions on muscarinic receptor coupling to second messenger systems or on expression of mRNA for particular muscarinic receptors are currently unknown. Hence, it is possible that senescent animals may show additional deficiencies in plasticity of muscarinic receptor mediated signal transduction or expression of muscarinic receptors subtypes.