Six cases of Rhodococcus equi infection in cats are described. One cat had pneumonia and died. The remaining ®ve cats had cutaneous lesions aecting the feet in four of the cats and the metacarpus in one cat, and all these cats recovered with the aid of antibiotics. All the Rhodococcus equi isolates were sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid and, where used, at least 14±16 days of treatment was needed to help eliminate the infection. Histologically and cytologically the reaction was pyogranulomatous and many macrophages in the lesions contained large numbers of Gram-positive bacteria.

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection affecting millions of people worldwide. Previous vaccination attempts have employed the recombinant major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of C. trachomatis nonetheless, with limited success, perhaps, due to stability, degradation, and delivery issues. In this study we cloned C. trachomatis recombinant MOMP DNA (DMOMP) and encapsulated it in chitosan nanoparticles (DMCNP) using the complex coacervation technique. Physiochemical characterizations of DMCNP included transmission and scanning electron microcopy, Fourier transform infrared and ultravioletvisible spectroscopy, and zeta potential. Encapsulated DMOMP was 167-250 nm, with a uniform spherical shape and homogenous morphology, and an encapsulation efficiency . 90%. A slow release pattern of encapsulated DMOMP, especially in acidic solution, was observed over 7 days. The zeta potential of DMCNP was ∼8.80 mV, which indicated that it was highly stable. Toxicity studies of DMCNP (25-400 µg/mL) to Cos-7 cells using the MTT assay revealed minimal toxicity over 24-72 hours with .90% viable cells. Ultra-violet visible (UV-vis) spectra indicated encapsulated DMOMP protection by chitosan, whereas agarose gel electrophoresis verified its protection from enzymatic degradation. Expression of MOMP protein in DMCNPtransfected Cos-7 cells was demonstrated via Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Significantly, intramuscular injection of BALB/c mice with DMCNP confirmed the delivery of encapsulated DMOMP, and expression of the MOMP gene transcript in thigh muscles and spleens. Our data show that encapsulation of DMOMP in biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles imparts stability and protection from enzymatic digestion, and enhances delivery and expression of DMOMP in vitro and in mice. Further investigations of the nanoencapsulated DMCNP vaccine formulation against C. trachomatis in mice are warranted.

Bowden FJ, Tabrizi SN, Paterson BA, Garland SM, Fairley CK. Determination of genital human papillomavirus genotypes in women in Northern Australia using a novel, self‐administered tampon technique. Int J Gynecol Cancer 1998; 8:471–475. The age standardized death rate from cervical cancer in Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory (NT) for the period 1987 to 1993 was 11.5 times higher than the Australian average for the same period. This is the first study to determine HPV genotypes in both Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal women living in the Top End of the NT using a self‐administered tampon technique for specimen collection. Women who attended sexually transmitted disease clinics and Family Planning Clinics in urban areas and community health centers in remote areas were asked to insert and immediately remove a tampon which was then tested for the presence of HPV genotypes using the polymerase chain reaction. A total of 646 female subjects were enrolled in the study. Subjects with HPV had a mean age of 26.1 years ( SD 8.5), while those without HPV had a mean age of 29.8 years ( SD 9.8) (P < 0.001). The oncogenic genotypes (16,18,31,33,35,39,45,51,52) accounted for 54.7%, while 23.1% of HPVs were untypable. The virus was detected in 161/287 (56.1%) of non‐Aboriginal women and in 150/359 (41.8%) of Aboriginal women ( P < 0.001). More than one genotype was detected in 40 subjects (12.8%); of these seven had three or more genotypes present. This study is the first to document the HPV genotypes occurring in females in the Northern Territory and shows that HPV is a common infection in both the Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal population.

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of KTP Laser tonsillectomy with conventional dissection tonsillectomy. Seventy‐four Laser tonsillectomy patients (mean age 14 years, range 2–91 years) were compared prospectively with 157 conventional dissection tonsillectomy patients (mean age 18 years, range 2–71 years). KTP Laser tonsillectomy was performed using 0.6 fibre optic cable at 10 Watts continuous. Conventional dissection tonsillectomy was by standard techniques. Operating time, intra‐operative bleeding, postoperative pain at 1, 7 and 14 days, incidence of delayed healing, postoperative bleeding and hospital readmission were compared. There was no significant difference in operating time between Laser and conventional tonsillectomy. At days 1, 7 and 15 the Laser group reported significantly higher pain scores than the conventional group (P < 0.0001, Mann–Whitney U test) and showed evidence of delayed healing at 14 days (P < 0.0001, χ2 test). The Laser group had less intra‐operative bleeding (P < 0.02) but this effect disappeared when the confounding effect of age was controlled by analysing children under 12 separately. KTP Laser tonsillectomy results in significantly more postoperative pain and delayed healing compared with conventional dissection tonsillectomy. It is no quicker than conventional dissection tonsillectomy. Blood loss was less in the Laser group but this may be accounted for by younger age. KTP Laser should not replace conventional tonsillectomy as standard technique. It may have a limited role where minimizing intra‐operative blood loss is an overriding consideration.

This article examines early recordings of Georgian folk music and their use by present-day singers through the dual lens of ethnography and media archaeology. One song in particular, recorded in 1907 and re-created in concert in 2009, demonstrates a complex negotiation between changing ideals of vocal timbre and the desire to be faithful to all aspects of the original recording, even mistakes or idiosyncrasies. Throughout, Anzor Erkomaishvili looms large as a dominant figure: founder of the most famous ensemble in Georgia, archivist in search of old records, and elegiac narrator of a family saga at the heart of Georgian music history. წინამდებარე სტატია განიხილავს ქართული ხალხური მუსიკის ადრეულ ჩანაწერებს და მათზე აღბეჭდილი სიმღერების შესრულებას თანამედროვე მომღერლების მიერ. საკითხი განხილულია, როგორც ეთნოგრაფიულ, ისე მედია არქეოლოგიურ ჭრილში. ნაშრომში ყურადღება გამახვილებულია 1907 წლის ჩანაწერში აღბეჭდილ სიმღერაზე, რომლის სცენაზე კვლავწარმოების მომსწრე, 2009 წელს გავხდით. აღნიშნული შესრულება, იმ რთულ პროცესს წარმოაჩენს, რომელიც ხმის ტემბრთან დაკავშირებული იდეალების ცვლილებას და პირველწყაროში არსებული ყველა ასპექტის მიმართ ერთგულებას გულისხმობს. შემსრულებლები, პირველწყაროში არსებულ შეცდომებს, ჩანაწერის ხარვეზებსა და სხვა თავისებულებებსაც ითვალისწინებენ. ანზორ ერქომაიშვილის მოღვაწეობა, საკითხის განხილვისას—ერთგვარ გამადიდებულ შუშას წარმოადგენს. მან დააარსა ყველაზე ცნობილი ანსამბლი საქართველოში; ის გახლავთ ძველი ჩანაწერების მაძიებელი, არქივისტი და ქართული მუსიკის გულში აღმოცენებული ოჯახური საგას ელეგიური მთხრობელი.