Extensive venous thrombosis and hind-limb edema associated with adrenocortical carcinoma in a dog.

A 10-year-old, spayed female, mixed-breed dog was referred for evaluation of bilateral hindlimb edema and weakness. Abdominal ultrasonography showed increased echogenicity of the lumen of the caudal vena cava from the level of the urinary bladder to the level of the cranial pole of the right kidney. Bilateral saphenous venograms displayed numerous filling defects in the caudal vena cava, right external iliac vein, right femoral vein, and the right common iliac vein. Extensive venous thrombosis was diagnosed, and the animal was euthanized. Necropsy confirmed the presence of venous thrombosis and revealed a right adrenocortical carcinoma that had invaded the caudal vena cava.     

Roles of microalgae on total egg production over female lifespan and egg incubation time,naupliar and copepodite survival,sex ratio and female life expectancy of the copepod Bestiolina similis

We examined the effects of 10 microalgal diets on a range of productivity‐related parameters of Bestiolina similis. The diets tested included four monoalgal diets: Tahitian strain Isochrysis sp. (T‐Iso), Pavlova salina (Pav), Tetraselmis chuii (Tet) and the diatom Chaetoceros muelleri (Chaet), five binary diets: Tet+Pav, T‐Iso+Tet, T‐Iso+Pav, Chaet+Tet and Chaet+Pav and a tri‐algal diet: T‐Iso+Tet+Pav. Except for sex ratio, microalgal diets significantly affected all parameters examined (P<0.05). The shortest egg incubation time was found for the tri‐algal diet treatment (1.91±0.04 days) while the longest (2.41±0.09 days) was from the monoalgal diet Tet. Survival at the naupliar stage ranged from the highest of 86.3±1.0% for the tri‐algal diet to a complete mortality for the Tet diet. Naupliar survival was consistently higher than that of copepodite stages for all diets examined and ranged from 86.3±1.0% for the tri‐algal diet to a complete mortality for the Tet diet. Copepodite survival was the highest for the T‐Iso treatment (69.0±4.3%) while Chaet+Tet produced the lowest survival (8.8±1.2%). Sex ratio of B. similis was strongly skewed towards females. Adult female life expectancy was highly dependent on diet. The shortest lifespan (3.1±0.3 days) of the Tet treatment was only about half of that of Pav (6.3±0.6 days) and the tri‐algal diet (5.9±0.4 days). Daily egg production during female lifespan was generally lower on the first day, but peaked over the subsequent days before decreasing towards the end of their lifespan. The highest total egg output over female lifespan was produced by the tri‐algal diet (156.0±11.5 eggs female^?1), while the lowest output came from the diet Tet (20.7±2.8 eggs female^?1).     

A Marquesan coral reef (French Polynesia) in historical context: an integrated socio‐ecological approach

• 1. Marine biologists are increasingly aware of the impact that even small human populations can have on coral reefs around the world, while conservationists and fisheries managers have a growing appreciation of the importance of culturally informed management strategies in coral reef conservation efforts. Despite these recognitions, however, examples of integrated field studies are limited.
• 2. In this paper evidence from various disciplines is used to study the interaction between humans and one of the largest reefs in the Marquesas Islands, at Anaho Bay, Nuku Hiva Island, with the aim of assessing possible anthropogenic impacts over time.
• 3. First, it reports on a marine biological survey of the benthic substrates of the bay and the taxonomic composition and spatial distributions of the local fish species. Second, it draws on results from an ongoing archaeological study and integrates these with interviews of village elders to gain a historical perspective on the reef and potential human impacts.
• 4. The biological results indicated that the reef is in a state of decline, although fish densities are moderately high. The archaeological evidence, in turn, demonstrates that human populations have occupied this valley for at least the last 700 years. Throughout this period marine resources have been an important source of both food and raw materials for tools. The archaeological study also highlights aspects of landscape change, both natural and human‐induced, that probably have been detrimental to reef health.
• 5. Using the combined biological and anthropological data, this paper considers the nexus of factors that have led to the current reef conditions and considers management issues for the future. Key in this regard are processes that have initiated erosion and soil run‐off, and fluctuations in the local human populations.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Danger of introducing heartwater onto the American mainland: potential role of indigenous and exotic Amblyomma ticks

The existence of heartwater on 3 islands of the Central Lesser Antilles and the presence of an efficient vector originating from Africa, Amblyomma variegatum, on most of the islands of this region constitute a serious threat for livestock on the American mainland. The disease can be introduced there either by infected animals or infected ticks. The most likely way is probably the transportation of domestic animals which are heavily infested by ticks. Due to the low rate of infection of ticks in endemic areas and the low rate of infestation of wild animals by ticks, the risk of transportation by migratory birds (among which the cattle egret is the most important) seems negligible compared with domestic animals, especially ruminants and dogs. The establishment and spread of the disease on the mainland could result from indigenous American Amblyomma species, of which at least 2, Amblyomma cajennense and, more especially, Amblyomma maculatum, are experimental vectors. The biological and ecological features of these ticks conform to some extent with the characteristics necessary for them to act as vectors. They are widespread and sufficiently well adapted to ruminants to ensure the continuation of the epidemiological cycle. Disease could evolve in wild life (deer) or, as seems more likely, in livestock, of which the population density is very high on most of the mainland. However, the establishment of the disease is more likely to occur if the well adapted vector of heartwater, Amblyomma variegatum, is introduced as well. This exotic species would find environmental conditions favourable for its survival and spread in most of the tropical and subtropical Western Hemisphere. Protection of the American mainland and the disease-free islands of the area must be based on strict control of domestic animal movement in the Caribbean, on the decrease of the vector population by tick control campaigns and, if possible, on the eradication of Amblyomma variegatum from the focus of heartwater on the islands.     

Treatment of Relapsed Canine Lymphoma With Doxorubicin and Dacarbazine

Fifteen dogs with relapsed lymphoma were treated with doxorubicin and dacarbazine (ADIC) to reinduce remission. All the dogs' lymphomas had become resistant to prior therapy with doxorubicin alone. Five of the 15 dogs had a complete response to the first treatment with ADIC, and three had partial responses. Of the eight dogs receiving a second cycle, two had complete responses, and one had a partial response. One dog that received a third ADIC treatment no longer responded. The median survival time from the first ADIC treatment for all dogs was 45 days (range, 18-241 days). The five dogs having complete responses to the first ADIC treatment had a median survival time of 105 days (range, 45-241 days) after this treatment. Toxicity due to ADIC treatment was acceptable and did not exceed that seen when doxorubicin was given as a single agent. The treatment resulted in severe neutropenia in three dogs. One dog died due to neutropenic sepsis. Vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia occurred, but were tolerable, resulting in hospitalization in only one instance. ADIC is apparently a useful chemotherapeutic combination to reinduce remission in some dogs with relapsed lymphoma.     

The reservoir status of goats recovered from heartwater

Experiments were conducted with Creole goats and Amblyomma variegatum ticks in Guadeloupe to investigate whether it is possible to transmit Cowdria ruminantium to susceptible hosts with nymphs fed in the larval stage on recovered goats. Of 88 batches of larvae fed after the return of the goats' temperature to normal, or after challenge or immunosuppression, only the 9 batches of larvae fed during the febrile reaction, 2 batches applied 2 and 3 days respectively after recovery, and a single batch applied 5 days after challenge, became infective. On average, blood appears to be infective for A. variegatum larvae for only an 8-day period associated with the temperature reaction following a primary infection. Recovered goats are not reservoirs of Cowdria, even if--with one exception in our experiment--they are reinfected after recovery.     

Incubation experimentale et developpement embryonnaire de la daurade royale, Sparus aurata (L.), a differentes temperaturesIncubation and embryonic development of gilthead bream, Sparus aurata (L.), at a range of temperatures

Eggs of raised gilthead bream, Sparus aurata (L.), were incubated to hatching at various temperatures ranging from 7.7°C to 26.3°C. For four stages of development, the relationship between temperature and incubation time is given. Time from fertilization to hatching varies from 135 h at 11°C to 40 h at 21.3°C. In our experiments no egg hatched below 11°C or above 22°C. The highest hatching rate and the lowest rate of larval abnormalities were both observed at 14.5°C which is also the spawning temperature.