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The aim of this study was to evaluate three overwinter housing options for spring calving dairy cows; indoor cubicles [IC], uncovered woodchip pad [UP] (12m2/cow) and sheltered woodchip pad [SP] (6m2/cow), with regard to cow dirt score, incidence of mastitis, and somatic cell score (SCS). Animals (n=147) were randomly assigned to the housing treatments from 6 Dec until calving (median = 14 Feb), and scored for dirtiness (1 to 5 in half score increments) prior to housing, then every 14 days until calving. Cows were quarter milk sampled (QMS) for microbiology and somatic cell count (SCC) prior to housing, at drying off and approx. 3 weeks post partum. QMS were also collected 2.2 ± 1.98 days post calving and assayed for California Mastitis Test (CMT) and microbiology. Clinical mastitis (CM) was diagnosed when macroscopic changes in the milk or udder were observed. Subclinical mastitis (SCM) was diagnosed in the event of SCC > 500,000 or CMT > 2, without macroscopic changes. SCC was recorded at 2 week intervals throughout the following lactation. A log transformation of SCC to SCS was used to normalize the data distribution. Average SCS was calculated for three stages of lactation: 6 to 60 days in milk (DIM) (early), 61 to 220 DIM (mid), and 221 to 305 DIM (late). Dirt scores and SCS were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS. Differences in the incidence of CM, SCM, and the incidence of pathogens detected in QMS were analyzed using Fishers exact probability test. Housing had an effect on animal dirtiness, with SP cows dirtiest, then UP, and IC cleanest (P < 0.001). There were no cases of CM prior to housing, at dry off or during the housing period, and no difference in incidence of SCM. Three weeks post calving combined incidence of CM and SCM was higher in SP than UP or IC (P < 0.05), and a higher number of cows from SP had an infectious agent isolated (P < 0.05). However there was no effect of treatment on SCS over the following lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The sentinel node concept states that the first lymph node on a direct pathway from a tumour will be the first site of lymphatic spread. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and accuracy of sentinel node biopsy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods: Fifty-seven patients (median age: 62 years; M : F = 4 : 1) with adenocarcinoma of the lower oesophagus (n = 40) or cardia (n = 17) underwent endoscopic peritumoural injection of 99m Tc-nanocolloid prior to en-bloc resection with extended lymphadenectomy. Sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) were identified intraoperatively using a Navigator™ gamma probe and the pattern of radioactive uptake was quantified postoperatively. All 1667 resected lymph nodes were examined for micrometastases using immunohistochemistry. Results: SLNs were identified for all 57 patients (median 2, range 1–4) and were most frequently lower paraoesophageal (n = 31) or left gastric nodes (n = 28). They contained metastases (n = 32) or micrometastases (n = 3) in 35 of 37 node-positive cases and were more likely to contain tumour than other lymph nodes (P < 0.0001). SLN biopsy had an overall accuracy of 96 per cent (55/57) and a false-negative rate of 5 per cent (2/37). Tumour-infiltrated nodal stations received a higher proportion of radioactive uptake (P < 0.0001). Lower oesophageal tumours had a greater proportion of SLNs (P = 0.018), radioactive uptake (P < 0.0001) and malignant nodes (P = 0.004) in the mediastinum compared to cardia tumours. Conclusions: The sentinel node concept is applicable for oesophageal adenocarcinoma and could be used to tailor the extent of lymphadenectomy. There is a close relationship between patterns of radioactive uptake and lymphatic tumour dissemination, which differ for lower oesophageal and cardia tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]