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Wound infections and abscesses in rabbits are a common problem in veterinary practice and their treatment can be challenging. Bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing are important tools in these cases. While some studies are available on bacteria associated with wound infections and abscesses in rabbits, the numbers of animals included is generally limited. Monitoring of antibiotic resistance in clinical practice is also an important part of good antibiotic stewardship. Multiple antibiotic resistances are frequently encountered in Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas spp., 2 groups of bacteria commonly associated with abscesses in rabbits. This retrospective study evaluated the results of aerobic bacterial cultures and antibiotic susceptibility tests in swabs from abscesses (A) (n = 541) and from skin and wounds (SW) (n = 308) submitted to a commercial diagnostic laboratory. Samples submitted between January 2017 and October 2020 were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas spp. was evaluated and compared. In A, 465 bacterial isolates including 35 different species were isolated while 394 bacterial isolates, including 35 different species, were found in SW. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus spp. (A = 21.7%, SW = 36.5%) followed by Pasteurella spp. in A (13.3%) and aerobic spore-forming bacteria in SW (11.2%). Pseudomonas spp. was the third most commonly isolated genus in both sample types (A = 11.6%, SW = 8.9%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from A were more often resistant to the tested antibiotics than other Pseudomonas species. These results support the need for bacterial culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing of wounds and abscesses from rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guinea pigs with a total thyroxine (TT4) value >66.9 nmol/l (>5.2 µg/dl) were selected from the database of a private diagnostic laboratory. The submitting veterinarians were sent standardized questionnaires in order to assess background information on clinical signs, therapy and the success of the therapy in these cases. Information from 40 cases was evaluated. Eighteen of these animals were male, 7 of which were castrated. Twenty-one animals were intact females. No sex was provided in 1 case. Increased blood TT4 values were found predominantly in elderly guinea pigs. The median age of affected animals was 5 years. The clinical signs most consistently found were weight loss associated with a constant or increased appetite. Two thirds of the animals had palpable masses on the ventral neck which were considered to belong to the thyroid gland. These masses did not correlate with increased TT4 concentrations in the blood. Ninty-two percent of the animals (36/38) were treated with thiamazole or carbimazole while the thyroid gland was surgically removed in 6 cases. In 19 animals, TT4 was evaluated again after treatment and the value was reduced in 12 (12/19) of those cases. The median drop in TT4 concentrations was 29.6 nmol/l (2.3 µg/dl) (range 5.2 to 128.7 nmol/l, respectively, 0.4 to 10.0 µg/dl).The veterinarians reported clinical improvement in 48 % (13/27) of the animals. Moderate clinical improvement to complete recovery was observed in 3 (3/6) of the animals treated surgically. One continued to receive thyreostatic drugs, 1 did not clinically improve and 1 died. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental data on calcium phosphates formation were collected in dilute solution at constant pH (7.40) and temperature (37.0 °C) at different levels of ionic strength (IS). The evolution of the solid phase formation is described in detail using a thermodynamic-kinetic model. The thermodynamic model takes into account all relevant chemical species as well as Posner’s clusters; the kinetic model, based on the discretized population balance approach, accounts for the solid formation from solution. The experimental data are consistent with an initial formation of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD, brushite), which dominates the nucleation rate, and its rapid transformation into octacalcium phosphate (OCP) or hydroxyapatite (HA), which dominates the growth rate. Depending on the experimental conditions and, including the influence of the IS level, OCP may be further transformed into apatite. The classical nucleation theory is able to describe the experimental results very well and the solid phase growth is limited by the diffusion of Ca 2+ ions. The precipitation pathway described by a complete thermodynamic-kinetic model is expected to contribute to the understating of the in vivo osteogenesis. Statement of Significance The formation mechanism of calcium phosphates under biomimetic conditions is unraveled. The formation pathway is mathematically described based on a thermodynamic-kinetic model in which (i) the nucleation stages (primary and secondary) are dominated by the formation of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) and (ii) the fast growth stage is limited by the diffusion of Ca 2+ ions under the driving force of octacalcium phosphate (OCP), or hydroxyapatite (HA), solubility. The obtained solid phase seems correlated to the activity coefficient of phosphate ions, thus to the ionic strength and local phosphate speciation. The model, being able to highlight the details of the precipitation pathway, is expected to contribute to the understanding of the apatitic phase formation in the biomineralization-biodemineralization processes under in-vivo conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient biodegradation of 5-tolyltriazole (5-TTri) in wastewater treatment would minimize its potential detrimental effects on aquatic systems. Therefore, in order to profile 5-TTri biodegrading activated sludge communities (ASC) by DGGE and NGS, acclimation experiments with (i) easily degradable substrates, and (ii) various complex substrates mimicking wastewater conditions were performed. DGGE revealed four genera: Aminobacter (family Phyllobacteriaceae ), Flavobacterium (family Flavobacteriaceae ), Pseudomonas (family Pseudomonaceae ), and Hydrogenophaga (family Comamonadaceae ). Metagenomics (DNA) revealed the dominant families Alcaligenaceae , Pseudomonadaceae and Comamonadaceae that also represented the most active families at the RNA level (metatranscriptomics), which might indicate their importance for 5-TTri biodegradation. ASC acclimation and the composition of the substrate significantly affected 5-TTri biodegradation and the development of biodegrading communities. Using acetate only, a moderate 5-TTri degrading community was detected with a very low biodiversity and Pseudomonas spp. as dominant organisms. In contrast, setups fed ‘sludge supernatant’ (a complex substrate) efficiently biodegraded 5-TTri and formed a more diverse microbial community but with Hydrogenophaga spp. as the dominant group. Finally, a hypothetical 5-TTri biodegradation pathway was constructed based exclusively on the detected, biodegradation-related, Hydrogenophaga spp. genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Elimination of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) turned out to be based on biodegradation. [•] Activated sludge communities utilize SMX as carbon and/or nitrogen source for growth. [•] SMX biodegradation is enhanced in the presence of a C source and N deficiency. [•] With SMX as co-substrate 3-amino-5-methyl-isoxazole represents the main stable metabolite. [•] SMX as sole C and N source maybe yields hydroxyl-N-(5-methyl-1,2-oxazole-3-yl)benzene-1-sulfonamide as further metabolite. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Very high prevalence (78 %) of Hepatozoon canis in foxes. • Unexpected level of prevalence (4%) in dogs. • Dogs with autochthon infection with H. canis. • Rhipicephalussanguineus sensu lato absent in study area. • Identical 18S rRNA haplotypes in many dogs and foxes. Hepatozoon canis is a blood parasite of the suborder Adeleorina infecting wild and domestic canids. Transmission occurs by oral uptake of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato vector ticks infected with H. canis , but vertical transmission is also assumed to be possible. In German foxes, a high prevalence of H. canis has previously been reported despite the fact that R. sanguineus s.l. is not endemic. In the absence of knowledge about local transmission pathways, foxes should be considered to be possible reservoirs of H. canis and contribute to infection of domestic dogs. The present study aimed to determine how often foxes and dogs are infected in Brandenburg (Germany) and if identical or different H. canis 18S rRNA haplotypes are found in these host species. Hepatozoon spp. were detected by PCR in 46/1050 (4.4 %) of dog blood and 176/201 (77.6 %) of fox spleen samples from Brandenburg. Sequencing of 19 dog and 56 fox samples identified all as H. canis. For nine positive dogs, owners stated that they had never left Germany suggesting that autochthonous transmission occurs not only in foxes but also in dogs. Sequences for seven of these possible autochthonous cases were obtained and six were identical to the predominant haplotype found in the foxes. Haplotype network analysis confirmed that many dogs, including some without travel history, carried the same or very similar 18S rRNA haplotypes as the foxes suggesting that both hosts participate in the same epidemiological cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is believed that thyroid function has a significant effect on fertility and fetal development in mammals. So far, however, only few studies have been published about potential effects of the reproductive cycle stage on thyroid hormone concentrations in dogs. Therefore, over the course of 122 pregnant and non-pregnant cycles in healthy bitches, Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free Thyroxine (fT4), total Thyroxine (tT4) and Progesterone (P4) were measured six times to assess the influence of the cycle stage and pregnancy on hormone concentrations. The aim was to evaluate established reference intervals for the thyroid hormones in a female study population. Of the 122 bitches, 98 became pregnant. Blood samples were collected during estrus, three times in pregnancy, during lactation and after weaning, or at equivalent times during and after estrus in non-pregnant dogs. No differences between pregnant and non-pregnant animals in any of the thyroid hormones were found. Hormone concentrations, however, differed significantly between the six samplings (p <.01). TSH initially declined during pregnancy, then rose again. The mean concentration of all dogs exceeded the overall upper reference limit of 0.70 ng/mL during lactation. Concentrations of tT4 and ft4 increased during the first third of pregnancy and then subsequently declined. The overall reference limits for tT4 were 0.47–3.20 μg/dL, and for fT4 4.86–29.60 pmol/L, but the reference intervals varied between the sampling dates. The observed patterns may reflect that maternal tT4 and fT4 seem to have important effects during early pregnancy, including a pronounced negative feedback effect on TSH. The initial increase and subsequent decline of tT4 and fT4 concentrations during the course of pregnancy is in accordance with findings in humans and may support the development of fetal thyroid function. The observed peak of TSH concentrations during lactation suggests that the demand for thyroid hormones in this phase is largest. Even if the underlying causes and mechanisms of thyroid regulation are not fully understood, the results of this study show relevant changes of hormone concentrations in the course of the sexual cycle and pregnancy. In that regard, cycle stage needs to be considered when assessing thyroid function in bitches. • 122 bitches were examined repeatedly throughout pregnancy and lactation. • Stage-dependent reference ranges have been defined. • tT4 and fT4 concentrations were highest during early pregnancy. • The lower reference limits for tT4 and fT4 were lowest during lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the successful growth by molecular beam epitaxy of strain-compensated Si/Si0.2Ge0.8 quantum cascade structures on Si0.5Ge0.5 pseudo-substrates. Three different samples, containing 3, 15 and 30 repetitions of the active region have been investigated. The active region consists of 14 Si0.2Ge0.8 wells separated by thin Si barriers of thickness in the range of 4–26 A˚. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the different structures reveal the excellent reproducibility of the quantum well sequence within the sample and from growth run to growth run. Intersubband electroluminescence, due to a transition between heavy hole states, is observed for all three devices. The spectra exhibit a pronounced peak at about 175 meV close to the intended transition energy. Emission intensities, as well as the voltage applied for a given current density, scale with the number of repetitions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: From 1975 to 2001, 254 children aged younger than 17 were transferred to our department for renal trauma. We performed a retrospective study to assess causality and kind of the trauma, diagnostic procedures and therapeutic consequences, respectively.Methods: The 254 children at a mean age of 10.56 years (±3.8) ranging from 2 to 17 years were treated for kidney trauma. Among these, 166 presented with a grade I trauma according to the kidney injury scale of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma without any other accompanying injuries and 88 had a grade II–V lesion, respectively. Diagnostic evaluation included various standard lab tests such as urinalysis and routine blood parameters, ultrasound, IVP and/or CT.Results: Most of the traumatic injuries resulted from skiing accidents. However, 18 children had a severe polytrauma with laceration of other vital organs. Most of the renal injuries could be treated conservatively. Surgical treatment options included immediate exploration, reconstruction, partial resection, or even nephrectomy. No child died.Conclusions: Due to leisure time activities in our region, skiing accidents often result in isolated laceration of the kidney. About one third presented with a severe kidney trauma, and approximately 20% of all affected children required surgical therapy. However, most of the injured kidneys could be preserved and only four nephrectomies had to be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Zircaloy-2 oxidized in high-temperature water and treated with Pt nanoparticles • Deposited Pt nanoparticles showed no major negative impact on the corrosion kinetics • Hydrogen uptake not accelerated substantially by the Pt nanoparticles • Corrosion mechanism proposed to unravel the possible influence of Pt catalysts • Pt catalysts reduced the hydrogen absorption in Zircaloy-2 liner cladding Noble metals are added to boiling water reactors (BWRs) to mitigate stress corrosion cracking of structural components made from steels and Ni-based alloys and this technology is referred to as Noble Metal Chemical Addition (NMCA) or NobleChemTM. There is a growing concern that NMCA can cause unwanted harmful effects on the corrosion and hydrogen uptake properties of Zircaloy-2 fuel cladding. To investigate this, we have subjected Zircaloy-2 fuel claddings to out-of-pile BWR conditions in a custom-built autoclave. These claddings are oxidized in pressurized hot water (280 °C, 9 MPa) for 25, 60 and 150 days, wherein Pt nanoparticles (~10 nm) were simultaneously injected. Cross-sectional focused ion beam cuts made at the oxide-metal interface reveal that the oxide growth is not significantly influenced by the local Pt loadings (≤ 1 µg·cm-2). Surprisingly, an inverse correlation was observed between oxide thicknesses and metal's hydrogen contents. Interestingly, Pt catalysts have led to diminished hydrogen absorption in specimens with liner exposed to the hot water. Overall, Pt catalysts exhibited no detrimental effects on the corrosion rate and hydrogen absorption in Zircaloy-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the influence of CYP2D6 polymorphisms on outcomes and health-related quality of life of patients with retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) receiving tamoxifen (TMX). TMX is an effective alternative to corticosteroids for patients with RPF. Conversion of TMX to more potent endoxifen is dependent on enzyme activity of CYP2D6.Materials and Methods: CYP2D6 genotyping and phenotype prediction of all patients treated with TMX between 02/2007 and 01/2018 was assessed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Groups were classified by phenotype: extensive (EM) vs poor and intermediate (PM + IM) vs ultrarapid metabolizer (UM). Retrospective evaluation of outcome (including magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography-computed tomography) and health-related quality of life using the SF-36 was performed.Results: A total of 63/194 patients received TMX, 40/63 with complete follow-up were sequenced: Twenty-nine patients with EM phenotype, 8 PM + IM and 3 UM. The median therapy duration was 364.5 days with a mean follow-up of 62.9 months. Seven therapy terminations occurred due to lack of response (17.5%), including all UM patients (P <.001). Magnetic resonance imagings showed a regression of fibrosis for EM and PM + IM in 69% and 62.5% of cases and a progression for UM in 100% (P = .004). In positron emission tomography-computed tomography, glucose utilization of RPF decreased significantly for EM and PM + IM. The physical sum-score of SF-36 improved for EM and PM + IM and decreased for UM (P <.05). The removal of DJ-stents was successful for EM, PM + IM, and UM in 48.3%, 75%, and 0% of cases (P = .0581).Conclusion: Contrary to expectations, UM showed the lowest success rate, which concludes that genotyping of RPF-patients may be useful in the sense of a tailored-therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 97 methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius isolates were analysed by microarray. • Common resistance genes, besides mecA , were blaZ, aacA-aphD, aphA3 , and erm (B). • The vast majority (n = 59) of isolates carried SCC mec III elements. • These isolates likely belong to a ST71-SCCmec III strain that is epidemic in Europe. • Other isolates carried SCC mec IV or V elements, irregular or pseudo-SCC mec elements. In recent years an increasing number of methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) has been observed in both, healthy and clinically infected dogs. The aim of the study was the characterisation of MRSP isolates from clinical routine diagnostics of a German laboratory in order to assess the abundancy of resistance genes and SCC mec elements. 97 isolates from 96 dogs were analysed using microarrays detecting resistance genes and SCC mec -associated markers. All isolates harboured mecA and blaZ. Other abundant resistance markers (in >80% of isolates) included aacA-aphD, aphA3 and sat as well as erm (B). Tetracycline resistance genes (tet (K), tet (M)) and cat also were common (in >20%). The vast majority (n = 59) of isolates carried SCC mec III elements. SCC mec IV and V elements were identified in 21 and 15 isolates, respectively. Irregular or pseudo-SCC mec elements were found in 2 isolates. The high degree of uniformity of hybridisation patterns of tested strains suggest that the majority of MRSP infections was caused by one single strain and comparison to previously published reports and sequences suggest that this was the ST71-SCC mec III strain that also predominates elsewhere in Western Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In adult cattle Fasciola hepatica infection usually follows a chronic subclinical course, and reduces both the milk yield and milk quality, resulting in considerable financial losses. Effective control of the disease is based on reliable identification of asymptomatically infected individuals, which now requires special parasitological or serological diagnostic tests. It is also known that F. hepatica infection induces alterations in some serum biochemical parameters. Therefore, the study was conducted to develop a model based on serum biochemical parameters allowing to identify cows at higher risk of chronic fascioliasis. Six hundred sixty eight adult dairy cows from 97 herds located in central and northeastern Poland were clinically examined, and blood and fecal samples from them were collected for a routine monitoring of fascioliasis and metabolic profile. Using the combination of fecal sedimentation test and indirect ELISA based on excretory/secretory products 203 cows, apparently healthy in clinical examination, were definitively classed as affected by (47 cows, 23.2%) or free from (156 cows, 76.8%) chronic fascioliasis. Their serum was screened for the activity of 4 enzymes (γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase) and concentration of 18 other components (total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, selenium, and haptoglobin). Logistic regression analysis was used to build 4 multivariable models allowing for identification of cows at risk of chronic fascioliasis. Then, the accuracy was compared between the models using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and an optimal cut-off value was determined for the most accurate model using Youden J index. The most accurate proved to be the model based on glutamate dehydrogenase activity and globulin, urea (all three positively linked with risk of chronic fascioliasis), and selenium concentration (negatively linked) adjusted by the access to pasture and cow’s age. At the optimal cut-off of 0.37 this model had sensitivity of 85.1% (CI 95%:72.3%, 92.6%), specificity of 90.4% (CI 95%:84.7%, 94.1%), positive likelihood ratio of 8.8 (CI 95%:5.4, 14.5), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.16 (CI 95%:0.08, 0.33). This model performed significantly better than model including only γ-glutamyl transpeptidase or model including both γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and aspartate aminotransferase (both also adjusted by the access to pasture and cow’s age), and was the only model which performed significantly better than the basic model based solely on the access to pasture and cow’s age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portland-cement based concrete samples were incubated for 28 days (short-term) in microbially derived H 2 SO 4 (pH 1.3–2.4) and chemically generated H 2 SO 4 (pH 1.0 and 2.0) to investigate potential differences between the two acid attacks. Additionally, long-term biogenic experiments were performed over two, three and six months to evaluate the corrosion behavior over time. Corrosion was evaluated by visual, physical and chemical parameters, including laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The 28-day experiments revealed a pH-dependent degree of damage. No obvious differences between biologically and chemically generated H 2 SO 4 were observed based on similar elemental distributions in the corrosion layers. For the long-term experiments, the corrosion primarily depended on the amount of H 2 SO 4 produced by A. thiooxidans which varied within different set-ups. No linear relation between the degradation and incubation periods was observed. In all set-ups, gypsum was the main corrosion product and no microbial growth was observed within the corrosion layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the relative role of chemically and microbially derived sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) corrosion on hardened cement paste representing a concrete binder. Cement stone disks were exposed to chemical H 2 SO 4 (pH 1.0 and 2.0) and biological H 2 SO 4 (pH 1.5–2.1). After 28 days, the degree of damage was evaluated by common visual-physical parameters and laser ablation-ICP-MS as a novel evaluation tool to assess changes in elemental distributions. The results revealed a pH-dependent degree of damage. The 4 mm thick disk at pH 1.0 was completely corroded. For the disks exposed to biogenic and chemical H 2 SO 4 at pH 2.0 an intact core remained with a similar thickness of the corrosion layer (1.8–2.0 mm) and sulfuric acid penetration depth (1.1–1.3 mm). Since the elemental distribution was similar in the corroded layer independent of applying biological or chemical H 2 SO 4 , no obvious differences between the two acid attacks were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dirofilaria repens is endemic in eastern and southern European regions but was recently found in Germany in dogs, mosquitoes and one human patient. Since some of the positive dog and mosquito samples were collected in Brandenburg, it was aimed to systematically assess the prevalence of D. repens and other canine vector-borne pathogens in Brandenburg. Dog owners also received a questionnaire and were asked to provide more information about the dogs including travel history. In total, 1023 dog blood samples as well as 195 fox spleen and 179 fox blood samples were collected. DNA was analysed by PCR for the presence of filariae, piroplasms, anaplasmataceae and Rickettsia spp. Filariae were detected in six dogs (0.6%), two were positive for DNA from D. repens , two from Dirofilaria immitis and two from Acanthocheilonema reconditum . One of the D. repens positive dogs originated from an animal shelter in Brandenburg, but the origin of the other one remained unknown. Interestingly, both D. repens ITS-1 sequences showed 100% identity to a D. repens sample obtained from a Japanese woman that travelled in Europe and were 97% identical to a newly proposed species Dirofilaria sp. ‘hongkongensis’ described from Hong Kong. However, identity to other D. repens sequences from Thailand was considerably lower (81%). Identity of 12S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase I to D. repens samples from southern Europe was 99%. Due to the low number of Dirofilaria spp. positive dogs and since the origin of these was unknown, endemic occurrence of Dirofilaria in Brandenburg could not be confirmed. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was found in 15 dogs (1.5%), Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis in three dogs (0.3%) and E. canis in one dog (0.1%), which was co-infected with D. repens . Rickettsia spp. were detected in 8 dogs (0.8%), seven were Rickettsia raoultii and one was Rickettsia felis . To the author’s knowledge, R. raoultii DNA was detected for the first time in dogs in Germany in this study and Candidatus N. mikurensis for the second time. In spleen samples of red foxes with 47.5% a high prevalence of piroplasms was found. Sequencing of 11 samples identified 10 as Theileria annae . Despite the high prevalence of this pathogen in its reservoir host, it was absent in dog samples. In one dog (0.1%), Babesia canis was detected but there was no further information about the dog’s origin. Evaluation of the questionnaire identified a high proportion of dogs (74.2%, n = 233) which was not protected by ectoparasiticides. Moreover, 21.2% (n = 236) of the dogs originated from inland or abroad shelters, and therefore might potentially come from areas endemic for dirofilariosis or babesiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is a tick-borne disease caused by Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum. In Germany, this pathogen is transmitted primarily by Ixodes ricinus. There is limited knowledge about its prevalence in horses in Germany. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the results of serological and molecular testing for A. phagocytophilum in horses which were done in a commercial laboratory in Germany over fourteen years. Additionally, risk factors were evaluated, and hematological abnormalities were addressed in horses with positive PCR results. This retrospective study examined results of direct (Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) and indirect (immunofluorescence antibody test [IFAT]) detection methods for A. phagocytophilum in horses on samples provided by German veterinarians and processed by the commercial laboratory LABOKLIN from 2008 to 2021. In horses with positive test results, a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Serum Amyloid A (SAA) were also analyzed where possible. In total, 1217/4834 horses tested positive (PCR: 190/1246 horses, 15.2%; IFAT: 1036/3849 horses, 26.9%). Seasonality and location, as classified by federal state, had a statistically significant impact on PCR results (P < 0.001 for both). In horses with positive PCR results, hematological abnormalities were detected in 112/118 horses (95%), with thrombocytopenia (86%) and anemia (52%) representing the most common findings. The remaining 6/118 horses (5%) showed no hematological abnormalities on CBC. SAA was measured in 35 horses with positive PCR results, which exclusively showed marked elevation. The seasonality of A. phagocytophilum infections confirmed by PCR testing was consistent with known peaks in vector activity in Germany. The high rate of horses with positive PCR results when compared to dogs and cats may be due to a lack of ectoparasite prophylaxis. Infections with A. phagocytophilum should be considered as a differential diagnosis in horses with cytopenia on CBC and SAA elevation, especially in the summer and after any possible tick exposure. • Rising importance of equine Anaplasma phagocytophilum infections. • Mild to moderate hematological abnormalities are most common. • Impact of seasonality, region, and years of testing on molecular results. • Peaks in molecular testing occur in accordance with vector activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, both a lab and a large-scale flume system were used to investigate the survival of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in bed sediments of an alpine oligotrophic river. To determine the influence of substratum on persistence, survival within 3-cm-deep substratum cages versus on thin, biofilm-covered ceramic tiles was tested. Moreover, the impact of bed shear stress on survival in bed sediments was explored. It was seen that in the lab-scale flume having a very low bed shear stress (0.3 N m-2), E. coli and enterococci survival in 3-cm-deep substratum cages was nearly the same as in a thin biofilm (200 µm). However, in the large-scale flume system characterized by a bed shear stress of 9 N m-2, the added protection of the deeper substratum cages promoted considerably longer survival of E. coli and enterococci than the thin biofilm. Additionally, the FIB removal mechanisms in the two flume systems varied. At the lab-scale, enterococci was seen to persist twice as long as E. coli, while in the large-scale flume the two FIB were removed at the same rate. A comparison of qPCR analyses performed in both flumes suggests that bed sediment erosion and the influence of grazers/predators were responsible for FIB removal from the sediments in the large-scale flume, whereas in the lab flume FIB inactivation caused removal. These results indicate that hydraulic parameters such as bed shear stress as well as the presence of macroinvertebrates in a system are both important factors to consider when designing flumes as they can significantly impact FIB persistence in sediments of fast-flowing, alpine streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aerobic biodegradation of 5-methyl-benzotriazole (5-TTri) was optimized using lab-scale setups and activated sludge communities (ASC) collected from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) MBR-MH, CAS-E and CAS-M being different in their treatment technologies. ASC inocula were diluted to rule out non-biodegrading species and incubated under two nutrient conditions: A) mineral salt media (MSM) and B) carbon and nitrogen supplied MSM giving MSM-CN. 5-TTri removal with the ASC ranged from 60% to 100% in only 10days. 100μL suspended biomass from the biodegrading setups was subsequently plated on solid media to eliminate possible activated sludge remnants. After growth occurred, mixed colonies were harvested and inoculated in fresh liquid MSM containing 20mgL−1 5-TTri. These bacterial consortia showed good 5-TTri removal in MSM-CN rather than in MSM, indicating nutrient supply being required for efficient biodegradation. In addition, experiments with high 5-TTri concentrations ranging from 20 to 1000mgL−1 were conducted in both, MSM and MSM-CN and the maximal 5-TTri removal capacity of the ASC evaluated. 50mgL−1 5-TTri was still removed in both media whereas 100mgL−1 was solely removed in MSM-CN. 5-TTri biodegradation patterns also indicated that 5-TTri might be co-metabolized by microbial consortia. Furthermore, experiments with gradient-solid-media-plates showed 5-TTri to be inhibitory for the ASC in concentrations above 50mgL−1 and revealed the optimal conditions regarding carbon and nitrogen concentration and pH value for effective 5-TTri biodegradation by ASC. Nitrogen proved a crucial factor for enhancing organisms' biodegradation capacity with an optimal pH around 7 while carbon showed no such effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] 5-Tolyltriazole biodegradation significantly improved by biomass acclimation. [•] Biodegradation enhancement by non-specific sludge supernatant addition. [•] Nitrogen addition also increased biodegradation rate. [•] Degradation presumably starts by benzene ring cleavage serving as a carbon source. [•] Heterocyclic N-containing ring is assumed not to be cleaved necessitating N-supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, large-scale flume systems simulating an oligotrophic river were used to explore the fate and transport of the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) Escherichia coli and enterococci following a combined sewer overflow (CSO). Specifically, the removal pattern of FIB from the water column was examined as well as deposition onto the flume bed. Finally, the impact that a sudden increase in bed shear stress has on FIB in the water column was investigated. The large-scale flumes utilized in this study proved extremely useful for our investigations as they very closely approximated conditions within the Isar River (Munich, Germany). By using both natural substratum and fresh river water, as well as a flow velocity of nearly 1 m s−1 at a water depth of roughly 0.5 m, shear stresses typical of the Isar River (9 N m−2) were achieved. As a result, scaling effects were appreciably reduced. In our flume system, UV inactivation played only a minimal role in overall FIB removal. Therefore, we were able to more precisely investigate other mechanisms which result in FIB removal from the water column. From the two standard FIB removal experiments following a CSO, the removal rate coefficient (k) of 0.2 h−1 was identified for both E. coli and enterococci in the water column. An increase in the bed shear stress led to more than a 150% rise in total suspended solid (TSS) levels in the water column. These elevated TSS levels (≈50 mg l−1) increased the persistence of suspended FIB in the water column by 20 h (k = 0.05 h−1). This indicates that higher TSS loads resulting from resuspended bed sediments can significantly expand the area that is impacted by a CSO event. At lower TSS loads (<20 mg l−1) deposition onto the flume bed did not contribute significantly to FIB removal from the water column. Any deposition which did occur did not result in a net accumulation of culturable FIB in the benthic biofilm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A central challenge for modern device technology aiming towards nanoelectronics, spintronics and quantum computation is to implement exact control in the positioning of nanostructures like quantum dots. Templated self-organization, i.e. combining the well developed top-down approaches to fabricate nanostructures in the microelectronics with bottom-up techniques of self-assembly offers a variety of new paths for the implementation of nanostructures into modern device technology. In this paper two routes are discussed, the ordering of Ge quantum dots on prepatterned Si substrates and the self-scrolling process of Si/SiGe as well as Si/SiGe/Cr hybrid structures into 3-dimensional nano-objects. Prepatterning of Si substrates is achieved by extreme ultra-violet interference lithography (EUV-IL) using diffractive optics exposing areas of typically 0.7×0.7 mm2 in a single exposure with perfect periodicity. 2-Dimensional hole arrays have been fabricated using EUV-IL and reactive ion etching. Subsequently, molecular beam epitaxy was employed to grow Si/Ge 2-dimensional quantum dot arrays on the prepatterned substrates. Adjusting the exposure and MBE growth conditions, the perfection of ordering and the density of ordered dots is controlled. Moreover, the ordering of quantum dot molecules, comprising 4 quantum dots per lattice point, has been achieved. Scrolled nano-objects were fabricated from Si/SiGe as well as Si/SiGe/Cr hybrid layered structures. Patterned by standard lithographic techniques into mesa structures, underetching leads to a scrolling of the layer stacks into nanotubes, nanospirals and other 3-d objects due to strain relaxation. Entering the nanometer regime anomalous scrolling is observed. Possible applications for quantum dots and scrolled nanotubes for nanoelectronic devices are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Various strain-compensated Si/SiGe quantum well structures with high Ge concentrations in the SiGe wells (70–85% Ge) have been successfully deposited by very low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy on thick strain-relaxed Si0.5Ge0.5 buffer layers. The samples have been subject to intensive and careful characterization of their structural, electronic and optical properties. X-ray diffraction and reflectivity measurements using synchrotron radiation allowed accurate determination of layer thicknesses and composition of the quantum well structures. The r.m.s. roughness at Si/SiGe interfaces is less than 0.4nm I–V characteristics of resonant tunneling devices reveal strong negative differential resistance peaks for heavy hole tunneling but no trace for tunneling via light hole states. Two-dimensional hole gases with a mobility of up to 0.49cm2/Vs in 7nm wide, modulation-doped Si0.8Ge0.2 quantum wells with Si barriers and relaxed Si0.5Ge0.5 spacer layers underline the high structural quality. The dependence of hole mobility on well width can be explained by an interface roughness of 0.4nm, in accordance with the X-ray reflectivity measurements, and the associated fluctuation of the strain at the interfaces. Using the structural parameters determined by X-ray analysis as input parameters, the intersubband absorption spectra of strain-compensated quantum well structures have been calculated by the 6 band k·p method. The theoretical predicted spectra are in excellent agreement with those obtained by experiments. Our comprehensive study results in a set of very congruent data enabling to custom design complex Si/SiGe structures such as p-type quantum cascade emitters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Patients younger than 45 years with multiple cancers and a family history of cancer were identified and examined for cytogenetic instability. The cohort included 50 individuals: 19 patients suffering from at least 2 independent cancers, 11 healthy control individuals, a positive control group of 5 highly radiosensitive patients (>grade 3, RTOG), and a tumor control group of 15 patients with a single tumor. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were irradiated in vitro (0.7 Gy, 2.0 Gy). Metaphase chromosomes 1, 2, and 4 were labeled by means of 3-color fluorescence in situ hybridization. Chromosomal aberrations (breaks per metaphase [B/M], complex chromosomal rearrangements [CCR/M]) were analyzed. Very high levels of chromosomal aberrations were detected in a “core group” of 5 patients. These patients displayed much higher rates of B/M and CCR/M than controls. Ten patients had moderately elevated chromosomal aberrations and 4 patients were indistinguishable from controls. We conclude that a significant proportion of young patients with multiple tumors and a family background of cancer display cytogenetic instability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on two independent feasibility studies in Germany (1992–1995), a research project “Laser cleaning of stained glass windows” was launched in 1997 with the aim to facilitate systematic investigations within an interdisciplinary co-operation. This paper will give an overview on the final results of the 3 years project. A prototype laser cleaning station was constructed, using an Excimer-laser operating at 248 nm. The impact of the laser radiation was examined on model substrates to define alteration thresholds and ablation thresholds for all relevant materials involved. A description of the resulting effects of the laser-substrate interactions will be given for glasses with different compositions and colours, for corrosion crusts and polymer coatings. As the ablation process is not self-limiting for these types of materials, different sensoring systems were evaluated. The results obtained from cleaning experiments on selected originals will be discussed to demonstrate the possibilities and limitations for the application of lasers in stained glass restoration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]