Search

State-of-the-art technologies based on advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are currently being developed for the removal of environmental pollutants such as pharmaceuticals from water matrices. Such studies are very important and should include the impact of inorganic and organic matrix on the degradation process of pollutants. One of the AOPs that is in focus of investigations nowadays, is ionizing radiation. Doxazosin (DOX) is a widely used pharmaceutical for the treatment of hypertension, which can be potentially harmful due to its occurrence in the aquatic environment. This study reports the radiation-induced degradation of DOX in aqueous solution. Removal of 10 mg L−1 DOX reached almost 100 % at irradiation doses of 200 Gy regardless of the dose rate used. The effect of saturated solutions with N2, N2O, air and the addition of radical scavengers such as 2-PrOH and thiourea on DOX degradation was investigated. The efficiency of degradation increased in the order: thiourea < 2-PrOH < N2 < air < N2O. The effects of pH, various inorganic ions and water matrix on DOX degradation were also studied. DOX degradation was lower in underground water than in ultrapure water. Under prolonged irradiation, mineralization of about 60 % of DOX solutions was observed based on the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) evaluation. Toxicity tests with V. fischeri luminescent bacteria showed higher toxicity of samples irradiated at 500 Gy. The main degradation products were identified using LC-HRMS and degradation pathways were proposed. Overall, irradiation technology could be a promising technique for the removal of micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals in real water matrices.

Bacteria from the genus Shewanella are inhabitants of marine and freshwater ecosystems, recognized fish spoilage bacteria, but less known as fish disease agents. Shewanella spp. isolated from fish living in waters close to effluents of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were not previously characterized. We have tested Shewanella isolates from WWTP-affected waters and related fish. Genotypic characterization identified most strains as S. baltica and S. oneidensis. In order to investigate the sensibility and accuracy of their MALDI-TOF MS identification, they were grown on two culture media enriched by various NaCl concentrations, incubated at different temperatures and duration. We analyzed their antimicrobial susceptibility on a panel of antimicrobial drugs and capacity for biofilm production. With a view to demonstrate their capacity to produce fatty acids, we assessed the impact of different culture media on their lipid profile. We performed zebrafish embryotoxicity tests to simulate the environmental infection of the earliest life stages in S. baltica-contaminated waters. The best MALDI-TOF MS identification scores were for strains cultivated on TSA for 24 h at 22 °C and with supplementation of 1.5% NaCl. Less than 17% of isolates demonstrated antimicrobial resistance. Most isolates were weak biofilm producers. Strain-to- strain variation of MIC and MBC was low. The major fatty acids were C15:0, C16:0, C16:1, C17:1, and iC15:0. Exposure of Danio rerio to different S. baltica concentrations induced severe effects on zebrafish development: decreased heartbeat rate, locomotor activity, and melanin pigmentation. S. baltica passed through chorionic pores of zebrafish.

During intensive physical activity horses are exposed to thermolysis, electrolyte loss and rising amounts of catabolic products, which results in alterations of biochemical blood parameters due to the horse’s adaptation to metabolic stress. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of intensive physical activity on serum biochemical parameters in horses competing in 40 and 80 km endurance races. Blood samples were taken from 28 horses before and after the race over four competitions, with a total of 53 samples analyzed. Biochemical parameters studied included creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, creatinine, gamma-glutamyl transferase, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The extent of change in pre- and post-race values was compared between categories of age, gender, breed, distance and average speed of horses. Creatine kinase and blood glucose values prior to the race were higher than the reference values. Values of renal parameters and parameters of muscle damage increased after the races, and the degree of change was more pronounced at longer racing lengths, as well as at lower average speed. Electrolyte loss was more prominent during longer races. This study demonstrated that endurance races cause evident changes in serum electrolyte concentrations, renal parameters and markers of muscle damage in horses. These changes are observable in horses at both short and long duration endurance races.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time- of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS) is an excellent tool for bacterial identification. It allows high throughput, sensitive and specific applications in clinical diagnostics and environ- mental research. Currently, there is no optimal standardized protocol for sample preparation and culture conditions to profile bacteria. The performance of MALDITOF MS is affected by several variables, such as sample preparation, culture media and culture conditions, incubation time/growth stage, incubation temperature, high salt content, blood in the culture media, and others. This review thus aims to clarify why a uniformed protocol is not plausible, to assess the effects these factors have onMALDITOF MS identification score, and discuss possible optimizations for its methodology, in relation to specific bacterial representatives and strain requirements.

Calprotectin is a protein involved in the inclusion of inflammatory cells in the body's immune response by interacting with endothelial cells. Measured in serum it is used as a prognostic factor for dogs with sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Many studies showed promising results using fecal calprotectin in diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of this study was to determine if serum calprotectin can be a reliable biomarker in dogs with gastrointestinal symptoms (GS). The dogs enrolled in this study were patients admitted at the Veterinary Hospital. Inclusion criteria for healthy dogs (control group, n=5) were: absence of signs of inflammation or infection seen in clinical examination, complete blood count and biochemistry. Animals assigned to the gastrointestinal group (GI group, n=8) had GS (vomiting and diarrhoea). Serum samples were taken from all the dogs. Serum concentrations of canine calprotectin (cCP) were determined with sandwich enzyme immunoassay for in vitro quantitative measurement of canine calprotectin concentration (AbClonal technology, Woburn, Massachusetts, United States). All samples were measured in duplicates and their mean value was taken for statistical analysis. The highest cCP concentration was 328.2 μg/L and the lowest 18.1 μg/L. According to study done by Heilmann (2012) the reference range of calprotectin in serum is 76.4 to 563.6 μg/L. The median of serum cCP in the control group was 105.4 μg/L and in GI group 115.7 μg/L, both values were within reference range. There were no differences in calprotectin concentrations between the control and GI groups. Based on this preliminary study it can be concluded that serum calprotectin can’t be used as a reliable biomarker in dogs with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Due to the lack of phytochemical composition data, the major goals of the present study on Amphiroa rigida J.V. Lamouroux were to: (a) investigate and compare volatilome profiles of fresh and air-dried samples obtained by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and hydrodistillation (HD) followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis; (b) determine fatty acids profile by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID); (c) obtain the pigment profiles of semipurified extracts by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and (d) evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of its less polar fractions. The comparison of headspace of fresh (FrAr) and air-dried (DrAr) samples revealed many similarities regarding the presence and abundance of the major (heptadecane and pentadecane) and minor compounds. The hydrodistillate (HD) of DrAr profile was quite different in comparison to HD-FrAr. The predominant compound in HD-FrAr was (E)-phytol. In HD-DrAr, its percentage was approximately one-half reduced, but the abundance of its degradation product phytone and of unsaturated and oxygenated compounds increased indicating more intense fatty acid decomposition and oxidation during drying. The fatty acid determination revealed that the most dominant was palmitic acid (42.86%) followed by eicosapentaenoic acid (19.14%) and stearic acid (11.65%). Among the pigments, A. rigida contained fucoxanthin (0.63 mg g−1 of dry fraction), lutein (5.83 mg g−1), β-carotene (6.18 mg g−1) and chlorophyll a (13.65 mg g−1). The analyzed less polar fractions of A. rigida exhibited antioxidant scavenging activity with diammonium salt of 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazolin-6-yl) sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay up to 3.87 mg g−1 trolox equivalents (TE), and with the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay up to 825.63 μmol g−1 TE (with carotenoids as the major contributors).

The draft genome sequences for eight isolates of Campylobacter helveticus isolated from companion animals are described and compared with that of the type strain. On average, the genomes are 1,825,025 bp long and have a GC content of 34.4% and 1,885 coding DNA sequences (CDSs). CRISPRs were detected in only one isolate and phages in none.

The present work is the first study of Mediterranean scallop (Pecten jacobaeus) biochemical properties, antioxidant defenses, and free radical scavengers during the yearly seasons in the Northern Adriatic, off Istria. Scallop nutrient reserves (glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol) in four tissues under examination were positively correlated and were predominant in digestive gland and gonad. The muscle energy maxima were in correlation with the maximum fall gonosomatic index (GSI), when diatoms and coccolithophorids thrive. The decrease of GSI in summer might be related to the spawning or resorption of gametes. Summer also revealed elevated levels of glucose in gonad and digestive gland, while muscle glucose and cholesterol significantly varied in spring vs. winter samples. In relation to the diatom seasonal abundance, carotenoids, namely astaxanthin peaks were found in digestive gland, which, being stimulators of calcium transport over cell membranes, could have contributed to the high digestive gland levels of calcium in winter. In winter, total antioxidative status (TAS) of scallop tissues was 3-fold higher than in other seasons, particularly in digestive gland, having a significant correlation with magnesium, a regulatory tool in oxidative processes. The winter maxima of TAS and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances TBARS in relation to summer maxima of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in digestive glands indicate to a decrease in antioxidant defense during cold months, and are related to the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products (such as malondialdehyde) in digestive gland of scallops. Although the increased susceptibility to oxidative stress could be attributed to winter temperature, other factors such as the gonad maturation, availability of food supply, and salinity might counteract that effect. The seawater alterations of salinity, temperature and water quality are in relation to the river Po influx, which is very likely to influence the physiological and biochemical responses of scallops in the Northern Adriatic.

The beneficial effect of physical activity on the musculoskeletal health in dogs is well recognized, but the level of intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise is not fully described. Measurement of serum markers of bone metabolism (bone alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin as bone formation markers and C-terminal telopeptide as bone resorption marker) during four months of organized moderate-intensity physical training in Labrador retriever and Golden retriever dogs aged between 11.7&ndash, 24.4 months, showed variations of bone metabolism. Dogs were included in treadmill running sessions for 25 min, three times per week. Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the program (baseline), after two months (mid-term) and at the end of the study after four months. The values of bone alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin significantly decreased following two months of exercise program. Bone alkaline phosphatase increased by the end of four-month training cycle, but did not reach baseline value. Osteocalcin levels continued to decrease towards the end of the study. C-terminal telopeptide concentrations did not significantly change throughout the study duration. The results of this study show that aerobic exercise of moderate-intensity caused an initial decrease in bone formation followed by an increase of bone alkaline phosphatase and a further decrease of osteocalcin concentration. The response of two formation markers can be explained by the different stage of osteoblast activity that they express. In summary, moderate exercise resulted in no change in bone resorption, and a mild bone formation in young developing dogs.

This study focused on the short-term whole organism bioassays (WOBs) on fish (Danio rerio) and crustaceans (Gammarus fossarum and Daphnia magna) to assess the negative biological effects of water from the major European River Sava and the comparison of the obtained results with in vitro toxicity data (ToxCast database) and Risk Quotient (RQ) methodology. Pollution profiles of five sampling sites along the River Sava were assessed by simultaneous chemical analysis of 562 organic contaminants (OCs) of which 476 were detected. At each sampling site, pharmaceuticals/illicit drugs category was mostly represented by their cumulative concentration, followed by categories industrial chemicals, pesticides and hormones. An exposure-activity ratio (EAR) approach based on ToxCast data highlighted steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, antiepileptics/neuroleptics, industrial chemicals and hormones as compounds with the highest biological potential. Summed EAR-based prediction of toxicity showed a good correlation with the estimated toxicity of assessed sampling sites using WOBs. WOBs did not exhibit increased mortality but caused various sub-lethal biological responses that were dependant relative to the sampling site pollution intensity as well as species sensitivity. Exposure of G. fossarum and D. magna to river water-induced lower feeding rates increased GST activity and TBARS levels. Zebrafish D. rerio embryo exhibited a significant decrease in heartbeat rate, failure in pigmentation formation, as well as inhibition of ABC transporters. Nuclear receptor activation was indicated as the biological target of greatest concern based on the EAR approach. A combined approach of short-term WOBs, with a special emphasis on sub-lethal endpoints, and chemical characterization of water samples compared against in vitro toxicity data from the ToxCast database and RQs can provide a comprehensive insight into the negative effect of pollutants on aquatic organisms.

Due to sedentary lifestyle and harsh environmental conditions, gorgonian coral extracts are recognized as a rich source of novel compounds with various biological activities, of interest to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The presented study aimed to perform chemical screening of organic extracts and semi-purified fractions obtained from the common Adriatic gorgonian, sea fan, Eunicella cavolini (Koch, 1887) and explore its abilities to exert different biological effects in vitro. Qualitative chemical evaluation revealed the presence of several classes of secondary metabolites extended with mass spectrometry analysis and tentative dereplication by using Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking online platform (GNPS). Furthermore, fractions F4 and F3 showed the highest phenolic (3.28 ± 0.04 mg GAE/g sample) and carotene (23.11 ± 2.48 mg β-CA/g sample) content, respectively. The fraction F3 inhibited 50% of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazolin-6-yl) sulfonic acid) radicals at the concentrations of 767.09 ± 11.57 and 157.16 ± 10.83 µg/mL, respectively. The highest anti-inflammatory potential was exhibited by F2 (IC50 = 198.70 ± 28.77 µg/mL) regarding the inhibition of albumin denaturation and F1 (IC50 = 254.49 ± 49.17 µg/mL) in terms of soybean lipoxygenase inhibition. In addition, the most pronounced antiproliferative effects were observed for all samples (IC50 ranging from 0.82 ± 0.14–231.18 ± 46.13 µg/mL) against several carcinoma cell lines, but also towards non-transformed human fibroblasts pointing to a generally cytotoxic effect. In addition, the antibacterial activity was tested by broth microdilution assay against three human pathogenic bacteria: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The latter was the most affected by fractions F2 and F3. Finally, further purification, isolation and characterization of pure compounds from the most active fractions are under investigation.

Vibrio(Listonella)anguillarumis a pathogenic bacterium causing septicaemia in a wide range of marine organisms and inducing severe mortalities, thus it is crucial to conduct its accurate and rapid identification. The aim of this study was to assess MALDI-TOF MS as a method of choice for identification of clinicalV.anguillarumisolates from affected marine fish. Since the method accuracy might be influenced by the type of the medium used, as well as by the incubation conditions, we testedV.anguillarumisolates grown on standard media with and without the addition of NaCl, cultured at three incubation temperatures, and at three incubation periods. The best scores were retrieved forV.anguillarumstrains grown on NaCl-supplemented tryptone soy agar (TSA) at 22°C and incubated for 48h (100% identification to species level; overall score 2.232), followed by incubation at 37°C and 48h (100% to species level; score 2.192). The strains grown on non-supplemented TSA gave the best readings when incubated at 22°C for 72h (100% identification to species level; overall score 2.182), followed by incubation at 15°C for 72h (100% to species level; score 2.160). Unreliable identifications and no-identifications were growing with the incubation duration at 37°C, on both media, amounting to 88.89% for 7d incubation on supplemented TSA, and 92.60% for 7d incubation on non-supplemented TSA. The age of the cultured strains and use of media significantly impacted the mass spectra, demonstrating that for reliable identification, MALDI-TOF MS protein fingerprinting with the on-target extraction should be performed on strains grown on a NaCl-supplemented medium at temperatures between 15 and 22°C, incubated for 48–72 hours.

Eunicella cavolini is an abundant gorgonian species in the Mediterranean Sea and previous studies in Greece showed its organic extracts to be rich in complex steroids (pregnanes, epidioxysterols, and secosterols) that showed antiproliferative activity against various human cancer cell lines. This study evaluated antibacterial activity against three human pathogens Escherichia coli (EC), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA). Sampling was performed in May 2018 at 23m depth. Specimens were extracted using CH2Cl2/MeOH (3:1) at room temperature, dried in vacuo (OE) with further 4 fractions obtained with c-hexane:EtOAc (2 fractions with 75:25 (F1) and 50:50 (F2) ratio, respectively), EtOAc (F3), and EtOAc:MeOH (80:20 (F4)), all dissolved in DMSO. The highest tested concentrations were 2500 μg/mL for all extracts and 1000 μg/mL for F1. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by broth microdilution assay according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines with results interpreted both visually and spectrophotometrically. The results showed partial inhibition of all three bacterial species by the OE with the highest activity against SA which was an order of magnitude higher than with EC and PA. Fractionated samples F1-3 had higher antibacterial activity (in decreasing order F2, F3, F1) than the OE with SA being the most inhibited followed by EC, and PA. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was observed only for SA with F2 and F3 at the highest tested concentration. Cultivation of SA at MIC showed the fractions with bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal activity, with F2 having the strongest activity according to number of colonies isolated.

We applied 7 culture methods to 50 working farm dog fecal samples and 6 methods to 50 frozen home-killed raw meat diet samples to optimize recovery of a wide range of Campylobacter spp. Culture methods combined filtration, enrichment broths, and agars at 37°C and 42°C in conventional and hydrogen-enriched microaerobic atmospheres. Overall, a prevalence of 62% (31 of 50) and 6% (3 of 50) was detected in dog and meat samples, respectively, based on Campylobacter genus PCR. A total of 356 Campylobacter spp. isolates were recovered from dogs, with successful isolation by individual methods ranging from 2 to 25 dogs. The species detected most commonly were C. upsaliensis and C. jejuni, and less commonly C. coli and C. lari. Species isolated that are rarely reported from dogs included C. rectus, C. lari subsp. concheus, C. volucris, and Helicobacter winghamensis. Six isolates from dogs positive by Campylobacter genus PCR were confirmed, using 16S rRNA sequencing, as Arcobacter cryaerophilus (1) and Arcobacter butzleri (5). C. jejuni multi-locus sequence typing results revealed a diversity of sequence types in working dogs, with several uncommonly reported from other C. jejuni sources in New Zealand. Overall, 20 isolates from 3 meat samples were positive by Campylobacter genus PCR; 1 meat sample was positive for C. jejuni, 1 for C. rectus, and 1 isolate was subsequently identified as A. butzleri. The method using Campylobacter enrichment broth in a hydrogen-enriched environment on nonselective agar resulted in significantly reduced recovery of Campylobacter spp. from both sample types.

The endemic brown macroalga Fucus virsoides J. Agardh from the Adriatic Sea was in the focus of the present research. The volatiles of fresh (FrFv) and air-dried (DrFv) samples of F. virsoides obtained by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and hydrodistillation (HD) were analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector and mass spectrometry (GC-FID/MS). The major HS-FrFv compound was pentadecane (61.90–71.55%) followed by pentadec-1-ene (11.00–7.98%). In HS-DrFv, pentadec-1-ene was not present, and few lower aliphatic compounds appeared, as well as benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol. In HD-FrFv, particularly abundant were alkenes (such as pentadec-1-ene (19.32%), or (E)-pentadec-7-ene (8.35%)). In HD-DrFv, more oxidation products were present (e.g., carbonyl compounds such as tridecanal (18.51%)). The fatty acids profile of freeze-dried sample (FdFv) after conversion to methyl esters was determined by GC-FID, and oleic acid was dominant (42.28%), followed by arachidonic acid (15.00%). High-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (HPLC-ESI-HRMS) was used for the screening of less polar fractions (F3 and F4) of F. virsoides. Mono- and diglycerides of stearic, palmitic, oleic, and arachidonic acids were found. Terpenoids and steroids comprised the compounds C20H30(32)O2 and C29H48O(2). Among carotenoids, fucoxanthin was identified. Chlorophyll derivatives were also found (C55H74(72)N4O(5‑7)), dominated by pheophytin a. The antioxidant activity of the fractions was investigated by in vitro assays (oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), reduction of radical cation (ABTS•+), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and by in vivo zebrafish model (along with fish embryotoxicity). In vitro experiments proved good radical scavenging abilities of F3 and F4 fractions, which were additionally supported by the protective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos.

Due to the lack of phytochemical composition data, the major goals of the present study on Amphiroa rigida J.V. Lamouroux were to: (a) investigate and compare volatilome profiles of fresh and air-dried samples obtained by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and hydrodistillation (HD) followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis, (b) determine fatty acids profile by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID), (c) obtain the pigment profiles of semipurified extracts by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and (d) evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of its less polar fractions. The comparison of headspace of fresh (FrAr) and air-dried (DrAr) samples revealed many similarities regarding the presence and abundance of the major (heptadecane and pentadecane) and minor compounds. The hydrodistillate (HD) of DrAr profile was quite different in comparison to HD-FrAr. The predominant compound in HD-FrAr was (E)-phytol. In HD-DrAr, its percentage was approximately one-half reduced, but the abundance of its degradation product phytone and of unsaturated and oxygenated compounds increased indicating more intense fatty acid decomposition and oxidation during drying. The fatty acid determination revealed that the most dominant was palmitic acid (42.86%) followed by eicosapentaenoic acid (19.14%) and stearic acid (11.65%). Among the pigments, A. rigida contained fucoxanthin (0.63 mg g&minus, 1 of dry fraction), lutein (5.83 mg g&minus, 1), &beta, carotene (6.18 mg g&minus, 1) and chlorophyll a (13.65 mg g&minus, 1). The analyzed less polar fractions of A. rigida exhibited antioxidant scavenging activity with diammonium salt of 2,2&prime, azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazolin-6-yl) sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay up to 3.87 mg g&minus, 1 trolox equivalents (TE), and with the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay up to 825.63 &mu, mol g&minus, 1 TE (with carotenoids as the major contributors).

Summary Campylobacter causes acute gastroenteritis in people worldwide and is frequently isolated from food, animals and the environment. The disease is predominately food-borne but many routes of transmission and sources of infection have been described, including contact with pets. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in dogs and cats varies widely, and data on New Zealand pets are limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in dogs, cats and retail raw meat pet food products in New Zealand and to characterize Campylobacter jejuni isolates using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Ninety dogs and 110 cats examined at the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for elective procedures, and fifty locally purchased retail raw meat pet diets were sampled. Two culture protocols combining Bolton broth enrichment and mCCDA and CAT agars in a microaerobic atmosphere at 42°C and 37°C with species identification using PCR were performed. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp., C. jejuni, Campylobacter upsaliensis and Campylobacter helveticus was 36%, 13%, 23% and 1% in dogs and 16%, 5%, 5% and 7% in cats, respectively. One dog had Campylobacter lari confirmed, and three dogs and one cat had multiple Campylobacter spp. detected. Significantly more animals tested positive using CAT than mCCDA agar (P

The present study was carried out to investigate whether age, breed, use and gender have any influence on palmar ligament width in non-lame horses. Pathology of the metacarpophalangeal joint are frequently associated with lameness in horses. Although osteoarticular lesions are the most common, soft tissue lesions of the proximal scutum, are not rare. Diagnosis of injuries to the palmar ligament and its associated structures is mainly based on abnormal imaging features, such as increased width of the ligament above 0.6 cm. The palmar ligament width was measured in 58 non-lame horses. The horses were divided into groups according to age, breed, use and gender. None of the examined horses had disruption of the palmar ligament from the proximal sesamoid bones, or alterations of echogenicity within the ligament. Fourteen horses (24%) had at least one palmar ligament wider than 0.6 cm. The statistically significant influence of age, breed, use and gender on the mean palmar ligament width was recorded. These findings suggest that a palmar ligament width above 0.6 cm is not always a certain sign of proximal scutum pathology, but could also be influenced by the age, breed, useand gender of horses.

The present study was carried out to investigate whether age, breed, use and gender have any influence on palmar ligament width in non-lame horses. Pathology of the metacarpophalangeal joint are frequently associated with lameness in horses. Although osteoarticular lesions are the most common, soft tissue lesions of the proximal scutum, are not rare. Diagnosis of injuries to the palmar ligament and its associated structures is mainly based on abnormal imaging features, such as increased width of the ligament above 0.6 cm. The palmar ligament width was measured in 58 non-lame horses. The horses were divided into groups according to age, breed, use and gender. None of the examined horses had disruption of the palmar ligament from the proximal sesamoid bones, or alterations of echogenicity within the ligament. Fourteen horses (24%) had at least one palmar ligament wider than 0.6 cm. The statistically significant influence of age, breed, use and gender on the mean palmar ligament width was recorded. These findings suggest that a palmar ligament width above 0.6 cm is not always a certain sign of proximal scutum pathology, but could also be influenced by the age, breed, use and gender of horses., Cilj ovog rada bio je istražiti učinak dobi, pasmine, korištenja i spola na širinu palmarnog ligamenta u konja bez znakova hromosti. Patološka stanja putičnog zgloba vrlo su često povezana s pojavom hromosti u konja. Iako su oštećenja zglobova i kosti najčešća, oštećenja mekih tkiva proksimalnog štita nisu rijetka. Dijagnostika ozljeda palmarnog ligamenta i okolnih struktura prvenstveno se osniva na rezultatima ultrazvučne pretrage, poput povećanja širine ligamenta iznad 0,6 cm. U ovome je radu mjerena širina palmarnog ligamenta u 58 konja koji nisu pokazivali znakove hromosti. Konji su bili podijeljeni u skupine prema dobi, pasmini, korištenju i spolu. U nijednog konja nije pronađena ruptura palmarnog ligamenta, kao ni promjene u ehogenosti ligamenta. Četrnaest konja (24 %) imalo je barem jedan palmarni ligament širi od 0,6 cm. Statistički značajan utjecaj na širinu palmarnog ligamenta zabilježen je za dob, pasminu te korištenje konja. Ovi podatci ukazuju da širina palmarnog ligamenta iznad 0,6 cm ne mora nužno označavati nedvojben znak patologije proksimalnog štita, već može biti uvjetovana dobi, pasminom i korištenjem konja.

Campylobacter enteritis in humans is primarily associated with C. jejuni/coli infection. The impact of other Campylobacter spp. is likely to be underestimated due to the bias of culture methods towards Campylobacter jejuni/coli diagnosis. Stool antigen tests are becoming increasingly popular and appear generally less species-specific. A review of independent studies of the ProSpecT® Campylobacter Microplate enzyme immunoassay (EIA) developed for C. jejuni/coli showed comparable diagnostic results to culture methods but the examination of non-jejuni/coli Campylobacter spp. was limited and the limit-of-detection (LOD), where reported, varied between studies. This study investigated LOD of EIA for Campylobacter upsaliensis, Campylobacter hyointestinalis and Campylobacter helveticus spiked in human stools. Multiple stools and Campylobacter isolates were used in three different concentrations (10(4)-10(9)CFU/ml) to reflect sample heterogeneity. All Campylobacter species evaluated were detectable by EIA. Multivariate analysis showed LOD varied between Campylobacter spp. and faecal consistency as fixed effects and individual faecal samples as random effects. EIA showed excellent performance in replicate testing for both within and between batches of reagents, in agreement between visual and spectrophotometric reading of results, and returned no discordance between the bacterial concentrations within independent dilution test runs (positive results with lower but not higher concentrations). This study shows how limitations in experimental procedures lead to an overestimation of consistency and uniformity of LOD for EIA that may not hold under routine use in diagnostic laboratories. Benefits and limitations for clinical practice and the influence on estimates of performance characteristics from detection of multiple Campylobacter spp. by EIA are discussed.

Congenital hypothyroidism is a rare and underdiagnosed congenital endocrine disorder in dogs and cats and the true incidence is unknown. The disorder may cause a range of clinical signs depending on the primary defect, which affect production of thyroid hormones ; some cases present when adult. Hallmark clinical signs of congenital hypothyroidism are mental impairment and skeletal developmental abnormalities, resulting in disproportionate dwarfism ; goitre may or may not be present. Documented causes of congenital hypothyroidism in dogs include deficiency of, or unresponsiveness to, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) or thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid dysgenesis, dyshormonogenesis and iodine deficiency. In cats, TSH unresponsiveness, thyroid dysgenesis, dyshormonogenesis and iodine deficiency have been confirmed. Adequate replacement therapy results in a successful outcome in the majority of cases, especially when started early in life, as permanent developmental abnormalities can be prevented. This review describes reported cases in dogs and cats, diagnostic investigation, and recommendations for treatment.

Cilj ovog rada bio je odrediti održivost mesa lubina tijekom njegove pohrane na ledu u trajanju od 12 dana pracenjem senzornih, fizikalno-kemijskih i mikrobioloških parametara kakvoce i higijenske ispravnosti. U tu je svrhu pretraženo 30 lubina 2., 4., 6., 9. i 12. dana pohrane na ledu na 3º C. Senzorna ocjena kvalitete ocijenjena je Quality Index Method testom (QIM) izra!enom za lubina, Dicentrarchus labrax (Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories) i Market testom. Uzorci ribe su pretraženi na ukupni broj aerobnih mezofilnih bakterija, psihrotrofnih bakterija i Pseudomonas spp. Tako!er su mjerene vrijednosti pH i kolicina amonijaka. Kolicina amonijaka povecavala se tijekom pohrane ribe i tako pratila promjenu njezinih senzornih svojstava, te su uzorci ribe na kraju našeg istraživanja s 16,1 mg% amonijaka, ocijenjeni kao riba ugrožena od kvarenja. Usporedo s porastom odstupanja od svojstvenoga izgleda i mirisa svježega lubina rastao je i broj psihrotrofnih bakterija i Pseudomonas spp., The goal of this work was to determine the sustainability of the sea bass meat during its storage on ice in the period of twelve days by following sensory, physical- chemical and microbiological parameters of quality and hygienic safety. Thirty sea basses were researched for that goal on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 12th day of storage on ice at 3º C. Sensory grade of quality was evaluated by Quality Index Method test (QIM) created for sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories) and Market test. Fish samples were researched on the total count of aerobic mesophyllic bacteria, psychotrophic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. There were also measured pH- values and the quantity of ammonia. The quantity of ammonia was increasing during the storage of fish and in that manner it was following its sensory characteristics, so the fish samples at the end of our research were evaluated as fish at risk of rotting with 16.1 mg% of ammonia. Together with the increase of aberration from the characteristic appearance and smell of fresh sea bass, the number of psychotrophic bacteria

U radu je opisan utjecaj različitih metoda omamljivanja i usmrćivanja riba na kakvoću njihovog mesa. Pojedine, manje humane metode omamljivanja indiciraju sekundarni stresni odgovor u riba, koji za posljedicu ima bržu razgradnju ATP-a u mišićju, brži pad pH, te brži nastup i otpuštanje mrtvačke ukočenosti. Nadalje, stres nastao prilikom omamljivanja i usmrćivanja riba može imati i negativan utjecaj na teksturu mesa, kao i na održivost. Odabir prikladne metode ovisi i o vrsti i veličini ribe., The paper describes the influence of different methods of stunning and killing of fish on the meat quality.Selection of adequate stunning method is of utmost importance, from the aspect of both fish welfare and its meat quality. Some, less humane methods of stunning induce secondary stress in fish, resulting in more rapid disintegration of ATP in muscles and drop in pH value, as well as in more rapid onset and alleviation of rigor. Furthermore, the stress induced by stunning and killing of fish ca nhave a negative impact on the texture and shelf life of meat. Choice of adequate method depends also on the size and species of fish.