Effect of air temperature and humidity in a stable on basic physiological parameters in horses

The aim of the study was to analyse selected air parameters in a stable (microclimate) and the basic physiological parameters of horses housed in the stable in different seasons of the year. The research material was 12 adult hot-blooded horses kept in a brick stable with stalls. Air parameters in the stable (temperature in the passageway, temperature in the stall at two points, relative humidity in the passageway, and relative humidity in the stall at two points) were determined four times in one year, in summer, autumn, winter and spring. Measurements were made with a Bluetooth BLE-LOGGER LB-518 battery-operated cordless thermo-hygrometer at 12 noon at five points in the stable located 300 cm apart. Physiological parameters of the horses, i.e. internal body temperature (Veterinär SC 12 veterinary thermometer), heart rate (Polar ELECTRO OY RS800CX with PolarProTrainer 5.0. software), and respiratory rate (with a manual stopwatch) were measured at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on each day of the study. The season of the year was found to have a significant influence on the microclimate of the stable. To ensure optimal air humidity, airing of the stable should be limited only in winter and periodically in autumn. It is also worth emphasizing that the stable microclimate has a marked effect on the basic physiological parameters of horses. High temperature and relative humidity in the stable can cause unfavourable changes in the form of an increase in evening body temperature in the summer and a decrease in the winter. The remaining parameters, i.e. heart rate and respiratory rate, can also unfavourably increase, mainly in the summer. Horses should have fewer problems maintaining normal physiological parameters in winter, even fewer in autumn, and the fewest in spring.

Characteristics of advanced methods used for typing bacterial isolates from mastitis with particular reference to Staphylococci

Staphylococci are very common human and animal pathogens. A variety of staphylococcal virulence determinates leads to vast range of infections. One of them is mastitis which is a common disease of the mammary glands. The incidence of this disease is widespread all over the world and depends on bacterial virulence and on prevention programs. The influence of mastitis on human health is not globally evaluated, however, in veterinary fields loses in milk production caused by bovine mastitis are a constant economic problem. One of the most important parts of the mastitis control programs is accurate diagnosis of the inflammation and characterization of the etiological factors which leads to reduction of mastitis spread. Recent reports show that staphylococci are common bacterial etiological factors of mastitis, and this paper is an overview of the diagnostic typing methods used for characterization of staphylococcal isolates. A number of different techniques available to applicate is described. Phenotypic methods to identify and to differentiate isolates or discriminate virulence factors are still in use, however, some advanced genetic methods offering higher discriminatory power are reported as more accurate. In fact, nowadays the most powerful tool on that field is next generation sequencing (NGS) of the whole genome, but its high cost and requirement of special laboratory equipment makes it hard to use for routine diagnostics. That is why standard PCR techniques-based methods, and the sequencing of particular genes, are mostly used for typing bacterial isolates. Most of these techniques are characterized by a high discriminatory power, big epidemiological concordance, and repeatable results. The presented report describes the techniques used most frequent in mastitis diagnostics related to staphylococci typing and shows their advantages and disadvantages.

Palladium nanoparticles generated in situ used as catalysts in carbonylative cross-coupling in aqueous medium

Pd NPs, obtained in situ from imidazole complexes Pd(im)₂Cl₂ (im = methylimidazole, butylimidazole), efficiently catalyze the carbonylative Suzuki coupling in water at 80 °C and 1 atm of CO.

Genetic and environmental determinants of the urea level in cow's milk

Abstract. This study was conducted on a sample of 2237 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. The aim was to estimate the effect of selected environmental factors on the level of urea in cow's milk and on its genetic parameters, i.e. the heritability coefficients, and genetic correlation with other selected traits of milk production. The present study has revealed the existence of a highly significant influence of herd, year of calving, parity, lactation phase, and milk performance level on the urea content in cow's milk. A high urea level in milk was detected in samples collected from older animals, both during the winter season and the middle phase of lactation (101–200 days). The heritability estimates were generally at a low level, particularly in terms of milk yield (0.183) and urea content (0.152–0.159), which may indicate the dominant role of the environment in shaping them. Relatively low values of genetic correlation (−0.097–0.140) between the urea content and other traits suggest that improvement of milk yield and its composition modify the urea level in milk only to a small degree.

Quantum size effect on the paramagnetic critical field in free-standing superconducting nanofilms

The quantum size effect on the in-plane paramagnetic critical field in Pb(1 1 1) free-standing nanofilms is investigated with the use of the spin-generalized Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. It is shown that the critical field oscillates as a function of the nanofilm thickness with the period ∼ 2 ML (even-odd oscillations), modulated by the beating effect. The calculated values of the critical field for different nanofilm thicknesses are analyzed in the context of the Clogston-Chandrasekhar limit. It is found that the critical field for superconducting nanofilms differs from this limit. This phenomena is explained in terms of quantization of the electron energy caused by the confinement of electron motion in a direction perpendicular to the film. The thermal effect and thickness-dependence of electron-phonon coupling on the value of the critical magnetic field are also studied.

Magnetoresistance anomalies resulting from Stark resonances in semiconductor nanowires with a constriction

Magnetotransport properties of a semiconductor nanowire with a constriction have been studied within the Landauer-Büttiker formalism in the presence of the axially oriented magnetic field at low temperatures. The one-electron quantum states in the nanowire have been calculated within the adiabatic approximation which takes into account the three-dimensional structure of the nanowire and allows us to study the effect of the transverse quantum states on the electronic current. The calculated current-voltage characteristics exhibit well pronounced peaks that result from the enhancement of the electron transmission by the Stark resonant states formed in the triangular quantum well near the constriction. The effect of the Stark resonances is clearly manifested in the magnetoresistance as a function of the drain-source voltage. The calculated magnetoresistance exhibits two interesting features: (i) rapid jumps at certain voltages, caused by the enhancement of the electron transmission by the Stark resonances, (ii) changes of sign that stem from the magnetic-field induced changes of the current-voltage characteristics slope. The influence of the constriction parameters (radius, length, smoothness of the potential barrier, position of the constriction in the nanowire) on the electronic current has also been analyzed. Since the effective potential barrier created by the constriction in the nanowire is similar to that generated by the negatively charged gate surrounding the nanowire, the presented results can also be applied to the description of the magnetoresistance in the gated nanowires.

[The effect of long-term administration of isosorbide 5-mononitrate (Mononit), nitric oxide donor, on gallbladder emptying in patients with chronic stable angina]

In 13 patients (7 females and 6 males) with newly found, previously not treated, chronic stable angina the interprandial volume of the gallbladder and its emptying after treatment with isosorbide-5-mononitrate (Mononit) were examined. The volume of gallbladder was estimated with ultrasonography first after administration of 10 or 20 mg of Mononit twice a day and then in 3rd and 6th week of treatment. It was found that the intake of the single dose as well as the long treatment with Mononit had no effect on interprandial volume of gallbladder. However the intake of drug led to the significant inhibition of postprandial gallbladder's contractility both after the single dose and long term treatment with Mononit.

[Use of pleuro-peritoneal shunt in the treatment of chronic chylothorax]

Persistent chylothorax is usually treated by frequent aspirations or intercostal-tube drainage with interpleural installation of chemical or mechanical irritants. In 1986 Denver pleuroperitoneal shunt has been introduced. This is a single-unit silicone rubber conduit consisting of unidirectional valved pumping chamber located between pleural and peritoneal catheters. Manual compression of the shunt is required to achieve active pumping. The described unit is implanted subcutaneously in the lover thoracic and upper abdominal region in the anterior axillary line. We present a 38 year old patient with persistent chylothorax treated successfully by implantation of the described device.