Pyelonephritis in slaughter pigs and sows: Morphological characterization and aspects of pathogenesis and aetiology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pyelonephritis is a serious disease in pig production that needs to be further studied. The purpose of this study was to describe the morphology, investigate the pathogenesis, and evaluate the aetiological role of <it>Escherichia coli </it>in pyelonephritis in slaughtered pigs by concurrent bacteriological, gross and histopathological examinations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From Danish abattoirs, kidneys and corresponding lymph nodes from 22 slaughtered finishing pigs and 26 slaughtered sows with pyelonephritis were collected and evaluated by bacteriology and pathology. Based on gross lesions, each kidney (lesion) was grouped as acute, chronic, chronic active, or normal and their histological inflammatory stage was determined as normal (0), acute (1), sub-acute (2), chronic active (3), or chronic (4). Immunohistochemical identification of neutrophils, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, plasma cells, <it>E. coli </it>and Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) in renal sections was performed. The number of <it>E. coli </it>and the proportion of immunohistochemically visualized leukocytes out of the total number of infiltrating leukocytes were scored semi-quantitatively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Lesions in finishing pigs and sows were similar. Macroscopically, multiple unevenly distributed foci of inflammation mostly affecting the renal poles were observed. Histologically, tubulointerstitial infiltration with neutrophils and mononuclear cells and tubular destruction was the main findings. The significant highest scores of L1 antigen⁺neutrophils were in inflammatory stage 1 while the significant highest scores of CD79αcy⁺B-lymphocytes, IgG⁺and IgA⁺plasma cells were in stage 3 or 4. Neutrophils were the dominant leukocytes in stage 1 while CD3ε⁺T-lymphocytes dominated in stage 2, 3 and 4. Interstitially THP was seen in 82% and 98% of kidneys with pyelonephritis from finishing pigs and sows, respectively. <it>E. coli </it>was demonstrated in monoculture and/or identified by immunohistochemistry in relation to inflammation in four kidneys from finishing pigs and in 34 kidneys from sows.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>E. coli </it>played a significant role in the aetiology of pyelonephritis. Neutrophils were involved in the first line of defence. CD3ε⁺T-lymphocytes were involved in both the acute and chronic inflammatory response while a humoral immune response was most pronounced in later inflammatory stages. The observed renal lesions correspond with an ascending bacterial infection with presence of intra-renal reflux.</p

Confusion and dependence in uses of history

Many people argue that history makes a special difference to the subjects of biology and psychology, and that history does not make this special difference to other parts of the world. This paper will show that historical properties make no more or less of a difference to biology or psychology than to chemistry, physics, or other sciences. Although historical properties indeed make a certain kind of difference to biology and psychology, this paper will show that historical properties make the same kind of difference to geology, sociology, astronomy, and other sciences. Similarly, many people argue that nonhistorical properties make a special difference to the nonbiological and the nonpsychological world. This paper will show that nonhistorical properties make the same difference to all things in the world when it comes to their causal behavior and that historical properties make the same difference to all things in the world when it comes to their distributions. Although history is special, it is special in the same way to all parts of the worl

Downregulation of hippocampal adenosine kinase after focal ischemia as potential endogenous neuroprotective mechanism.

The rate of ischemic brain injury varies with the brain region, requiring only hours in striatum but days in hippocampus. Such maturation implies the existence of endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms. Adenosine is an endogenous neuroprotectant regulated by adenosine kinase (ADK). To investigate, whether adenosine might play a role in protecting the hippocampus after focal ischemia, we subjected transgenic mice, which overexpress ADK in hippocampal neurons (Adk-tg mice) to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Although the hippocampus of wild-type (wt) mice was consistently spared from injury after 60 mins of MCAO, hippocampal injury became evident in Adk-tg mice after only 15 mins of MCAO. To determine, whether downregulation of hippocampal ADK might qualify as candidate mechanism mediating endogenous neuroprotection, we evaluated ADK expression in wt mice after several periods of reperfusion after 15 or 60 mins of MCAO. After 60 mins of MCAO, hippocampal ADK was significantly reduced in both hemispheres after 1, 3, and 24 h of reperfusion. Reduction of ADK-immunoreactivity corresponded to a 2.2-fold increase in hippocampal adenosine at 3 h of reperfusion. Remarkably, a significant reduction of ADK immunoreactivity was also found in the ipsilateral (stroked) hippocampus after 15 mins of MCAO and 3 h of reperfusion. Thus, transient downregulation of hippocampal ADK after stroke might be a protective mechanism during maturation hippocampal cell loss

De-Institutionalisierung und gendered subtexts. "Asymmetrische Geschlechterkultur an der Hochschule" revisited

Müller U. De-Institutionalisierung und gendered subtexts. "Asymmetrische Geschlechterkultur an der Hochschule" revisited. In: Zimmermann K, Kamphans M, Metz-Göckel S, eds. Perspektiven der Hochschulforschung. Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag; 2008: 143-156

Kiepenheuer Institute Sun Spectrograph (KISS). Phase A2 study Final report

This study shows the feasibility of the KISSpectrograph. The present technical design fulfills the requirements in respect to optical and mechanical performance. The combination of new materials with already space proven techniques has led to a design which is compatible to the Coordinated Instrument Package and fulfills the optical requirements for KISS. Based on the original design the optical performance of KISS has been improved by the use of - field flatteners in the telescope and; - a toroid field lens to improve image quality; - distributed feedback laser diodes for in flight-calibration and alignment; -carbon fibre materials for thermal stability; - high precision spindles and guidances; - flexural pivots with minimum wear out; - a structural housing to minimize distortion of the optics. Requiring of up to 5.10&quot;7 cycles life time (shutter) special attention has to be paid to AIV and product assurance, which are also part of this study. (orig./HM)Available from TIB Hannover: F93B633+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman