Prednisolone therapy for atopic dermatitis is less effective in dogs with lower pretreatment serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured in 20 dogs with atopic dermatitis prior to treatment with a standard therapeutic dosage of prednisolone (0.93-1.06 mg/kg) every other day for 5 weeks after 7 days of treatment with the same dosage once daily. The severity of their physical signs was scored before and 6 weeks after prednisolone treatment by the canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index version 3 (CADESI-03) and the Edinburgh Pruritus Scale (EPS). The 20 dogs with atopic dermatitis that were treated with prednisolone did not have significantly lower serum concentrations of 25(OH)D than a group of 36 healthy dogs, and the physical severity of the atopic dermatitis was not correlated to pretreatment serum 25(OH)D concentrations. However, dogs which had a marked improvement of their physical signs, defined by a post-treatment EPS score of 0 and/or an 85% reduction in CADESI-03 score, had significantly higher pretreatment serum 25(OH)D concentrations than dogs with a suboptimal response (P = 0.003 and P = 0.03, respectively). Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were also measured in a previously published cohort of atopic dogs that were treated with ciclosporin. This cohort of dogs was recruited in a similar time frame to the prednisolone-treated dogs, and all samples were handled in the same way. In contrast to the prednisolone-treated dogs, there was no significant difference in 25(OH)D concentrations in dogs that responded optimally to ciclosporin compared with suboptimal responders. Additional studies are required to establish whether vitamin D has a synergistic therapeutic effect with prednisolone in dogs with atopic dermatitis.     

Risk-based surveillance for avian influenza control along poultry market chains in South China: The value of social network analysis

Over the past two decades, the poultry sector in China went through a phase of tremendous growth as well as rapid intensification and concentration. Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 was first detected in 1996 in Guangdong province, South China and started spreading throughout Asia in early 2004. Since then, control of the disease in China has relied heavily on wide-scale preventive vaccination combined with movement control, quarantine and stamping out. This strategy has been successful in drastically reducing the number of outbreaks during the past 5years. However, HPAIV H5N1 is still circulating and is regularly isolated in traditional live bird markets (LBMs) where viral infection can persist, which represent a public health hazard for people visiting them. The use of social network analysis in combination with epidemiological surveillance in South China has identified areas where the success of current strategies for HPAI control in the poultry production sector may benefit from better knowledge of poultry trading patterns and the LBM network configuration as well as their capacity for maintaining HPAIV H5N1 infection. We produced a set of LBM network maps and estimated the associated risk of HPAIV H5N1 within LBMs and along poultry market chains, providing new insights into how live poultry trade and infection are intertwined. More specifically, our study provides evidence that several biosecurity factors such as daily cage cleaning, daily cage disinfection or manure processing contribute to a reduction in HPAIV H5N1 presence in LBMs. Of significant importance is that the results of our study also show the association between social network indicators and the presence of HPAIV H5N1 in specific network configurations such as the one represented by the counties of origin of the birds traded in LBMs. This new information could be used to develop more targeted and effective control interventions.     

The phenomenon of stress: Concepts and mechanisms associated with stress-induced responses of the neuroendocrine system

Stress, stressors and the stress response are terms which represent concepts rather than oeing precisely definable. No single theory of stress has been universally accepted. Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome of stress remains the primary theory for the basis of stress research in food-producing animals; however, other concepts and theories have been developed. This paper reviews current theories and suggests that the complexity of research on stress in food-producing animals can be attributed to the lack of concrete theories and concepts regarding identifiable stressors, the endocrine responses stimulated by potential stressors and the complex and integrated biological changes in the neuro-endocrine system resulting from exposure to hypothesized stressors.     

Evaluation of 2 cement techniques for augmentation of stripped 1.5 mm screw sites in the distal metaphysis of feline radii

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of 2 cement augmentation techniques on pullout strength of 1.5 mm screws placed in stripped 1.5 mm screw sites in the distal metaphysis of feline radii. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Feline radii (21 pairs). METHODS: Treatment groups (n=4) were allocated according to a Latin square design to 4 sites in each pair of radii. Positive and negative controls were a 1.5 mm screw and a screw of the same diameter in a previously stripped screw hole, respectively. Treatment groups were a 1.5 mm screw implanted in a previously stripped screw hole after injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or a bioresorbable calcium phosphate cement (CPC, Norian skeletal repair system (SRS)). The ultimate pullout strength was compared between groups. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SEM) pullout strength of screws augmented with either bone cement was less than that of the positive control group and greater than that of the negative control. Injection of CPC or PMMA before screw implantation increased the pullout strength of the negative control by 86.8+/-22.9% and 104.1+/-32.1%, respectively. Holding power of the positive control screws differed from these 2 groups, and was 274.8+/-39.17% higher than that of the negative control. CONCLUSION: Injection of CPC or PMMA increases but does not restore the holding power of stripped 1.5 mm diameter screws. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of CPC (Norian SRS) augmentation of stripped 1.5 mm diameter screws warrants clinical investigation as it combines biomechanical results similar to PMMA with osteoconduction and resorbability.     

The Essential Role of Human Dimensions and Stakeholder Participation in States’ Fulfillment of Public Trust Responsibilities

The Public Trust Doctrine (PTD) vests states with a fiduciary responsibility to manage wildlife for the benefit of current and future generations. States have varied approaches to applying the PTD for wildlife management ranging from a traditional focus on hunters, anglers, and trappers to a progressive approach of broad inclusion of all potential stakeholders in their decision-making processes. We argue that states need to gather and incorporate more and better human dimensions (HD) information to fulfill their PTD responsibilities. We describe some of the barriers to increased use of HD and the changes in agency culture, staffing, data gathering, and decision-making processes necessary to integrate HD effectively and comport with the PTD. We conclude that in addition to increasing fulfillment of PTD responsibilities, increased use of HD information will help maintain agency relevance, increase political support, and secure broader agency funding.     

Effect of surgical technique on limb function after surgery for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome and effect of surgical technique on limb function after surgery for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (RCCL) and injury to the medial meniscus in Labrador Retrievers. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: 131 Labrador Retrievers with unilateral RCCL and injury to the medial meniscus and 17 clinically normal Labrador Retrievers. PROCEDURE: Affected dogs had partial or complete medial meniscectomy and lateral suture stabilization (LSS), intracapsular stabilization (ICS), or tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). Limb function was measured before surgery and 2 and 6 months after surgery. Treated dogs were evaluated to determine the probability that they could be differentiated from clinically normal dogs and tested to determine the likelihood that they achieved improvement. RESULTS: No difference was found between LSS or TPLO groups, but dogs treated with ICS had significantly lower ground reaction forces at 2 and 6 months. Compared with clinically normal dogs only, 14.9% of LSS-, 15% of ICS-, and 10.9% of TPLO-treated dogs had normal limb function. Improvement was seen in only 15% of dogs treated via ICS, 34% treated via TPLO, and 40% treated via LSS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Surgical technique can influence limb function after surgery. Labrador Retrievers treated via LSS, ICS, or TPLO for repair for of RCCL and medial meniscal injury managed with partial or complete meniscectomy infrequently achieve normal function. Results of LSS and TPLO are similar and superior to ICS.     

The effect of immunosuppression with cyclosporin A on the development of sheep scab

The present study confirms that following infection with the ectoparasitic sheep scab mite, Psoroptes ovis, there is a rapid (within 24 h) inflammatory influx of eosinophils and apoptosis of the keratinocytes at the site of infection. In order to investigate whether these inflammatory reactions are important in the maintenance of mite infection, a group of animals were treated daily after the establishment of infection with the potent anti-inflammatory drug, Cyclosporin A. The course of infection was monitored by determining the lesion area and mite numbers, systemic antibody and blood eosinophils, as well as the inflammatory cells and T cell sub-populations within the lesion throughout the 6-week duration of the experiment. These parameters were compared with those in a similar infected control (non-treated) group. In control infected animals, the lesion area and mite numbers increased steadily throughout the 6-week period. In contrast, lesion area and mite numbers were severely depressed in the group which received Cyclosporin A. Local and systemic eosinophils, and systemic antibody were also significantly reduced in the drug treated animals, compared to controls. Surprisingly however, the number of lesional pan T cells, T helper cells, gammadeltaT cells and dendritic cells in Cyclosporin A treated animals were either the same, or significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced when compared to the control infected animals at the termination of the experiment. The results will be discussed in terms of the role of the dermal inflammatory response in the establishment and maintenance of the sheep scab mite.     

A Genetic Study of Piglet Growth and Survival

The study analysed 954 Yorkshire sows from a research station in Sweden. The heritability for mean piglet weight at 3 weeks was 0.30 and the heritability for number dead up to 3 weeks was 0.09. Correlations showed that when the number of piglets born into a litter increased, it followed that each piglet weighed less at 3 weeks of age (genetic correlation -0.1). The higher the litter size at birth, the more piglets died, and if many piglets died in a litter, growth was low in the surviving piglets. The genetic correlation between mean birth weight and mean weight at 3 weeks was estimated to be 0.6.     

Evaluation of the usefulness of the portable device Lactate Pro for measurement of lactate concentrations in equine whole blood.

Blood lactate measurements are commonly used in exercising horses to determine the onset of lactate accumulation and in colic patients to assess clinical status and to indicate prognosis. To study the usability of a portable blood lactate meter based on dry chemistry (Lactate Pro), the data from this instrument were compared to data from a laboratory-used lactate meter based on wet chemistry (ABL 605 blood gas analyzer [ABL]). Heparinized blood samples were obtained from horses participating in a jumping experiment (n = 9), from horses cantering at maximal speed on a racetrack (n = 7), and from patients admitted to the Department of Equine Sciences at Utrecht University for severe colic (n = 13). Seventeen of these samples were tested in duplicate on both instruments to determine the repeatability of the measurements. Blood lactate concentrations measured with the Lactate Pro ranged from 0.8-17.6 mmol/liter and with the ABL from 1.0-18.6 mmol/liter. The correlation between lactate concentrations obtained using the Lactate Pro and values from the ABL was 0.90, and the relationship was represented by the following formula: y = 0.90 . x + 0.36, indicating a linear relationship between values produced by the ABL and Lactate Pro. The repeatability for the Lactate Pro was high (0.997), which is comparable to the ABL (0.999).