Recovery of brodifacoum in vomitus following induction of emesis in dogs that had ingested rodenticide bait

AIM: To assess the benefit of inducing emesis in dogs that have ingested rodenticide bait containing brodifacoum (BDF), by determining the amount of BDF in bait recovered from the vomitus relative to the estimated amount consumed.

METHODS: Between 2014 and 2015 samples of vomitus from seven dogs that ingested rodenticide baits containing BDF were submitted by veterinarians in New Zealand. All seven dogs had been given apomorphine by the veterinarian and vomited within 1 hour of ingesting the bait. Some or all of the bait particles were retrieved from each sample and were analysed for concentrations of BDF using HPLC. Based on estimations of the mass of bait consumed, the concentration of BDF stated on the product label, and the estimated mass of bait in the vomitus of each dog, the amount of BDF in the vomited bait was calculated as a percentage of the amount ingested.

RESULTS: For five dogs an estimation of the mass of bait ingested was provided by the submitting veterinarian. For these dogs the estimated percentage of BDF in the bait retrieved from the vomitus was between 10–77%. All dogs were well after discharge but only one dog returned for further testing. This dog had a normal prothrombin time 3 days after ingestion.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The induction of emesis within 1 hour of ingestion can be a useful tool in reducing the exposure of dogs to a toxic dose of BDF. The BDF was not fully absorbed within 1 hour of ingestion suggesting that the early induction of emesis can remove bait containing BDF before it can be fully absorbed.     

江西银杏叶黄酮类化合物含量及变化规律研究(Ⅰ)

用分光光度法测定了从江西各地引种到江西农业大学的银杏其叶不同季节的黄酮类化合物含量,结果表明：不同种源的银杏叶黄酮含量差异较大;不同季节含量也有差异,以１０月份为最高。     

胰蛋白酶对叶蛋白水解作用的研究

以植物叶蛋白浓缩物为材料,用胰蛋白酶在不同条件下对其进行水解。结果表明,胰蛋白酶作用于植物叶蛋白,其最佳水解温度为４０℃;最佳水解ｐＨ值为９;水解程度随酶量和反应时间增加而增加;各种不同种类的植物叶蛋白在相同条件下被胰蛋白酶水解的程度基本一致,证明了植物叶蛋白易被动物体内蛋白酶分解。     

倾斜圆盘勺式玉米精密排种器的试验研究

为与铲式成穴器的结构特点相适应,选择倾斜圆盘勺式玉米精密排种器作为打穴播种机的排种机构。在分析分种勺结构特点和分种性能的基础上,通过试验确定了排种器倾角和转速对不同玉米种子分种性能的影响,并采用机械优化设计的方法对参数进行了优化组合。     

Equine amnionitis and fetal loss: The case definition for an unrecognised cause of abortion in mares

A series of abortions occurred in mares in New South Wales during 2004 that involved similar and unusual findings on post mortem examination of aborted fetuses and fetal membranes. The term Equine Amnionitis and Fetal Loss (EAFL) was developed to describe the condition. This form of abortion had not been previously recognised in Australia. The pathology alone is not specific for EAFL and diagnosis requires demonstration of a combination of certain pathological and bacteriological features. The purpose of this paper is to describe patterns considered consistent with EAFL cases as a working case definition for use by veterinarians and veterinary pathologists in identifying future cases of EAFL. More detailed papers are in preparation to fully describe the epidemiological, histopathological, and microbiological aspects of EAFL.     

Survey of inorganic arsenic in marine animals and marine certified reference materials by anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method for the determination of inorganic arsenic in seafood samples using high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is described. The principle of the method relied on microwave-assisted alkaline dissolution of the sample, which at the same time oxidized arsenite [As(III)] to arsenate [As(V)], whereby inorganic arsenic could be determined as the single species As(V). Anion exchange chromatography using isocratic elution with aqueous ammonium carbonate as the mobile phase was used for the separation of As(V) from other coextracted organoarsenic compounds, including arsenobetaine. The stability of organoarsenic compounds during the sample pretreatment was investigated, and no degradation/conversion to inorganic arsenic was detected. The method was employed for the determination of inorganic arsenic in a variety of seafood samples including fish, crustaceans, bivalves, and marine mammals as well as a range of marine certified reference materials, and the results were compared to values published in the literature. For fish and marine mammals, the results were in most cases below the limit of detection. For other sample types, inorganic arsenic concentrations up to 0.060 mg kg(-)(1) were found. In all samples, the inorganic arsenic content constituted less than 1% of the total arsenic content.     

Seasonal Changes in Cystoseira Myrica and Phosphorus Input at Two Sites of the Red Sea Egyptian Coast

Elevated phosphate concentrations at Safaga and Quseir, Red Sea, Egyptian coast, wererelated to some ecological and nutritional aspects of the macro-alga Cystoseira myrica during1985. The results obtained were compared with those recorded for a non-polluted control site atGhardaqa. Chemical analysis of surface seawater samples revealed that the concentrations of dissolvedphosphate at Safaga and Quseir were 3 and 20 times as much as that at Ghardaqa, respectively.The standing crop of C. myrica showed two peaks in spring and autumn. Maximum biomass yield(491 g m-2) and number of individuals (127 m-2) of C. myrica were recorded in the spring at theGhardaqa site. Quseir C. myrica samples contained significantly higher protein-N, total-N andtotal-P values but lower carbohydrate values than the Safaga and Ghardaqa samples (LSD at 1%level). Tissue N:P molar ratios for C. myrica, Laurencia papillosa and Ulva lactuca collected fromGhardaqa ranged from 68-98, compared to 30-59 for the same species collected at thephosphorus polluted sites at Safaga and Quseir. The carbon levels and the C:N ratios of C. myricaexhibited no significant variations in the three studied sites. However, the C:P ratios of Ghardaqaplants were significantly higher than those of Safaga and Quseir.     

Practical management of obesity in dogs and cats

Obesity is the most common form of malnutrition encountered in small animal practice in the western world. In a survey of cats presented to the author's clinic, 40 per cent were overweight or obese; the incidence of obesity was highlighted in neutered cats, those that were kept indoors and those over 36 months of age. A number of clinical conditions of dogs and cats can be associated with obesity, therefore its prevention and control represents an important challenge for the small animal veterinarian and its success is largely dependent on effective client education. Treatment of obesity involves a suitable diet formulation and continual patient monitoring to maintain the owner's enthusiasm and cooperation. Commercial low calorie diets provide an effective and convenient means of weight loss in obese dogs and cats.     

Progressive ataxia associated with degenerative thoracic myelopathy in Merino sheep

A neurological disorder in Merino sheep, characterised clinically by progressive posterior ataxia and microscopically by Wallerian degeneration in thoracic segments of the spinal cord, is described. Animals of both sexes were affected, with the earliest onset of disease being at 5 months of age. Most affected animals died before 2 years of age. The clinical, pathological and epidemiological features suggest that this degenerative thoracic myelopathy is a previously unrecognised entity differing from other reported causes of ataxia in sheep in Australia.     

Integration of species persistence, costs and conflicts: An evaluation of tree conservation strategies in Cambodia

Cambodia forms part of the Indo-Burma hotspot. Its extent of biodiversity, however, is subject to considerable uncertainty, as there has been little systematic collection of flora and fauna. During the Khmer Rouge regime institutions were banned, academics were prosecuted and written documentation systematically destroyed. Compared with neighbouring countries Cambodia has a low population density and relatively large natural areas that are still intact. However, deforestation is expanding rapidly and a significant but un-estimated area of forest has been degraded by development of agro-industries, encroachment, illegal logging, over-harvesting and forest fire as well as the use of chemicals during war. The purpose of the paper is to: (i) apply reserve selection methods to design more robust conservation networks when knowledge of species occurrence is incomplete and habitat is threatened, and (ii) evaluate the usefulness of systematic conservation planning in a developing country where data are limited and institutions for implementation are weak. This study investigates the performance of four non-probabilistic strategies: (i) a so-called ‘rule of thumb’, (ii) hotspot, (iii) minimum cost representation, and (iv) maximum coverage; and one probabilistic design strategy, i.e. maximum expected coverage. The maximum expected coverage approach is between 15% and 24% more efficient than the non-probabilistic strategies. Finally, the relevance of such tools to real-world conservation planning in Cambodia is investigated. By incorporating experts in the generation of data, running the models and setting up premises, they acknowledge that it is possible to contribute to more systematic conservation planning in developing countries.