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Main text A new key comparison of the standards for absorbed dose to water of the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), Japan, and the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) was carried out in the 60Co radiation beam of the BIPM in February 2022. The comparison result, based on the calibration coefficients for two transfer standards and evaluated as a ratio of the NMIJ and the BIPM standards for absorbed dose to water, is 0.9952 with a combined standard uncertainty of 4.0 parts in 103. The result agrees within the uncertainties with the comparison carried out in 2009. The results are analysed and presented in terms of degrees of equivalence, suitable for entry in the BIPM key comparison database. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

A detector that can distinguish alpha from beta particles is valuable for detecting alpha emitters from contamination at and around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), and other nuclear facility decontamination sites. We developed a prototype alpha/beta particle detector using a pulse shape discrimination (PSD) capable organic scintillator , a silicon photomultiplier, and a waveform digitizer. The charge integration PSD technique was used to separate alpha and beta particles. We compared the PSD figure of merit (FOM) values of two scintillators (EJ-299-33 and stilbene), and found that the stilbene ( FOM = 1 . 61 ) performance was superior to the EJ-299-33 ( FOM = 0 . 56 ) performance, measured using an 241 Am source (5.5 MeV alpha particle emission) and a 90 Sr source. Additionally, the stilbene showed good energy resolution (23.6 %FWHM for 5.5 MeV alpha particles). In the pulse height spectrum for the 90 Sr ∕ 90 Y source, the lower energy portion ( 90 Sr ) and the higher energy portion ( 90 Y ) could be separated. To demonstrate the detector’s separation ability, the 232 Th source was measured. The measurements demonstrated the alpha and beta particle separation, and alpha and beta spectra were obtained simultaneously, which was not possible when using commercial detectors such as a ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector.

Background The bactericidal effect of disinfectants against biofilms is essential to reduce potential endoscopy-related infections caused by contamination. Here, we investigated the bactericidal effect of a high-level disinfectant, peracetic acid (PAA), against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm models in vitro. Methods S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms were cultured at 35 °C for 7 days with catheter tubes. The following high-level disinfectants (HLDs) were tested: 0.3% PAA, 0.55% ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), and 2.0% alkaline-buffered glutaraldehyde (GA). Biofilms were exposed to these agents for 1–60 min and observed after 5 min and 30 min by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A Student’s t test was performed to compare the exposure time required for bactericidal effectiveness of the disinfectants. Results PAA and GA were active within 1 min and 5 min, respectively, against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms. OPA took longer than 10 min and 30 min to act against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms, respectively (p

Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern for human and animal health. Public awareness of these issues has contributed to increased demand for organic food. In poultry production, there are 3 major production types: no antibiotic ever, organic, and conventional. Organics have been considered safer alternatives that carry fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria and have less incidence of stable resistance. In this study, we examined the impact of organic and conventional production practices on the resistance patterns of the intestinal microbiome of chickens. Culture and sensitivity analysis performed on the cecal contents were compared between organic and conventionally grown chickens from identical parent stock collected in July and September. The results demonstrated that Escherichia coli isolated from conventionally produced chickens were significantly more resistant to neomycin (P-value

Background Mandibulectomy typically involves rigid reconstruction using autologous bone and titanium plates. However, in cases with poor performance status or complications as well as the elderly, choosing the optimal surgical method is difficult. For such cases in our hospital, we do not perform rigid reconstruction but opt for only soft tissue reconstruction or primary suturing at the defect site. Here, we retrospectively investigated cases where primary suturing was applied and discuss the utility of the procedure. Methods This retrospective study targeted cases of stage T4 lower gingival carcinoma treated with segmental mandibulectomy and primary suturing at the defect site between 1992 and 2018. Survey items were operative time, blood loss volume, perioperative complications, length of hospitalization, and food intake at discharge. Results There were 186 cases for which segmental mandibulectomy was performed during the target period, and 13 cases for which primary suturing was also performed. Median operative time was 210 (range, 124-328) min. Median blood loss was 212 (101-867) mL. Six cases had complications during the perioperative period, but in all cases cure was achieved by conservative treatment. Median length of hospitalization was 32 (20-49) days. All cases could tolerate oral intake at discharge. Conclusions Segmental mandibulectomy without reconstruction may be a viable surgical option for cases where free tissue reconstruction is not possible. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

SummaryBackground: Over 100 limited sampling strategies (LSSs) have been proposed to reduce the number of blood samples necessary to estimate the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC). The conditions under which these strategies succeed or fail remain to be clarified.Objectives: We investigated the accuracy of existing LSSs both theoretically and numerically by Monte Carlo simulation. We also proposed two new methods for more accurate AUC estimations.Methods: We evaluated the following existing methods theoretically: i) nonlinear curve fitting algorithm (NLF), ii) the trapezium rule with exponential curve approximation (TZE), and iii) multiple linear regression (MLR). Taking busulfan (BU) as a test drug, we generated a set of theoretical concentration-time curves based on the identified distribution of pharmacokinetic parameters of BU and re-evaluated the existing LSSs using these virtual validation profiles. Based on the evaluation results, we improved the TZE so that unrealistic parameter values were not used. We also proposed a new estimation method in which the most likely curve was selected from a set of pre-generated theoretical concentration-time curves.Results: Our evaluation, based on clinical profiles and a virtual validation set, revealed: i) NLF sometimes overestimated the absorption rate constant Ka, ii) TZE overestimated AUC over 280% when Ka is small, and iii) MLR underestimated AUC over 30% when the elimination rate constant Ke is small. These results were consistent with our mathematical evaluations for these methods. In contrast, our two new methods had little bias and good precision.Conclusions: Our investigation revealed that existing LSSs induce different but specific biases in the estimation of AUC. Our two new LSSs, a modified TZE and one using model concentration-time curves, provided accurate and precise estimations of AUC.

The Kalahari Goldridge deposit is located in the Archaean Kraaipan greenstone belt in the north-west province of South Africa. Gold mineralization in this deposit is hosted within banded iron formation which is flanked by a mafic schist in the footwall and clastic metasedimentary units in the hanging wall. Data from carbonate minerals from mineralized veins and bulk rock from the A and D zone ore bodies have helped to define the ultimate origin of the ore-forming fluids and their migration history. Carbon isotope ratios of carbonates from both the A and D zone ore bodies have tight clustering from )7.6 to )5.3& that indicates a unique origin for the ore-forming fluids associated with the mineralization at Kalahari Goldridge. The d 18 O values of the carbonates have been influenced by temperature gradients and variable degrees of fluid‐rock interaction promoting oxygen isotope exchange between ore fluid and host rocks. Minimum 87 Sr ⁄ 86 Sr ratio values of 0.70354 in mineralized veins are most consistent with ore-forming fluids being relatively pristine with a mantle origin. Strontium and the corresponding ore-forming fluids were most likely derived from mantle-derived magmatic rocks probably represented by the meta-basaltic rocks that underlie the ferruginous package in the Kraaipan greenstone belt. Strontium isotopic composition of vein carbonates show considerable variation in 87 Sr ⁄ 86 Sr ratios ranging from 0.70354 to 0.73914. This is consistent with an ore fluid composition that has been modified by the addition of radiogenic Sr possibly during passage of fluid through siliciclastic country rock concomitant with the observed hydrothermal alteration.

Intestinal tracts of broilers and turkeys from 10 conventional broiler farms and 10 conventional turkey farms, where antimicrobials were routinely used, and from 5 organic broiler farms and 5 organic turkey farms, where antimicrobials had never been used, were collected and cultured for Campylobacter species. A total of 694 Campylobacter isolates from the conventional and organic poultry operations were tested for antimicrobial resistance to nine antimicrobial agents by the agar dilution method. Although Campylobacter species were highly prevalent in both the conventional and organic poultry operations, the antimicrobial resistance rates were significantly different between the organic operations and the conventional operations. Less than 2% of Campylobacter strains isolated from organically raised poultry were resistant to fluoroquinolones, while 46% and 67% of Campylobacter isolates from conventionally raised broilers and conventionally raised turkeys, respectively, were resistant to these antimicrobials. In addition, a high frequency of resistance to erythromycin (80%), clindamycin (64%), kanamycin (76%), and ampicillin (31%) was observed among Campylobacter isolates from conventionally raised turkeys. None of the Campylobacter isolates obtained in this study was resistant to gentamicin, while a large number of the isolates from both conventional and organic poultry operations were resistant to tetracycline. Multidrug resistance was observed mainly among Campylobacter strains isolated from the conventional turkey operation (81%). Findings from this study clearly indicate the influence of conventional and organic poultry production practices on antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter on poultry farms.

Knemidocoptes mutans, commonly known as the scaly-leg mite, causes disease in various avian species. In a peep of bantam chickens, proliferative skin lesions were observed on the shanks of 6 of 29 birds, with digit necrosis observed in some birds. Histologic examination of the necrotic digits revealed Knemidocoptes species in the stratum corneum. No new cases of scaly-leg mite infection occurred in the flock after administration of ivermectin, and treatment halted the progression of the disease process in infected chickens. This case report documents that severe Knemidocoptes infection can be associated with digit necrosis in chickens.

Thermophilic Campylobacter, particularly Campylobacter jejuni, is one of the major foodborne human pathogens of animal origin. Reliable and sensitive typing tools are required for understanding the epidemiology and ecology of this zoonotic bacteria agent. Currently, several molecular typing methods are available for differentiating Campylobacter strains, but each of them has limitations. Our previous study revealed that considerable sequence polymorphism exists in the cmp gene encoding the major outer membrane protein of Campylobacter and suggested that sequence variation of cmp may be utilized for discrimination of Campylobacter strains. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of the cmp-based typing tool, using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) as the "gold" standard for comparison. The cmp alleles were sequenced from multiple Campylobacter strains, grouped, and compared with the PFGE profiles of these strains using Bionumerics. Results showed that 43 cmp sequence types and 43 PFGE types existed among the 60 Campylobacter isolates. Typeability of these strains is 100% using either the cmp-based method or PFGE. The discrimination indices are 0.973 for the cmp-based method and 0.969 for PFGE, respectively. The cmp sequence types are 77.6% congruent with the PFGE types. These results indicate that the cmp-based typing is a simple, yet highly discriminatory approach for molecular differentiation of C. jejuni strains.

Riemerella anatipestifer is a gram-negative bacteria that can cause disease in a wide variety of wild and domesticated birds, especially waterfowl. The infection can be peracute, acute, or chronic. Although various routes of transmission have been proposed, to date, there is little information on the effects of route of transmission and challenge dosage on R. anatipestifer infection. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of route of inoculation and challenge dosage on R. anatipestifer infection and pathology. To achieve this objective, one hundred forty-seven 14-day-old white Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were equally divided into 13 experimental groups (12 challenge and 1 control group). Each challenge group had 11 ducks. The control group had 15 ducks. Four routes of inoculation were evaluated (intranasal, oral, subcutaneous, and intravenous). Three dosage levels were evaluated for each inoculation route (10(2), 10(4), and 106 colony forming units [CFU]/ml). At the 106 CFU/ml dosage level, mortality was most associated with the subcutaneous (91%) and intravenous (82%) routes, followed by the nasal (18%) and oral (9%) routes. A unique pathologic lesion was found in the bursa of Fabricius and spleen of affected birds. Within the spleen and bursa of Fabricius, there were varying degrees of lymphoid depletion and necrosis within the cortical and medullary regions. These pathologic lesions have not been previously reported in ducks with R. anatipestifer infection.

Three air contaminants that may have serious health consequences to humans and poultry are ammonia, dust, and aerosolized bacteria. This study measured ammonia concentrations, dust concentrations, and the presence or absence of aerosolized Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli inside and outside five commercial layer facilities. The average outside ammonia concentration measurements decreased as the distance from the facility increased from 10 to 40 ft. The measurements at 10 ft from the facilities were consistently higher than the average concentrations inside the facilities. The ammonia measurement trends inside of the facilities were affected by the temperature-dependent ventilation systems. Average dust concentrations inside the five facilities were consistently below 2 mg/m3. Three facilities also experienced average outside dust concentrations at all measured distances below 2 mg/m3. Two facilities had relatively high average dust measurements at 10 ft from ventilation fans (32.12 mg/m3 and 75.18 mg/m3). Escherichia coli and Salmonella were isolated from the air inside all five facilities and outside the facilities up to 40 ft from the ventilation fans. In condusion, dust concentrations may pose the largest risk to human and animal health at 10 ft away from the poultry facilities; risks associated with ammonia inhalation are greatest inside facilities during the coolest months of the year; and aerosolized bacteria are found inside and outside poultry facilities, but further work is needed to quantify the bacteria to further assess the health risk related to this issue.

Resumen RESUMEN. En cuesta de parasitos y patogenos bacterianos en aves acuaticas de vida libre en zoologicos. Con el fin de determinar si las aves acuaticas de vida libre que residen en los zoologicos representan un riesgo sanitario para otros animales, visitantes y empleados, se tomaron y se cultivaron 450 muestras fecales para detectar la presencia de Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp y Pasteurella multocida. Tambien se realizo una encuesta para endoparasitos que infectan las aves acuaticas. De las muestras analizadas, 67%, 42% y 1.7% resultaron positivas a E. coli, C. jejuni, y Salmonella spp., respectivamente. No se aislo P. multocida de la poblacion muestreada. Las pruebas de susceptibilidad para los aislamientos bacterianos demostraron que la mayoria de los aislamientos fueron susceptibles a los antibioticos que se ensayaron. El muestreo de parasitos revelo que el 16% de las muestras presentaban ooquistes de coccidias, el 8% presento huevos de espiruridos y el 17% de las muestr...

Digital TV broadcasting from the stratosphere was tested using an unmanned aerial vehicle, a Pathfinder Plus. A television transmitter installed under the wing transmitted a UHF band signal as the vehicle flew at an altitude of 20 km. The Japanese digital terrestrial broadcasting standard (ISDB-T) was used for transmission. The 13.5-hour flight time included 3 hours of transmission testing. The transmitting equipment worked as expected in spite of the cold and low-atmospheric-pressure environment. Reception at the ground station was satisfactory even when the ISDB-T parameter set used was the one least robust under poor channel conditions.

As avian health professionals, when there is an increased morbidity or mortality in a waterfowl flock, we are often concerned with disease diagnostic and treatment regimens. However, one area that should not be overlooked is waterfowl husbandry, especially if we want to develop preventive medicine strategies for the flock. Husbandry aspects need to be considered because certain management factors may predispose the waterfowl flock to certain diseases. Avian health professionals should also be aware of the common duck and geese breeds that are commonly kept in backyard flock. This type of information can provide information on flock personality and unique anatomical characteristics. In addition, understanding the different breeds will allow avian health professionals to assist in recommending the appropriate waterfowl to our clients. Waterfowl have unique husbandry requirements when compared to other poultry species, and having a better understanding of husbandry aspects like housing and feeding can help to prevent diseases from reoccurring in the flock. By having a better understanding of waterfowl husbandry, we can ensure that our waterfowl patients receive the best medical care and continue to remain healthy.

Although chickens and turkeys comprise the majority of poultry species seen by the private practitioner, on occasion, backyard waterfowl such as ducks and geese, are also brought into the private practice setting. In order to treat our waterfowl patients expediently, it is important to be familiar with the common diseases often reported in backyard waterfowl species. As veterinarians, not only do we have to be familiar with common waterfowl diseases, but we also have to be aware of the environmental situations that may enhance some of these disease conditions.

The normal flora of free-living red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) has not been well described. We trapped and banded 10 free-living red-tailed hawks and 10 free-living Cooper's hawks during the 1992 fall migration in Marin County, CA, USA. Three choanal and 3 cloacal swabs were collected from each bird to characterize the aerobic bacterial flora. Cloacal swabs were obtained from an additional 24 free-living birds, 13 red-tailed hawks and 11 Cooper's hawks, specifically for isolation of Salmonella species. Moreover, 3 choanal and 3 cloacal swabs were collected for comparison from 7 captive red-tailed hawks and 3 captive Cooper's hawks. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus/Micrococcus species and Corynebacterium species were the most frequent choanal isolates from both free-living and captive red-tailed hawks as well as from free-living Cooper's hawks, while Corynebacterium and Pasteurella species were the most frequent choanal isolates from captive Cooper's ...