Analysis of uroliths from cats and dogs in New Zealand, 1993-96

AIMS: Canine and feline uroliths were analysed to determine the prevalence of particular types of urolith and the dog breeds at risk. METHODS: Three hundred and sixty-nine uroliths recovered from 316 dogs and 53 cats between November 1993 and December 1996 were analysed by X-ray diffraction, and by infrared spectrometry where X-ray diffraction alone was non-diagnostic. RESULTS: Bitches of small breeds especially Welsh corgi and Bichon frise, were most frequently affected. Struvite was the most common urolith (204 dogs). Oxalate (60 dogs) was the second most prevalent urolith identified, followed by cystine (24 dogs). The breeds producing cystine calculi were: Dalmatian, Bassett hound, Borzoi, Newfoundland, Shetland sheepdog, Labrador, Chihuahua, Fox terrier, English bulldog, Bichon frise, Doberman pinscher, Border collie. Silica uroliths were identified for the first time in New Zealand. All feline uroliths were struvite. CONCLUSION: The results are useful in determining the prevalence of specific types of urolith in New Zealand and the breeds at risk of forming them.     

Electrochemical characterization and redox reaction scheme of the diphenyl ether herbicide nitrofen

Redox behavior of nitrofen (2,6-dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl ether) at a glassy carbon working electrode in aprotic and protolytic solvents was examined using cyclic voltammetry. The electrode reaction of 2 mM nitrofen in dimethylformamide (0.1 M tetra-n-butylammonium hexafluorophosphate as supporting electrolyte) was quasireversible. Measured half-wave potential was ?1.11 V vs saturated calomel reference electrode (SCE) and peak potential separation was 0.110 V. The reduction product was chemically stable on the time scale of the experiment; cathodic peak current equalled anodic peak current. Linear sweep voltammetry employing a rotating, glassy carbon disk electrode indicated that electron stoichiometry for reduction of nitrofen in dimethylformamide and acetonitrile was one. Reduction of nitrofen under aprotic conditions was most likely a one-electron reduction to the nitro radical anion. Reduction of 1 mM nitrofen in 50% ($\text{v}\text{v}$) ethanol/water buffered at pH 5.0, 7.0, and 10.2 with 0.25 M sodium acetate, 0.1 M potassium phosphate, and 0.1 M sodium carbonate was chemically irreversible and characteristic of an EC … -type reaction mechanism; heterogeneous electron transfer followed by homogeneous chemical reactions. Cathodic peak potentials at pH 5.0 and 7.0 were ?0.760 and ?0.820 V vs SCE. At pH 10.2 two cathodic peaks were observed at ?0.840 and ?1.17 V vs SCE. In protolytic solvent at pH 5.0 cathodic peak current varied linearly as a function of the square root of the scan rate. Thus, the electrode reaction was limited by diffusion. Electron stoichiometry for reduction of nitrofen in protolytic solvent was four. The fate of new redox species generated in protolytic solvent at pH 7.0 was examined upon subsequent multiple scans at 200 mV/s. Initial reduction at ?0.820 V vs SCE was most likely centered at the nitro group, yielding the four-electron hydroxylamine product. Oxidation at 0.020 V vs SCE was thought to correspond to the two-electron oxidation of hydroxylamine to the nitroso derivative.     

Impacts of misclassification on Lyme disease surveillance

In Maryland, Lyme disease (LD) is the most widely reported tickborne disease. All laboratories and healthcare providers are required to report LD cases to the local health department. Given the large volume of LD reports, the nuances of diagnosing and reporting LD, and the effort required for investigations by local health department staff, surveillance for LD is burdensome and subject to underreporting. To determine the degree to which misclassification occurs in Maryland, we reviewed medical records for a sample of LD reports from 2009. We characterized what proportion of suspected and “not a case” reports could be reclassified as confirmed or probable once additional information was obtained from medical record review, explored the reasons for misclassification, and determined multipliers for a more accurate number of LD cases. We reviewed medical records for reports originally classified as suspected (n = 44) and “not a case” (n = 92). Of these 136 records, 31 (23%) suspected cases and “not a case” reports were reclassified. We calculated multipliers and applied them to the case counts from 2009, and estimate an additional 269 confirmed and probable cases, a 13.3% increase. Reasons for misclassification fell into three general categories: lack of clinical or diagnostic information from the provider; surveillance process errors; and incomplete information provided on laboratory reports. These multipliers can be used to calculate a better approximation of the true number of LD cases in Maryland, but these multipliers only account for underreporting due to misclassification, and do not account for cases that are not reported at all (e.g., LD diagnoses based on erythema migrans alone that are not reported) or for cases that are not investigated. Knowing that misclassification of cases occurs during the existing LD surveillance process underscores the complexities of LD surveillance, which further reinforces the need to find alternative approaches to LD surveillance.     

Assessment of the genetic and economic impact of performance recording and genotyping in Australian commercial sheep operations

With the new opportunities from DNA technology, multitier breeding schemes have the potential to become more effective and more integrated. Integrated breeding schemes can also be better adapted to account for potential genotype by environment interactions (G × E) between tiers. In this case, phenotypic and genotype information from lower tiers becomes more valuable as it involves measurement of traits that directly represent the breeding objective. The objective of this study was to compare scenarios that represented different selection strategies and their economic effectiveness in fine‐wool commercial sheep operations that exploit multitier breeding structures. Genomic selection (GS) applied in the multiplier and the commercial tier presented the largest additional revenue among all scenarios, as it resulted in the largest amount of genetic progress. The largest benefits from GS were outweighed by the genotyping costs, which made DNA parentage the most feasible strategy for the multiplier tier, resulting in the highest cumulative net present value (CNPV). The benefits of phenotypes and genotype information from the commercial environment were larger in the presence of G × E between the nucleus and the commercial tier. The CNPV was larger with a 50% reduction in genotyping costs, which increased the returns of GS scenarios by 2.7‐fold on average. Higher selection intensity when selecting multiplier rams also resulted in larger benefits. In this case, returns for the breeding scheme were 3.5‐fold higher when 33% of multiplier males were selected based on commercial information, compared to scenarios selecting 50% of the available multiplier rams. The benefits of collecting commercial phenotypes and genotypes were long term, which means that return on investment often took more than 10 years to be achieved, and were largely dependent on two‐stage selection to reduce cost while maintaining selection efficiency and on the cost of a genotype test.     

The flavor of small immature tubers compared with mature Katahdin tubers

The flavor quality of seven immature potato samples (three varieties, four numbered selections) was found to be ‘equal to’ or ‘poorer than’ the flavor of mature Katahdin tubers stored for 10 months at 45 F (7.2 C). The samples were evaluated by a panel of 21 experienced judges.