86,568 research outputs found
Necrotizing meningoencephalitis associated with cortical hippocampal hamartia in a Pekingese dog
No full textA 4-year-old male Pekingese dog was referred to the clinic with a history of recurrent seizures and progressive abnormal gait and behavior, which did not respond to treatment. At necropsy, a large cortical defect in the right temporo-parietal cortex, malacia of subcortical white matter, right basal nuclei, and capsula interna, as well as abnormalities of the right hippocampus were observed. Histological examination of the brain revealed moderate to severe nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis in the left cerebral hemisphere and extensive infarction-like lesions with milder inflammation in the right hemisphere. In the right hippocampus, the pyramidal cells were arranged in a gyrus-like pattern and intermingled with gemistocytic and fibrillary astrocytes. The histopathological features of the inflammatory lesions were consistent with necrotizing meningoencephalitis and resembled those described in so-called Pug dog encephalitis. The hippocarnpal changes were interpreted as dysplasia (monolateral hippocarnpal cortical hamartia), unrelated to clinical signs and necrotizing inflammatory lesions
Relazione fra il colore delle carcasse ed alcuni parametri qualitativi della carne di vitelloni Chianini
No full textPer verificare l'esistenza di correlazioni fra alcune caratteristiche qualitative della carcassa ed i principali parametri di qualità della carne, è stato rilevato il colore dei muscoli rectus abdominis e longissimus dorsi di 50 carcasse di vitelloni Chianini allevati secondo le norme del disciplinare "Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale" (IGP). Sono stati quindi prelevati campioni di carne che dopo 14 giorni di frollatura sono stati analizzati per la determinazione dei principali parametri di qualità. Le caratteristiche qualitative della carne sono in linea con quelle tipiche della razza; sono state evidenziate correlazioni interessanti fra i parametri colorimetrici rilevati sulla caracassa a livello del muscolo longissimus lumborum e quelli misurati sulla carne, lasciando intravedere la possibilità di stimare il colore della carne a partire da semplici misurazioni di carcassa
Specific diagnostic tools for protozoan infection of ruminants
No full textNeospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis spp. are closely related
intracellular protozoan parasites causing neosporosis, toxoplasmosis and
sarcocystosis, respectively. Toxoplasma and Neospora are major causes of abortion in
livestock worldwide leading to substantial economic losses. Toxoplasma is a well-known
infectious parasite of sheep and a wide range of warm-blooded animals,
including humans. Neospora predominantly causes disease in cattle, although
infections in other warm-blooded animals have been found to cause disease.
Sarcocystis infect a wide range of intermediate and definitive mammalian hosts.
Although abortion is a major problem for livestock operations and animal welfare
worldwide, the identification of a specific cause is particularly difficult and achieved
in less than 50% of the cases, even in well-established diagnostic laboratories.
Neospora, Toxoplasma, and Sarcocystis spp. share many common morphological and
biological similarities making differentiation through immunological methods
between these protozoan parasites challenging. Aetiological diagnostics tests are
required to confirm the presence of association of disease with specific parasites, and
to determine the cause of abortion to adopt the most relevant disease control strategy.
As such, it is necessary to have access to specific diagnostic tools to confirm or rule
out the presence of Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Sarcocystis spp. as
the cause of abortion in mammalian species.
The primary aim of this PhD was to develop a genus-specific PCR assay for the
detection of N. caninum, T. gondii and Sarcocystis spp. using fixed and fresh tissue
material. Suitable target regions for the production of genus-specific PCR primers
were identified using the 18S rRNA gene and ITS1 regions. Primers were tested for
sensitivity and specificity using DNA from various protozoan parasites. For the 18S
rRNA gene, general PCR primers were developed to amplify DNA from Neospora,
Toxoplasma and Sarcocystis spp. 18S group-specific primers were developed to enable
detection of T. gondii and N. caninum from Sarcocystis spp. Several 18S Sarcocystis
specific group primers were developed to enable differentiation of a variety of
Sarcocystis spp. Species-specific primers were developed using the ITS1 region to
enable diagnosis of Neospora from Toxoplasma. PCR assays were standardized, and
primers were validated using DNA extracted from fixed and fresh tissues to enable the
diagnosis of different protozoan species.
The second aim was to develop genus-specific antibodies (polyclonal and monoclonal)
raised against recombinant proteins of N. caninum, T. gondii and Sarcocystis spp. to
enable specific diagnosis. For this aim, suitable target genes for the production of
recombinant proteins for Neospora, Toxoplasma and Sarcocystis spp. were identified.
Recombinant proteins were expressed using E. coli and analysed for cross-reactivity.
Three recombinant proteins for Neospora, three for Toxoplasma and one for
Sarcocystis were successfully expressed. Of those, two recombinant proteins for
Neospora (rNcSRS2 and rNcSAG1) and one recombinant protein for Toxoplasma
(rTgSRS2) were used for subsequent antibody production.
For the development of polyclonal antisera, rabbit pre-immune sera were tested to
choose the best candidate for immunisation using the recombinant proteins. Polyclonal
sera were tested using immunohistochemistry for functionality and specificity. The
polyclonal antibodies were validated using a range of ruminant clinical cases suspected
of protozoal infections. Based on the recombinant protein expression the best
candidates were taken forward for the development of a genus-specific monoclonal
antibody. For this study, three rabbits were chosen for immunisation using
recombinant proteins, and three polyclonal rabbit sera (anti- Neospora NcSAG1, anti-
Neospora-NcSRS2, anti- Toxoplasma TgSRS2) were generated. Each polyclonal sera
was shown to be specific, and results showed that the sera can be used in
immunohistochemical detection of the parasite on formalin fixed paraffin embedded
samples.
For monoclonal antibody production, mice were immunised with recombinant proteins
NcSRS2 and TgSRS2. Hybridoma clones were generated, and clones that showed
reactivity and specificity using ELISA and immunohistochemistry were selected to
produce monoclonal antibodies. The study achieved the successful production of
Neospora monoclonal antibody ME7.1.B12.C9. No Toxoplasma specific monoclonal
antibody was produced. This study shows that the genus-specific PCR assays and
genus-specific antibodies can be used for the identification of Neospora, Toxoplasma
and Sarcocystis in formalin fixed paraffin embedded samples
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
[Newspaper Clipping: Author Claims Evidence of Second JFK Assassin #1]
No full textNewspaper article titled "Author Claims Evidence of Second JFK Assassin." The article states that author Richard J. Whalen concluded "that there is circumstantial evidence to support the theory of a second assassin in the shooting of President John F. Kennedy.
Also By The Same Author: AKTiveAuthor, a Citation Graph Approach to Name Disambiguation
No full textThe desire for definitive data and the semantic web drive for inference over heterogeneous data sources requires co-reference resolution to be performed on those data. In particular, name disambiguation is required to allow accurate publication lists, citation counts and impact measures to be determined. This paper describes a graph-based approach to author disambiguation on large-scale citation networks. Using self-citation, co-authorship and document source analyses, AKTiveAuthor clusters papers, achieving precision of 0.997 and recall of 0.818 over a test group of eight surname clusters
John F. Kennedy telegram to Roosevelt
No full textJersey Homesteads (later the Borough of Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. President John F. Kennedy sent a telegram to the citizens of Roosevelt, New Jersey, apologizing for not being able to attend the memorial dedication in honor of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (Jersey Homesteads became Roosevelt in 1945 in honor of the president.) President Kennedy expressed his gratitude to the people of Roosevelt for constructing the memorial, and commented that it will serve as a constant reminder of Roosevelt's good works
Characterization of Immune System Cell Subsets in Fixed Tissues from Alpine Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra)
No full textImmune system cell subsets in lymph nodes and spleen from alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra subspecies rupicapra) living in the Italian Alps were characterized immunohistochemically. Seven primary antibodies (against human CD3, CD79αcy, CD68, or ovine CD4, CD8, CD21 and γδ T-cell receptor [TCR] epitopes) were tested on tissues fixed either in formalin or in zinc salts (ZS) and cross-reactivity with chamois immune cell epitopes was shown. ZS fixation allowed wider identification of immune cells, without the need for antigen retrieval. CD4+ and CD21+ cells were labelled only in ZS-fixed tissues. Reagents specific for human CD3, CD79 and CD68 antigens successfully detected chamois immune cells, both in ZS-fixed and formalin-fixed tissues. The reactivity and distribution of immune cells in lymph nodes and spleen were similar to those described in other domestic and wild ruminants. Results from this study may allow future investigation of the immune response and pathogenesis of diseases in the chamois
Logarithmic variance profiles and the corresponding f-1 spectra of temperature fluctuations in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection
No full textWe report experimental results for the temperature variance 2(z) and the corresponding frequency spectra P(f) in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC) in a cylindrical sample of aspect ratioT= D/L = 1:00 (D = 1:12 m is the diameter and L = 1:12 m the height). The measurements were conducted in the Rayleigh-number range 1011 < Ra < 1:35 1014 and Pr ' 0:8. For Ra = 1:35x1014, 2(z) could be described well by a logarithmic dependence on the vertical position z in a range of z 1 < z < z 2 with z 1 ' 70 and z 2 = 0:1L. Here L=(2Nu) is the thickness of a thin thermal sublayer adjacent to the horizontal plate where the heat flux (denoted by the Nusselt number Nu) is carried mostly by thermal diffusion. In the log layer, we found that the temperature spectra had a significant frequency range over which P(f) f with close to 1. As Ra decreased, increased so that the log layer became thinner. At Ra = 2:05 1011, z 2 < z 1 and therefore there was no range for a log layer. Correspondingly, the temperature spectrum near the horizontal plate did not have the f1 scaling form either
- …
