History of atmospheric lead deposition since 12,370 (14)C yr BP from a peat bog, jura mountains, switzerland

A continuous record of atmospheric lead since 12,370 carbon-14 years before the present (14C yr BP) is preserved in a Swiss peat bog. Enhanced fluxes caused by climate changes reached their maxima 10, 590 (14)C yr BP (Younger Dryas) and 8230 (14)C yr BP. Soil erosion caused by forest clearing and agricultural tillage increased lead deposition after 5320 (14)C yr BP. Increasing lead/scandium and decreasing lead-206/lead-207 beginning 3000 (14)C yr BP indicate the beginning of lead pollution from mining and smelting, and anthropogenic sources have dominated lead emissions ever since. The greatest lead flux (15.7 milligrams per square meter per year in A.D. 1979) was 1570 times the natural, background value (0.01 milligram per square meter per year from 8030 to 5320 (14)C yr BP).     

Long‐Term‐Release GnRH Agonists Postpone Puberty in Domestic Cats

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of deslorelin acetate implants on domestic queen puberty postponement. Thirty, 114.4 ± 12.7 days old, 1.5 ± 0.1 kg prepubertal crossbred female cats were included in this study. The animals were kept under a positive photoperiod and randomly assigned to deslorelin acetate 4.7 mg SC implants (n = 15) or to a non‐treated control group (n = 15). The queens were followed up daily and weighed weekly until puberty. Vaginal cytology was also carried out three times a week. Puberty was diagnosed by the presence of the typical oestrous behaviour and vaginal cytology findings. At puberty, ovariectomy was performed and the gonads grossly described. Age (281.2 ± 21.6 vs 177.8 ± 10.8; p < 0.01) but not weight (2.6 ± 0.1 vs 2.5 ± 0.1; p > 0.1) at puberty differed between the deslorelin and control groups, respectively. One deslorelin‐treated female showed an oestrous response and another showed clinical signs of pyometra after the implants. Deslorelin‐treated ovaries appeared small, while control gonads were normal. It was concluded that long‐term‐release deslorelin, administered at approximately 50% adult body weight, postponed feline puberty without altering growing rate.     

The utility of screening diagnostic tests in identifying associative immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia in dogs

The study aimed to (1) define the proportion of dogs with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) that have associative and non-associative disease and (2) evaluate the utility of screening diagnostic tests in identifying potential triggers of associative IMHA. Medical records of 78 dogs diagnosed with IMHA at a specialist hospital in Sydney from July 2008 to August 2017 were reviewed. The original diagnosis was revised according to published guidelines (Garden et al., 2019) as either diagnostic, supportive or suspicious for IMHA. Associative IMHA was confirmed if immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued within six weeks of effective treatment of a potential trigger. Associative IMHA was considered possible when a potential trigger was identified but its significance could not be confirmed. Associative IMHA was confirmed (3) or suspected (7) in 10 dogs (13%, confidence interval [CI] 7.1%–22%), with 68 cases presumed to be non-associative. Associative IMHA was present in 3/29 (10.3%) of dogs with criteria diagnostic for IMHA, 4/42 (9.5%) of dogs with criteria supportive for IMHA and 3/7 (42.9%) of dogs with criteria suspicious for IMHA. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in 68 dogs and identified possible triggers in five (7.3%, CI 3.2% to 16%). Thoracic radiographs were performed in 70 dogs but did not identify any potential triggers (0%, CI 0% to 5.2%). Urine culture was performed in 22 dogs and was positive in three (14%, CI 4.7% to 33.3%). Routine screening tests, particularly thoracic radiographs, have a low yield in identifying potential triggers of associative IMHA, but are more likely to be useful in dogs fulfilling less stringent diagnostic criteria of IMHA.