Followership and leadership: promoting unity in academia

As we plan our future in the twenty-first century, many believe that we face more problems than ever before, including the rising cost of sustaining teaching, research, and service programs in a climate in which state support for higher education is declining. Some commonly held opinions blame leaders and thus propose solutions that are based on the premise that leaders who are perceived to be ineffective should be replaced by those who promise to correct the situation. Leadership is a frequently discussed term, whereas the concept of followership is generally ignored. Followership, however, has been an unidentified facet of leadership in veterinary academia. The present article examines the premise that the primary way to solve the expanding list of problems facing academia is by zealously seeking, teaching, and encouraging leadership. Organizations such as universities succeed or fail on the basis of how well followers follow in addition to how well leaders lead. The truth is that without followers there would be no leaders. Yet the train of followers is almost nonexistent in most educational settings. Striving to recruit and entertain the proper balance of followers and leaders should be one of the goals of every college of veterinary medicine.     

Impacts of black bear baiting on Acadian forest dynamics - An indirect edge effect?

Many biotic factors impact forest health and productivity and an important damage agent in many forests in North America is the black bear (Ursus americanus). Black bears use trees for feeding and marking purposes, both resulting in cambial damage, which reduces growth rates and can increase mortality rates. Black bear behavior is strongly impacted by human activities including forest management and supplemental feeding. During the 2010 permanent sample plot census and tree health survey in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada we measured high rates of bear damage; roughly 10% of the sampled population experienced damage in a non-uniform way within the Park. The goal of the present research was to examine the spatial distribution of bear damage, determine underlying causes of spatially non-homogeoneous bear damage and quantify the impact of this damage on forest dynamics.Bear damage was more frequent around the periphery of the Park and using spatial scan statistics, we identified two clusters of bear damage, both at the Park’s inland borders and adjacent to areas of high bear hunting baiting station density. Species differed in the extent of damage, with hardwood species incurring proportionally greater damage. Using multiple regression we modeled bear damage as a function of stand type (%hardwood), stem density, proximity to and density of bait stations and distance to the nearest major edge. Models containing stand type and bait station metrics garnered the greatest support based on minimum AIC analysis. Bear damage was greater in hardwood stands and in sites closer to or in areas of higher density of bait stations. Bear damage had a significant negative impact on forest dynamics; 2005-2010 diameter growth showed significant reductions in response to bear damage.Our findings implicate bear bait stations used by hunters in aggregating black bears at the Park periphery where they cause greater damage to the trees, which results in reduced growth rates in these areas. Effectively, high bait station densities surrounding the Park are contributing to two related edge effects: (1) increased activity in and use of forests at the Park edges by bears; and (2) increased damage and decreased growth in peripheral stands where bear activity is high. Continued heavy bear damage could pose a threat to forest integrity along the boundaries of the Park. Thus, despite the high protection afforded this National Park, its function and long-term integrity is impacted by adjacent land uses as demonstrated by the present study, an increasingly widespread problem facing protected areas.     

Toxico‐kinetics,recovery efficiency and microsomal changes following administration of deltamethrin to black Bengal goats

A study of the toxico‐kinetics, recovery percentage from different substrates, cytotoxicity and role of cytochrome P₄₅₀ and b₅ of liver microsome in the metabolism of deltamethrin were carried out in female black Bengal goat. The ALD₅₀ value of deltamethrin in goat by intravenous route lies between 0.2 and 0.6 mg kg^?1. Intravenous disposition kinetics using a dose of 0.2 mg kg^?1 showed that the maximum blood concentration of deltamethrin was recorded at 0.5 min, followed by rapid decline, and a minimum concentration was detected at 6 min after administration. The following values were obtained : Vd_area 0.148 (± 0.02) litre kg^?1; t_1/2 (α) 0.22 (± 0.02) min; t_1/2 (β) 2.17 (± 0.37) min; K_el 1.05 (± 0.24) min^?1; AUC 4.30(± 0.45) µg min ml^?1; Cl_B 0.05 (± 0.006) litre kg^?1 min^?1; T～B 1.93 (± 0.58); fc 0.40(± 0.05). After 10 min, liver retained the maximum residue, and heart, adrenal gland, kidney, spleen, fat and brain also held the insecticide; liver, fat, heart and spleen retained residue after 30 min, and bone, liver and fat retained residue after 60 min of intravenous administration. Oral absorption of deltamethrin was poor and inconsistent, and approximately 65% of administered dose was recovered from faeces and gastrointestinal contents. The excretion of deltamethrin through urine was meagre, and only 0.01 and 0.013% of the administered dose was recovered after 3 and 5 days of oral administration respectively. All the tissues retained the residue after 3 days; while fat, rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum, large and small intestine and bone retained the residue after 5 days of oral administration; and the percentage recoveries were 1.73 and 0.027 respectively. Deltamethrin reduced the level of cytochrome P₄₅₀ content of liver microsomal pellet of goat after 5 days of oral administration. Histopathological examination of liver, kidney, heart, spleen brain and lung sections of treated goats did not reveal any pathological changes. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

AN INTEGRATED EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND RADIOGRAPHIC ALGORITHM FOR CANINE UROCYSTOLITH MINERAL TYPE PREDICTION

Research involved 2 databases. One database (occurrence frequency) comprised the age, breed, gender and urocystolith mineral type (pure chemical types only) from 2041 canine patients submitted to the Minnesota Urolith Center. The other database (imaging) comprised the maximum size, surface (rough, smooth, and smooth with blunt tips), shape (faceted, irregular, jackstone, ovoid, and round) and internal architecture (lucent center, random-nonuniform, and uniform) from 434 canine patients imaged in a urinary bladder phantom. The imaging database was a partial subset of the occurrence frequency database. Imaging techniques simulated were survey radiography and double contrast cystography. The databases were compared using multivariate analysis techniques. Equations were developed to use clinically-relevant characteristics (age, breed, gender, maximum size, surface, shape, and internal architecture) to predict urocystolith mineral types. The goal was to assess the accuracy of the various techniques in predicting the urocystolith mineral types. The combination of signalment (age, breed, gender) and simulated survey radiographic findings does not improve mineral type prediction accuracy (average across all mineral types is 69.9%) beyond that achievable with signalment alone (average across all mineral types is 69.8%). However, the combination of signalment and double contrast cystography does improve mineral type prediction accuracy (average across all mineral types is 75.3%). For comparison, mineral type prediction accuracy without signalment from survey radiographs only was 65.7% across all mineral types. The clinical utility of the algorithm is the option to distinguish urocystolith mineral types requiring surgical vs. medical treatment.     

Rapid predictions of cold tolerance in Douglas-fir seedlings using chlorophyll fluorescence after freezing

Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were performed on the foliage of 3-year-old (11/2+11/2) nursery-grown Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] seedlings after exposure to controlled freezing temperatures, in the laboratory, to assess low temperature tolerance. The seedlings were propagated in an Irish nursery and lifted at monthly intervals overwinter 1999 and 1999–2000. Excised shoots from first-order laterals were frozen, in the dark. After freezing, needles were immediately assessed using chlorophyll fluorescence. The excised shoots were then maintained under controlled conditions for 14 days and visually assessed for needle damage. The chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, F _v/F _m, accurately predicted cold hardiness and was linearly related to visual needle damage and short-term survival. An equation was constructed using F _v/F _m data for determining the LT₅₀, that is, the freeze temperature causing 50% seedling damage. The predictions of F.LT₅₀ (fluorescence-based empirical determination of LT₅₀) have been tested over two seasons (i.e., against a second independent data set) with variability between 0 and 1.8°C of visual estimates, though predictions were often 1.1°C of the visual assessment. This approach provided a simple, rapid and accurate prediction of cold tolerance, under climatic conditions where in situ measurements are unreliable. The method can be used to predict if Douglas-fir seedlings have developed sufficient tolerance for lifting to the cold-store, or for planting.     

Canine and feline emergency room visits and the lunar cycle: 11,940 cases (1992-2002)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of canine and feline emergency visits with respect to the lunar cycle. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 11,940 dogs and cats evaluated on an emergency basis during an 11-year period. PROCEDURES: Date of emergency visit, signalment, and chief complaint were retrieved from a medical records database. Emergency type was categorized as animal bite, cardiac arrest, epilepsy, ophthalmic, gastric dilatation-volvulus, trauma, multiple diseases, neoplasia, or toxicosis. The corresponding lunar phase was calculated and recorded as new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, or waning crescent. The effect of lunar phase on the frequency of emergency visits was evaluated by calculating relative risk. RESULTS: Of 11,940 cases, 9,407 were canine and 2,533 were feline. Relative risk calculations identified a significant increase in emergencies for dogs and cats on fuller moon days (waxing gibbous to waning gibbous), compared with all other days. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that more emergency room visits occurred on fuller moon days for dogs and cats. It is unlikely that an attending clinician would notice the fractional increase in visits (0.59 and 0.13 more canine and feline visits, respectively) observed in this study at a facility with a low caseload. If the study is repeated at a facility with a robust emergency caseload, these results may lead to reorganization of staffing on fuller moon dates. A prospective study evaluating these findings under conditions of high caseload is necessary to determine the clinical relevance.