Swiss ethnoveterinary knowledge on medicinal plants - a within-country comparison of Italian speaking regions with north-western German speaking regions

BACKGROUND: Ethnoveterinary knowledge in Europe may play an important role as a basis for sustainable treatment options for livestock. Aims of our study were (a) to compare the ethnoveterinary practices of two culturally and sociodemographically different regions of Switzerland, (b) to compare results with earlier ethnoveterinary studies conducted in Switzerland and in adjacent Italian regions and, (c) to evaluate possible reasons for regional differences in European ethnoveterinary medicine. METHODS: 25 interviews were conducted in 2014 in all Italian speaking regions (ItR) of Switzerland, and 31 interviews were held in five north-western German speaking Cantons (GeC). Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect detailed information regarding plant species, mode of preparation, dosage, route of administration, category of use, origin of knowledge, frequency of use, and satisfaction with outcomes of the treatments. RESULTS: A total of 162 homemade remedies in ItR and 219 in GeC were reported, out of which 125 and 145, respectively, were reported to contain only one plant species (homemade single species herbal remedy report, HSHR). 44 ItR and 43 GeC plant species were reported to treat livestock, of which only a half were used in both regions. For each HSHR, we classified the treatment intention of all use reports (UR), leading to a total of 205 and 219 UR in ItR and GeC respectively. While cattle were the most often treated livestock species in both study regions, in ItR 40% of UR were administered to small ruminants. Main indications in both regions were gastrointestinal diseases and skin afflictions, but in ItR a high number of URs were reported as antiparasitics. URs were mainly handed down from the past generation, but in GeC the source of knowledge for 20% of URs were from courses. Regarding the used plant species, ItR showed a higher concordance with Swiss than Italian studies, but with some differences to all regions. A total of 22 (14 ItR; 8 GeC) plant species in this study have not been reported before in ethnoveterinary studies of Swiss and Italian alpine regions. CONCLUSIONS: ItR and GeC, show differences and similarities with respect to their own ethnoveterinary practices and earlier Swiss and Italian ethnoveterinary studies. Linguistic, geographical, as well as social and farm-structural conditions influence the regional ethnoveterinary knowledge. However, political borders seem to be more important than language or geographical barriers

Central Venous Catheter Infection with Brevibacterium sp. in an Immunocompetent Woman: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Brevibacterium spp. were considered apathogenic until a few reports of infections in immunocompromised patients were published. Herein, we present a case of a catheter-related septicemia with Brevibacterium casei in an immunocompetent patient receiving continuous iloprost infusion for pulmonary arterial hypertension and review the clinical presentation of this mainly emerging opportunistic pathoge

A Bell-type test of energy-time entangled qutrits

We have performed a Bell-type test for energy-time entangled qutrits. A method of inferring the Bell violation in terms of an associated interference visibility is derived. Using this scheme we obtained a Bell value of $2.784 \pm 0.023$, representing a violation of $34 \sigma$ above the limit for local variables. The scheme has been developed for use at telecom wavelengths and using proven long distance quantum communication architecture to optimize the utility of this high dimensional entanglement resource.Comment: replaced lost acknowledement

Cultural Recovery and Determination of Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Helicobacter pylori by Using Commercial Transport and Isolation Media

Abstract : Background: : Antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori is the main reason for eradication failure. We have studied the feasibility of a commercial transport medium for cultural recovery and subsequent drug susceptibility testing. Patients and Methods: : From March to December 2000, 79 consecutive gastric biopsies, positive in a rapid urease test, were transferred into a commercial transport medium and sent within 24 hours from the district hospital to the microbiological laboratory for culture and susceptibility testing. A commercial agar plate and an in-house Wilkins-Chalgren agar plate were used for culture. Susceptibility data were compared with data collected from 1992 to 2003 in the University Hospital of Zurich. Results: : Cultural recovery and susceptibility testing of H. pylori was successful in 55 of 79 patients. In 17 cases cultural recovery failed because of technical problems (n = 14), long transport time (n = 1) and unknown reason (n = 2). Failure of susceptibility testing (n = 7) was mainly due to fungal overgrowth. Resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin was found in 15 (27%) and in 12 patients (22%), respectively; resistance to amoxicillin was not observed. Five patients (9%) showed resistance both to metronidazole and to clarithromycin. Eradication therapy failed in all patients with macrolide resistance. Resistance rates were higher in females than in males; 30% vs 12% for clarithromycin and 33% vs 20% for metronidazole. Resistance to metronidazole was significantly lower in Swiss patients (15%) than in non-Swiss patients (39%). Conclusion: : Antimicrobial resistance data can reliably be obtained by sending the biopsy specimen in a commercial transport medium to a microbiological laboratory. This is especially important after eradication failure. Resistance to metronidazole and clarithromycin is highly prevalent and more common in women and non-Swiss patient

Body size of virtual rivals affects ejaculate size in sticklebacks

Sperm competition occurs when sperm of two or more males compete to fertilize a given set of eggs. Theories on sperm competition expect males under high risk of sperm competition to increase ejaculate size. Here we confirm this prediction experimentally in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). In this species, sneaking (i.e., stealing of fertilizations by neighboring males) can lead to sperm competition. Sneaking males invade foreign nests, and the owners vigorously try to prevent this intrusion. In such fights, male body size is assumed to be an important predictor of success. Consequently, the risk of sperm competition may depend on the size of a potential competitor. We experimentally confronted males before spawning with either a large or a small computer-animated rival. We show that males ejaculated significantly more sperm after the presentation of the larger virtual rival than after the small stimulus. In addition, the time between the initiation of courting and the spawning was shorter in the large virtual male treatment. The results suggest that stickleback males tailor ejaculate size relative to the risk of sperm competition perceived by the size of a potential competito

Evidence of tropospheric layering: interleaved stratospheric and planetary boundary layer intrusions

International audienceWe present a case study of interleaving in the free troposphere of 4 layers of non-tropospheric origin, with emphasis on their residence time in the troposphere. Two layers are stratospheric intrusions at 4.7 and 2.2 km altitude with residence times of about 2 and 6.5 days, respectively. The two other layers at 7 and 3 km altitude were extracted from the maritime planetary boundary layer by warm conveyor belts associated with two extratropical lows and have residence times of about 2 and 5.75 days, respectively. The event took place over Frankfurt (Germany) in February 2002 and was observed by a commercial airliner from the MOZAIC programme with measurements of ozone, carbon monoxide and water vapour. Origins and residence times in the troposphere of these layers are documented with a trajectory and particle dispersion model. The combination of forward and backward simulations of the Lagrangian model allows the period of time during which the residence time can be assessed to be longer, as shown by the capture of the stratospheric-origin signature of the lowest tropopause fold just about to be completely mixed above the planetary boundary layer. This case study is of interest for atmospheric chemistry because it emphasizes the importance of coherent airstreams that produce laminae in the free troposphere and that contribute to the average tropospheric ozone. The interleaving of these 4 layers also provides the conditions for a valuable case study for the validation of global chemistry transport models used to perform tropospheric ozone budgets

Experimental Test of Relativistic Quantum State Collapse with Moving Reference Frames

An experimental test of relativistic wave-packet collapse is presented. The tested model assumes that the collapse takes place in the reference frame determined by the massive measuring detectors. Entangled photons are measured at 10 km distance within a time interval of less than 5 ps. The two apparatuses are in relative motion so that both detectors, each in its own inertial reference frame, are first to perform the measurement. The data always reproduces the quantum correlations and thus rule out a class of collapse models. The results also set a lower bound on the "speed of quantum information" to 0.66 x 10^7 and 1.5 x 10^4 times the speed of light in the Geneva and the background radiation reference frames, respectively. The very difficult and deep question of where the collapse takes place - if it takes place at all - is considered in a concrete experimental context.Comment: 4 pages + 2 ps figure

CONTROL OF END-TIDAL HALOTHANE CONCENTRATION: Part A: Anaesthesia Breathing System and Feedback Control of Gas Delivery

Conventional anaesthetic breathing systems are not designed to control end-tidal gas concentrations, nor can they be used to measure accurately the uptake of oxygen or of anaesthetic agent. We built and tested a leak-tight closed-loop anaesthetic breathing system with low solubility to volatile anaesthetic agents and with efficient gas mixing. The system included a water-sealed spirometer, a small carbon dioxide absorber, a coaxial tube to the patient a circulating pump and feedback controllers for system volume and anaesthetic concentration. Feedback control was implemented to adjust and control automatically the end-tidal anaesthetic concentration and the volume of the system with oxygen supplied through a mass flow controller and with halothane supplied by a titrating syringe. Controller gains, as a function of body weight, were found using a nine-compartment tissue uptake model. Stability was maintained with ±50% changes in alveolar ventilation and cardiac output. During subsequent investigations in an animal model, arterial, mixed venous and cerebral venous blood halothane concentrations were measured to show that the feedback-controlled halothane induction was optimized. We conclude that feedback control appears to be clinically applicable for adjusting the end-tidal Concentration and system volume to provide a rapid and optimized induction of anaesthesi

Evaluation of commercial slides for detection of immunoglobulin G against Bartonella henselae by indirect immunofluorescence

Four commercial slides were compared with in-house slides for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) againstBartonella henselae in 58 healthy persons from a rural region by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. MRL-BA slides (MRL Diagnostics, USA) and Virion slides (Virion, Switzerland) with agar-derivedBartonella henselae showed IgG titers of ≥ 1∶256 in 44.8% and 51.7%, respectively, whereas Bion slides (Bios, Germany), MRL-Vero slides (MRL Diagnostics), and in-house slides with cell-associatedBartonella henselae showed such titers in 3.4%, 5.1% and 3.4%, respectively. The MRL-Vero slides (Bartonella IgG substrate slides, MRL Diagnostics) were further evaluated with 26 patients with cat scratch disease, 20 patients with lymphadenopathy not due to cat scratch disease, 100 blood donors from an urban area, and 120 blood donors from a mixed urban/rural area. In our mixed urban/rural population the IgG titer of 1∶256 had a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 93.4% for the serodiagnosis of cat scratch disease. Seroprevalence was higher in blood donors from the mixed area (50.8%) than from the urban area (37%). MRL-Vero slides were considered useful for the serodiagnosis of cat scratch disease by indirect immunofluorescence and have replaced our in-house system. However, patients with low IgG titers should be retested three to four weeks after initial sampling to demonstrate a possible rise of IgG titers in paired ser

CONTROL OF END-TIDAL HALOTHANE CONCENTRATION: Part B: Verification in Dogs

Conventional anaesthetic techniques do not allow for the automatic control of end-tidal halothane concentration and, therefore, brain concentration cannot be predicted. In this study, eight dogs were ventilated with halothane in oxygen using a new closed-loop anaesthetic breathing system which provided a constant end-tidal concentration. During the first 60 min the end-tidal concentration was maintained at 0.87 vol% (1 MAC). Then followed 60 min of halothane wash-out and a further 120-min period of halothane at 1.74 vol% (2 MAC). Halothane concentrations were measured in the inspired and expired air, and in the arterial, cerebral venous and mixed venous blood. Haemodynamic and respiratory variables were measured. The system reached 95% of the target end-tidal concentration within 6 min without over-shooting. After 2 h of wash-in, significant gradients still persisted between end-tidal, arterial and cerebral venous blood concentrations. Measured uptake differed from theoretically calculated uptake by 18.3-57.6%, depending on the model used. Measured arterial and cerebral venous concentrations differed from theoretically calculated values by 7% and 17.5%, respectively. It was shown that the required end-tidal concentrations can be obtained rapidly and accurately, and that brain tissue concentrations can be predicted within certain limit