Aerosolization of Mycoplasma synoviae compared with Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Enterococcus faecalis.

In order to study the airborne transmission of an arthropathic strain of Mycoplasma synoviae, preliminary aerosol experiments were performed. They were conducted in duplicate in an empty isolator (1.3 m3) to assess the yield and viability of M.

Return to play after lumbar spine conditions and surgeries.

Low back pain in athletes can result from a wide variety of conditions. A detailed history and physical examination supplemented by appropriate imaging studies can lead to an accurate diagnosis. The majority of cases will be self-limiting and resolve within 6 weeks regardless of treatment, but it is important to be able to identify conditions that require specific treatment.

A serological survey for pathogens in old fancy chicken breeds in central and eastern part of The Netherlands.

To get an impression of the presence of pathogens in multi-aged flocks of old fancy chicken breeds in the Netherlands, plasma samples originating from 24 flocks were examined for antibodies against 17 chicken pathogens. These flocks were housed mainly in the centre and east of the Netherlands, regions with a high poultry density. The owners of the tested flocks showed their chicken at national and international poultry exhibitions.

A biomechanical comparison of calf versus cadaver lumbar spine models.

Study Design: Biomechanical flexibility tests were performed using calf and human cadaveric lumbar spine models to investigate the effect of anatomic differences.

Objectives: The purpose is to determine if differences exist in biomechanical flexibility testing results between calf and human cadaveric spines when using identical methods and instrumentation.

Summary Of Background Data: Calf spines are commonly used in biomechanical research as a substitute for human cadaveric spines in an attempt to reduce expense and specimen variability.

Anaesthetic management of infants with glycogen storage disease type II: a physiological approach.

Pompe or Glycogen Storage Disease type II (GSD-II) is a genetic disorder affecting both cardiac and skeletal muscle. Historically, patients with the infantile form usually die within the first year of life due to cardiac and respiratory failure. Recently a promising enzyme replacement therapy has resulted in improved clinical outcomes and a resurgence of elective anaesthesia for these patients.

The FOLLOWPACE study: a prospective study on the (cost-)effectiveness of routine follow-up visits in patients with a pacemaker.

In the Netherlands, following implantation of a pacemaker (PM) commonly two or three out-patient follow-up visits are scheduled in the first year to check the patient's health and the PM programme, in order to guarantee optimal patient outcome. Anually, about 200,000 follow-up visits of 20 minutes are performed, in total about 80,000 working hours. The question arises whether and to what extent these regular follow-up checks are truly necessary for the prognosis of the patient and whether they are cost-effective.

A treatment and outcomes analysis of patients with coccydynia.

Background Context: Coccydynia is a painful condition of the terminal portion of the spine often resulting from direct trauma, childbirth or unknown etiology. This is a relatively rare condition with no universally accepted treatment protocol.

Purpose: To more clearly determine the optimal treatment for patients with coccydynia and to assess the outcomes after conservative and surgical therapy.

Biomechanical evaluation of contemporary posterior spinal internal fixation configurations in an unstable burst-fracture calf spine model: special references of hook configurations and pedicle screws.

Study Design: This study attempts to determine the most biomechanically rigid posterior spinal instrumentation configuration in a burst-fracture calf spine model.

Objectives: To compare the biomechanical stability of contemporary posterior spinal instrumentation in various hook and screw configurations in an unstable calf spine model.

Summary Of Background Data: Burst-fractures are relatively common injuries seen in the setting of spinal trauma.

Acidobacteria form a coherent but highly diverse group within the bacterial domain: evidence from environmental genomics.

Acidobacteria have been established as a novel phylum of Bacteria that is consistently detected in many different habitats around the globe by 16S rDNA-based molecular surveys. The phylogenetic diversity, ubiquity and abundance of this group, particularly in soil habitats, suggest an important ecological role and extensive metabolic versatility. However, the genetic and physiological information about Acidobacteria is scarce.

Ability of Massachusetts-type infectious bronchitis virus to increase colibacillosis susceptibility in commercial broilers: a comparison between vaccine and virulent field virus.

The abilities of Massachusetts-type vaccine virus and virulent infectious bronchitis (IB) field virus to increase colibacillosis susceptibility were compared. In four experiments, 29-day-old female commercial broilers housed in isolators, were infected intratracheally and oculonasally with IB vaccine strains (H120 and H52) or virulent IB field strains (D387 and M41) (4.8 or 6.

Investigations of Enterococcus faecalis-induced bacteraemia in brown layer pullets through different inoculation routes in relation to the production of arthritis.

In the present aerosol experiment, assessment of the respiratory tract of 1-day-old birds as a natural route of infection for induction of Enterococcus faecalis bacteraemia and arthritis was performed. Second, the severity and type of arthritis produced through intramuscular infection in two different inoculation sites (musculus pectoralis versus musculus gastrocnemius) was studied. Third, the resulting bacteraemia was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively in relation to the occurrence of arthritis.

Effects of postural changes on cardiac function in healthy subjects.

Aims: To analyse the response of Doppler measurements to increased venous return in middle-aged healthy subjects.

Methods And Results: Left ventricular pulsed Doppler parameters, colour M-mode of early left ventricular filling and septal mitral annulus velocities were measured at baseline and after leg lifting (n=24). Leg lifting resulted in increased stroke volume (69 +/- 14 to 74 +/- 14 ml, P<0.

Use of electrical bone stimulation in spinal fusion.

Spinal fusion is commonly done to manage deformity, restore stability, and eliminate excessive motion at specific spinal levels. Pseudarthrosis limits the clinical success of spinal fusion. Three types of electrical stimulation, which is used to manage non-union in long bones, recently have been applied in an attempt to enhance the rate of spinal fusion.

Effect of spirituality on successful recovery from spinal surgery.

Background: Many patients believe prayer helps them recover from health problems. Benefits of spirituality on other illnesses and surgical procedures have been reported. It is unknown whether patients with strong spiritual beliefs have a greater propensity for successful recovery from spinal surgery.

Detection of rViscumin in plasma samples by immuno-PCR.

To allow for pharmacokinetic studies in adjunction with the current clinical developments of the potent cytostatic anti-cancer drug rViscumin, a sandwich immuno-PCR (IPCR) assay was developed for the detection of rViscumin in blood plasma. The IPCR was carried out with a commercially available reagent kit, consisting of pre-assembled rViscumin-specific antibody-DNA conjugates as well as a specific competitor DNA fragment to be amplified by PCR. Various combinations of capture- and detection-antibodies were compared for performance in IPCR.

Paediatric regional anaesthesia--what makes a difference?

Regional anaesthetic techniques are useful for providing post-operative pain control for ambulatory surgery in children. This chapter focuses on unique features of paediatric anatomy and physiology that allow successful performance of these techniques. An overview of the effective use of long-acting local anaesthetics in children is presented.

Screening for novel enzymes for biocatalytic processes: accessing the metagenome as a resource of novel functional sequence space.

Historically, biotechnology has missed up to 99% of existing microbial resources by using traditional screening techniques. Strategies of directly cloning 'environmental DNA' comprising the genetic blueprints of entire microbial consortia (the so-called 'metagenome') provide molecular sequence space that along with ingenious in vitro evolution technologies will act synergistically to bring a maximum of available sequence-space into biocatalytic application.

Biomechanical study on the effect of cervical spine fusion on adjacent-level intradiscal pressure and segmental motion.

Study Design: A biomechanical study was performed using cadaveric cervical spine specimens.

Objective: To determine the effect of cervical spine fusion on adjacent-level intradiscal pressure.

Summary Of Background Data: Clinical studies have reported that patients with spinal fusion are at greater risk of pathology and early disc degeneration at adjacent levels.

Metabolomics of plant saponins: bioprospecting triterpene glycoside diversity with respect to mammalian cell targets.

One of the goals of cancer chemotherapy and prevention is the discovery of compounds that are relatively selective to tumor cells and, therefore, have reduced effects on normal cell growth. In previously published studies, it was shown that certain triterpene saponins (called avicins) from a desert tree, Acacia victoriae, are selectively toxic to tumor cells at very low doses (IC(50): 0.2 microg/mL for Jurkat cells).

A new class of regulatory genes underlying the cause of pear-shaped tomato fruit.

A common, recurring theme in domesticated plants is the occurrence of pear-shaped fruit. A major quantitative trait locus (termed ovate) controlling the transition from round to pear-shaped fruit has been cloned from tomato. OVATE is expressed early in flower and fruit development and encodes a previously uncharacterized, hydrophilic protein with a putative bipartite nuclear localization signal, Von Willebrand factor type C domains, and an approximately equal 70-aa C-terminal domain conserved in tomato, Arabidopsis, and rice.

Dysphagia caused by anterior cervical osteophytes: a case report.

This 79-year-old man had a several-year history of dysphagia. On presentation, he spoke with difficulty but was not short of breath, and hemoptysis was present. A 17-mm osteophyte anterior to C3-C4 encroached on the posterior aspect of the oral pharynx and esophagus.

Preferential binding of the anticancer drug rViscumin (recombinant mistletoe lectin) to terminally alpha2-6-sialylated neolacto-series gangliosides.

Production of biochemically defined recombinant mistletoe lectin was achieved by cloning and separate expression of the single catalytically active A-chain and the B-chain with carbohydrate binding properties in Escherichia coli, yielding an active heterodimeric protein named rViscumin (Eck et al. [1999] Eur. J.

Prediction of tracheal tube size in children using multiple variables.

Background: Tracheal tube (TT) size selection in children is important to avoid complications. Formulae utilizing age and physical characteristics to predict appropriate tube size are not entirely predictive.

Methods: Using an automated anaesthesia record keeper database, the anaesthetic records of 8504 children, aged up to 7 years, who required tracheal intubation, were reviewed.