Disease associated with equine coronavirus infection and high case fatality rate.

BackgroundEquine coronavirus (ECoV) is associated with clinical disease in adult horses. Outbreaks are associated with a low case fatality rate and a small number of animals with signs of encephalopathic disease are described.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of two outbreaks of ECoV infection that were associated with an high case fatality rate.Animals14 miniature horses and 1 miniature donkey testing fecal positive for ECoV from two related disease outbreaks.MethodsRetrospective study describing the epidemiological findings, clinicopathological findings, and fecal viral load from affected horses.ResultsIn EcoV positive horses, 27% (4/15) of the animals died or were euthanized. Severe hyperammonemia (677 μmol/L, reference range ≤ 60 μmol/L) was identified in one animal with signs of encephalopathic disease that subsequently died. Fecal viral load (ECoV genome equivalents per gram of feces) was significantly higher in the nonsurvivors compared to animals that survived (P = .02).Conclusions and clinical importanceEquine coronavirus had a higher case fatality rate in this group of miniature horses than previously reported in other outbreaks of varying breeds. Hyperammonemia could contribute to signs of encephalopathic disease, and the fecal viral load might be of prognostic value in affected horses

Risks of Contracting Tuleramia from Wild Game

This document provides insight to what tularemia is, how it can be transmitted to humans through wild game, symptoms of this disease, and treatment processes that an individual should take if they become infected with this disease

Specific Handling Practices for Processing Big Game in the Field

Why should hunters educate themselves about proper handling of big game? Annually, 10.7 million sportsmen and women spend 127 million days afield hunting big game. Meats of big game are a healthy and appetizing source of dietary protein. Hunters unfamiliar with proper handling practices for processing wild game, however, run a risk of contracting food-borne illnesses. Big game transported from the field to the freezer may become contaminated with bacteria during processing. Unsafe handling practices by hunters that lead to the contamination of meats usually occur along “critical control points.” An awareness of critical control points can help ensure that the meats hunters bring home are safe for human consumptio

Contaminants in Freshwater Fish: Guidelines for Consumers

This publication describes the health risks associated with consumption of contaminated fish, suggests how to reduce your exposure to harmful contaminants, and provides a link to information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will enable you to contact the appropriate officials regarding fish consumption advisories in your area

An Annotated Bibliography: Published Articles (1861-1998) About the Wild Mammals of South Dakota

Our goal in compiling this bibliography was to locate every published article with a connection to any wild South Dakota mammal. However, we understood from the start that this goal would be unattainable. Consequently, this collection can provide only a point of origin to readers interested in obtaining published studies (popular and scientific) about the wild mammals of South Dakota

The distribution of extremal points of Gaussian scalar fields

We consider the signed density of the extremal points of (two-dimensional) scalar fields with a Gaussian distribution. We assign a positive unit charge to the maxima and minima of the function and a negative one to its saddles. At first, we compute the average density for a field in half-space with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Then we calculate the charge-charge correlation function (without boundary). We apply the general results to random waves and random surfaces. Furthermore, we find a generating functional for the two-point function. Its Legendre transform is the integral over the scalar curvature of a 4-dimensional Riemannian manifold.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, corrected published versio

XY checkerboard antiferromagnet in external field

Ordering by thermal fluctuations is studied for the classical XY antiferromagnet on a checkerboard lattice in zero and finite magnetic fields by means of analytical and Monte Carlo methods. The model exhibits a variety of novel broken symmetries including states with nematic ordering in zero field and with triatic order parameter at high fields.Comment: 6 page

Developing a data sharing framework: a case study

Purpose: The purpose of the research project was to examine the process of developing a data sharing framework between different public sector organizations. Design / methodology / approach: A two year case study of a data sharing project between a UK fire and rescue service, local council, NHS primary care trust and a police force was undertaken. Findings: It is important to carefully determine the requirements for data sharing, to establish data sharing agreements, to have secure arrangements for data sharing, and to ensure compliance with data protection legislation. Research limitations / implications: Data sharing between public sector organizations can operate effectively if appropriate care is taken when creating data sharing agreements between partner organizations. Practical implications: Data sharing can assist in reducing duplication of effort between public sector organizations, and can reduce costs and enable more co-ordinated provision of public services. Social implications: Data sharing can assist in identifying citizens who might otherwise have been overlooked to relevant organizations. Data sharing can also assist in reducing risks associated with individuals and promote more independent living. Originality / value: The detailed analysis of a data sharing case study identified the need for a systematic data sharing framework. Such a framework is proposed and illustrated with practical examples of specification, implementation and evaluation. Key words: Data sharing framework public sector management data protection legislatio

Statistical Mechanics of Vibration-Induced Compaction of Powders

We propose a theory which describes the density relaxation of loosely packed, cohesionless granular material under mechanical tapping. Using the compactivity concept we develope a formalism of statistical mechanics which allows us to calculate the density of a powder as a function of time and compactivity. A simple fluctuation-dissipation relation which relates compactivity to the amplitude and frequency of a tapping is proposed. Experimental data of E.R.Nowak et al. [{\it Powder Technology} 94, 79 (1997) ] show how density of initially deposited in a fluffy state powder evolves under carefully controlled tapping towards a random close packing (RCP) density. Ramping the vibration amplitude repeatedly up and back down again reveals the existence of reversible and irreversible branches in the response. In the framework of our approach the reversible branch (along which the RCP density is obtained) corresponds to the steady state solution of the Fokker-Planck equation whereas the irreversible one is represented by a superposition of "excited states" eigenfunctions. These two regimes of response are analyzed theoretically and a qualitative explanation of the hysteresis curve is offered.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, Latex. Revised tex