Fetal magnetic resonance imaging in the prenatal diagnosis of cerebellar hemorrhage.

We report the case of a fetus with a sonographic mid-gestation diagnosis of hyperechogenic cerebellum suspected to be of hemorrhagic origin on fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). No etiological factors for fetal hemorrhage were found other than a maternal heterozygocity for factor V Leiden. Following termination of the pregnancy, autopsy confirmed the prenatal diagnosis of massive cerebellar hemorrhage without underlying vascular anomaly. As an additional tool to ultrasonography, fetal brain MRI can affirm the hemorrhagic origin of hyperechogenic cerebellar lesions, especially by showing a high signal on T1-weighted images.     

Quantitative analysis of surface EMG activity of cranial and leg muscles across sleep stages in human.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to make a quantitative analysis of the changes in cranial and limb muscle activity from wakefulness to light and deep sleep stages and during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep of normal subjects. METHODS: Polysomnographic recordings were made of the sleep of 9 healthy human subjects, including electromyograms of the suprahyoid, temporalis and masseter cranial muscles and the anterior tibialis limb muscle. Quantitative assessments of EMG activity were carried out with root mean square (RMS) and frequency-spectral analysis (FSA) methods. RESULTS: From wakefulness to sleep, a significant reduction (-25.2 to -71.2%; P < 0.01) was observed in EMG activity (for both RMS and FSA) of the 3 cranial muscles using both methods of analysis. The EMG activity of suprahyoid muscle further decreased from non-REM to REM sleep (-17.8 to -43.0%; P < 0.01). In contrast, the EMG activity of the anterior tibialis muscle was only slightly reduced across sleep stages and did not further reduce during REM sleep. During REM sleep, all the 4 muscles maintained minimal activity. CONCLUSIONS: The maintenance of muscle activity during REM sleep suggests that a minimal level of activity is required to preserve physiological functions (e.g. airway patency, posture) related to homeostasis and bodily protection. SIGNIFICANCE: This study suggests that quantitative sleep EMG analysis is important for understanding the mechanisms of sleep-related movement disorders or when objective assessment of changes in EMG activity are needed for diagnostic purposes or for the assessment of drug efficiency.     

A Comparative Randomized Field Trial on Intramammary and Intramuscular Dry Cow Antibiotic Treatment of Subclinical Staphylococcus aureus Mastitis in Dairy Cows

The efficacy of two dry cow treatment (DCT) regimens for subclinical Staphylococcus aureus mastitis was evaluated in naturally infected dairy cows. At dry‐off, cows were assigned to two treatment groups by randomized blocks on the basis of parity and somatic cell count (SCC). Two antibiotic DCT regimens were used, namely: (1) a single intramammary infusion containing sodium nafcillin, procaine benzylpenicillin and dihydrostreptomycin; and (2) systemic cefquinome administered intramuscularly, twice at a 24‐h interval. In the intramammary (IMM) treatment group, the S. aureus intramammary infection (IMI) rate was reduced from 40% (56/140 quarters) before dry‐off to 20% (28/140) after calving. Seventy per cent (39/56) of the S. aureus‐positive quarters were negative after calving, and 13% (11/84) of the negative quarters were positive after calving. In the systemic treatment group, the S. aureus IMI rate increased from 39% (29/74 quarters) before dry‐off to 55% (41/74) after calving. Twenty‐eight per cent (8/29) of the S. aureus‐positive quarters were negative after calving and 45% (20/45) of the negative quarters were positive after calving. The odds ratio of an S. aureus‐positive quarter being negative after calving in the IMM group relative to the systemic therapy group was 44.6 (95% confidence interval = 2.1–909.1, P < 0.01). Parity, quarter, milk SCC and N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase were tested in the model, and were found to have no significant effect on S. aureus cure rates or new IMI rates. The IMM treatment resulted in a higher cure rate compared with that observed in previous studies. The very low cure rate after systemic cefquinome treatment was comparable to the spontaneous cure rate observed in untreated controls in previous studies. The unfavourable results of the cefquinome systemic DCT might reflect inadequate pharmacokinetic properties of the drug regarding poor udder penetration in subclinical mastitis and short antimicrobial effect compared with the IMM treatment.     

Estimation of the bronchodilatory effect of deep inhalation after a free run in children.

The bronchomotor effects of a deep inhalation (DI) may provide relevant information about the mechanisms of exercise-induced airway obstruction in children and may be assessed by respiratory conductance (Grs) measured using the forced oscillation technique. The aims of the present study were to assess the effect of DI on Grs after exercise in relationship to the lung function response to exercise. Grs at 12 Hz using a head generator and spirometric data were measured in 62 children suspected of asthma before and 5 min after a 6-min free run. After exercise, Grs was significantly increased by DI in 38 subjects, who also showed larger Grs and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) responses to exercise than the 24 nonresponders. Stepwise regression indicated significant correlation between the response of Grs to DI and both Grs and FEV1/FVC responses to exercise. The data are consistent with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction being reversed by deep inhalation.