Post-mortem findings in 22 fatal Taxus baccata intoxications and a possible solution to its detection.

Background: The yew (Taxus baccata) is a common evergreen tree containing the toxin taxine B. Between 42 and 91 g of yew leaf is lethal to a 70-kg adult. The objective of this article is to present an overview of findings in fatal yew intoxications.

Detection of elevated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in elderly patients with various cardiac disorders by the Valsalva manoeuvre.

In the present study, we assessed whether elevated (> or =15 mmHg) PCWP (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure) can be detected using the blood pressure response to the Valsalva manoeuvre in a group of elderly patients with various cardiac disorders, including atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease, and healthy elderly controls. The Valsalva manoeuvre was performed in 93 patients (71+/-4 years) and 28 healthy controls (70+/-4 years) undergoing right-sided cardiac catheterization. Blood pressure was measured non-invasively with Finapres.

Normal values of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and the blood pressure response to the Valsalva manoeuvre in healthy elderly subjects.

The blood pressure response to the Valsalva manoeuvre is related to pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and can be used to diagnose heart failure. However, this has never been studied specifically in the elderly, in whom the prevalence of heart failure is highest. Furthermore, normal values of the Valsalva manoeuvre are lacking.

Lower body positive pressure by anti-G garment inflation: a suitable method to increase pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in healthy elderly subjects.

In a study on non-invasive assessment of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), we sought a method to increase PCWP non-invasively. We hypothesized that inflation of an anti-G garment was suitable to increase PCWP non-invasively in healthy elderly subjects. In 20 subjects, aged 70 +/- 4 years (mean +/- SD), before, immediately after, and 4 min after anti-G garment inflation to 52 mmHg, PCWP and mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) were measured with a Swan-Ganz catheter, and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) with Finapres, in supine and semi-recumbent position.

Recruitment and coaching of healthy elderly subjects for invasive cardiovascular research with right-sided catheterisation.

Background And Aims: Heart failure is primarily a disorder of the elderly. To investigate a non-invasive method to diagnose heart failure in the elderly, right-sided catheterisation was needed in healthy elderly subjects. We studied the feasibility of recruitment of healthy elderly subjects for this invasive investigation and aimed to identify the factors important for recruitment and for successful participation.

Effect of lateral heel wedges on sagittal and transverse plane kinematics of trotting Shetland ponies and the influence of feeding and training regimes.

Reasons For Performing Study: Lateral heel wedges are used to treat horses and ponies with patella fixation or bone spavin. However, these therapies are purely empirically based and lack scientific evidence.

Objectives: Lateral heel wedges would change joint motion in the sagittal, but mainly in the transversal planes, in healthy horses.

Finapres arterial pulse wave analysis with Modelflow is not a reliable non-invasive method for assessment of cardiac output.

Non-invasive continuous monitoring of cardiac output could be very useful in clinical care and in research settings, particularly in elderly subjects. We studied whether Finapres arterial pulse wave analysis with Modelflow is a reliable non-invasive method for the assessment of cardiac output in healthy elderly subjects. We compared Modelflow cardiac output (MFCO) with thermodilution cardiac output (TDCO) in 28 healthy subjects, aged 70+/-4 years (mean+/-S.

Fertility of Shetland pony stallions used in different breeding systems: a retrospective study.

In horses reproductive performance is usually expressed as the foaling rate. This rate ranges from 40% to 80%. Three major factors contribute to this variation namely, the stallion, the mare and management.

Epidemiologic aspects of Taylorella equigenitalis.

Contagious equine metritis (CEM) is a sexually transmissible disease in mares. Although the disease is commonly diagnosed by culturing the causative bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis (T. equigenitalis) .

Pregnancy rate of heifers bred by an immunotolerant bull persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus.

Twenty four maiden heifers were bred by natural route by a specific immunotolerant bull, that was persistently infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhoea virus (BVD virus). The quality of the bull's semen was normal. Twelve heifers became pregnant in the first oestrus cycle and the remaining twelve in the second oestrus cycle.

[What possibilities does the milk-progesterone test in dairy cattle offer in clinical practice?].

A field trial was made by the Animal Health Service Foundation in Boxtel, the Netherlands, during the period from December 1984 to June 1985 for the purpose of studying the possibilities of the milk progesterone test (MPT) in dairy cattle in the field. Approximately 10,000 milk samples were taken to determine the concentration of progesterone; this was done daily using the EIA method in the laboratory of the Animal Health Service Foundation in Boxtel. The MPT offers more possibilities in the field than do the detection of oestrus and diagnosis of gestation alone.

[Some results obtained in artificial insemination on a large rabbit farm (author's transl)].

In commercial rabbit-farming, activities associated with mating take up a great deal of the working hours required. Efforts were made to help to obtain optimum results in rabbit-farming by carrying out artificial insemination. The conception rates following insemination of does which are not prepared to mate naturally, are too low.

[The incidence of diseases of the lung and liver in slaughtered pigs as a criterion in the detection of herds in which the disease is a recurrent problem (author's transl)].

Diseases of the lung and liver in swine are two forms of disease which often result in considerable economic losses. They occur in pigs throughout the world. Studies in the Netherlands showed that from 40 to 50 per cent of the lungs and from 60 to 80 per cent of the livers were affected.

[Sperm examination of the boar (author's transl)].

During the last ten years the stock of pigs in the Netherlands has doubled. The number of adult boars on pig farms there has in that time trebled. Sperm examination of boars by the Gezondheidsdienst voor Dieren (Veterinary Health Service) in the Dutch province of North Brabant have increased from 83 boars in 1968 to 2045 boars in 1974.