Tijdschr Diergeneesk
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Tijdschr Diergeneesk · Oct 2009
Review[Health effects of occupational endotoxin exposure: a review and relevance to veterinary practice].
Endotoxins are cell-wall components of Gram-negative bacteria that are commonly present in plants and plant products and in faecal matter. This review presents an overview of endotoxin exposure levels, associated health effects, and relevance regarding veterinary practice. ⋯ Interestingly, recent studies have shown that individuals exposed to high levels of endotoxin also have a lower risk of allergic conditions such as hay fever. Although endotoxin may protect against allergies, it is essential to reduce exposure levels in the agricultural sector in order to prevent workers from developing chronic non-allergic respiratory disorders.
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Tijdschr Diergeneesk · Apr 2007
Review[Bioluminescence: the potential of a molecular non-invasive biooptical imaging technique and improvement of animal research].
Bioluminescence is an optical imaging technique that exploits the emission of photons at specific wavelengths based on energy-dependent reactions catalysed by luciferases. The technique makes it possible to monitor measure, and track biological processes in living animals. A short review is presented of the potential of in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) as a new bio-optical imaging technique for use in research into cancer infectious diseases, pharmacology, and toxicology. Bioluminescence has greatly improved the quality of longitudinal data obtained from animal research and has led to a significant reduction in the number of animals needed.
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It happens every summer: 'Swimming prohibited because of cyanobacteria'. Blooming of these toxine producing bacteria in warm summer months is a well known risk for swimming human beings. But how big is this risk for swimming dogs? And how big are other risks? In this article these risks are assessed for dogs that occasionally swim in surface water during the summer in the Netherlands. Based on these findings an advice will be given for dog owners to keep these risks for waterborne infections as small as possible.