The occurence of endoparasites in Slovakian household dogs and cats.

Pets play a pivotal role as definitive or reservoir hosts for many zoonotic parasites. Dogs and cats without any clinical signs may be a carrier for the infection. In a one-year study, collected fecal samples of 257 dogs and 50 cats were examined coproscopically for endoparasite infections.

Comparison of Radiographic Measurements of the Femur in Yorkshire Terriers with and without Medial Patellar Luxation.

Objective:  This article aimed to compare measurements of anatomical angles of the femurs, based on radiography, in Yorkshire Terriers without or with various grades of medial patellar luxation (MPL) based on radiography.

Methods:  The skeletally mature Yorkshire Terrier dogs without MPL and with various grades of MPL were included in this prospective study. Cases with other orthopaedic disorders were excluded.

Application of atomic force microscopy to visualization of DNA, chromatin, and chromosomes.

The scanning force microscope (SFM, also called the atomic force microscope, AFM) provides a new and powerful method for visualization and manipulation of biological samples. Its high precision and sensitivity allow the investigator to interrogate samples at very high spatial resolution and simultaneously accumulate a variety of data types, including topography, viscoelasticity, chemical properties, and local friction. We provide here a brief review of the literature describing the current state of the art in the application of SFM to the study of DNA, chromatin and chromosomes, and some examples from this laboratory.

A non-traditional approach to risk assessment of respiratory exposure to outdoor air pollutants.

The aim of this study was to verify a non-traditional assessment of respiratory exposure to outdoor air pollutants in industrial areas. The technique involved environmental biological monitoring' using domestic rabbits in the neighborhood of a mercury-producing plant. Rabbits were exposed whole-body to mercury emissions for 6 months in special cages near the plant.

Issues related to dust aerosols in the magnesite industry. II. Environmental exposure.

Magnesite waste containing largely magnesium oxide (MgO) and a mixture of other metals forms aerosols with a considerable portion of respirable particles when released into the atmosphere. Several animal species (domestic rabbits, Wistar rats, cattle) were used to biologically monitor the accumulation and effects of inhaled magnesite aerosol in two actual locations of the magnesite industry. The study revealed the biological accumulation of magnesium, iron and other metals in the bodies of exposed animals (and F1 animals) as well as specific lesions on tracheal relief, morphological changes in organ microstructure (especially in the lungs, spleen, liver and myocardium), alternations in the reproductive capacity of females, distorted Mg:Ca:P ratio as well as changes in the immune profile.