Bronchoalveolar Lavage in the Evaluation of Pulmonary Disease in the Dog and Cat

Bronchoalveolar lavage is a diagnostic procedure used to obtain specimens representative of disease processes involving the deep lung. Saline is instilled into an airway in sufficient volumes to bathe the alveoli dependent on that airway. The saline is retrieved by suction along with cellular and acellular material lining the epithelial surfaces of the lung. Cytologic and microbiologic evaluation of the fluid can be used to characterize pulmonary diseases in the dog and cat.     

Acclimation of tropical tree species to hurricane disturbance: ontogenetic differences

We investigated acclimation responses of seedlings and saplings of the pioneer species Cecropia schreberiana Miq. and three non-pioneer species, Dacryodes excelsa Vahl, Prestoea acuminata (Willdenow) H.E. Moore var. montana (Graham) Henderson and Galeano, and Sloanea berteriana Choisy ex DC, following a hurricane disturbance in a lower montane wet forest in Puerto Rico. Measurements were made, shortly after passage of the hurricane, on leaves expanded before the hurricane (pre-hurricane leaves) and, at a later time, on recently matured leaves that developed after the hurricane (post-hurricane leaves) from both seedlings and saplings at sites that were severely damaged by the hurricane (disturbed sites) and at sites with little disturbance (undisturbed sites). Pre-hurricane leaves of the non-pioneer species had relatively low light-saturated photosynthetic rates (A(max)) and stomatal conductance (g(s)); neither A(max) nor g(s) responded greatly to the increase in irradiance that resulted from the disturbance, and there were few significant differences between seedlings and saplings. Pre-hurricane leaves of plants at undisturbed sites had low dark respiration rates per unit area (R(d)) and light compensation points (LCP), whereas pre-hurricane leaves of plants at disturbed sites had significantly higher R(d) and LCP. Post-hurricane leaves of plants at disturbed sites had significantly higher A(max) and R(d) than plants at undisturbed sites. Compared with seedlings, saplings had higher A(max) and R(d) and showed greater acclimation to the increase in irradiance that followed the disturbance. Post-hurricane leaves of the non-pioneer species had significantly lower A(max) and were less responsive to changes in irradiance than the pioneer species C. schreberiana. Variation in A(max) across light environments and stages was strongly related to differences in leaf mass per unit area (LMA), especially in the non-pioneer species. As indicated by V(cmax) or J(max) per unit nitrogen, light acclimation of A(max) was determined by leaf morphology (LMA) for the non-pioneer species and by both leaf morphology and leaf biochemistry for C. schreberiana. Ontogenetic changes in A(max) were attributable to changes in leaf morphology. The ontogenetic component of variation in A(max) across light environments and stages differed among species, ranging from 36 to 59% for the non-pioneer species (D. excelsa, 59.3%; P. acuminata var. montana, 44.7%; and S. berteriana, 36.3%) compared with only 17% in the pioneer species C. schreberiana.     

Effect of Luteinising Hormone-Releasing Hormone Analogue and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on Ovulation, Plasma and Ovarian Levels of Gonadal Steroids in Greenback Flounder Rhombosolea tapirina

Female greenback flounder Rhombosolea tapirina were treated with either des Gly¹⁰ [D-Ala⁶] LHRH ethylamide (LHRH-a) at 50 or 100 pg/kg intraperitoneal injection (ipi), LHRH-a cholesterol pellet (LHRH-a pellet) 100 μg/kg implanted intraperitoneally, or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 1,000 IU/kg ipi. Treatment with hCG, LHRH-a (50 μg/kg) ipi and LHRH-a pellet increased the total number of ovulations above control levels. LHRH-a (100 μg/kg) ipi was not consistently more effective than the control and both LHRH-a (50 μg/kg) ipi and LHRH-a pellet induced more ovulations than LHRH-a (100 μg/kg) ipi. Of those fish that ovulated, most ovulated more than twice, and most ovulations occurred at daily intervals. Oocyte diameters increased and oocyte stage advanced significantly in response to all exogenous hormone treatments. This was accompanied by increases in plasma and ovarian levels of 17β-estradiol (E₂, and in most cases, plasma and ovarian levels of testosterone (T). Plasma and ovarian levels of 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20βP) were not consistently elevated in association with reproductive events.     

Clinical outcomes associated with the initial use of the Canine Unicompartmental Elbow (CUE) Arthroplasty System?

We evaluated mid- to long-term outcomes with respect to function and complications in dogs undergoing canine unicompartmental elbow (CUE) arthroplasty for treatment of medial compartment disease of the elbow. This prospective multicenter case series is the first group of clinical cases to receive CUE arthroplasty. Cases (each elbow that underwent CUE performed by a participating surgeon) were enrolled into an electronic database and prospectively followed to determine and record all associated complications, as well as functional outcomes. There were 103 cases from 18 surgeons. Final follow-up time ranged from 6 to 47 mo with a mean and median of 10 mo. Canine unicompartmental elbow was associated with 1 catastrophic (1%), 11 major (10.7%), and 28 minor (27.2%) complications. Outcomes following CUE were reported as full function in 49 cases (47.6%), acceptable function in 45 cases (43.7%), and unacceptable function in 9 cases (8.7%). We conclude that CUE arthroplasty is an appropriate consideration for treatment of medial compartment disease of the elbow in dogs.     

Phylogeography and host range of Armillaria gallica in riparian forests of the northern Great Plains,USA

Root disease pathogens, including Armillaria, are a leading cause of growth loss and tree mortality in forest ecosystems of North America. Armillaria spp. have a wide host range and can cause significant reductions in tree growth that may lead to mortality. DNA sequence comparisons and phylogenetic studies have allowed a better understanding of Armillaria spp. taxonomic diversity. Genetic sequencing has facilitated the mapping of species distributions and host associations, providing insights into Armillaria ecology. These studies can help to inform forest management and are essential in the development of disease risk maps, leading to more effective management strategies for Armillaria root disease. Armillaria surveys were conducted on publicly owned lands in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, U.S.A. Surveyed stands consisted of riparian forests ≥0.4 hectares in area. Armillaria was found at 78 of 101 sites. A total of 57 Armillaria isolates—associated with 12 host tree species—were used for DNA sequencing of the translation elongation factor‐1 alpha (tef1) gene. Armillaria gallica was the only species identified within the study sites. Results suggest that A. gallica is a common root pathogen of hardwood trees in riparian forests of the northern Great Plains with a wider host range and geographic distribution than previously recognized.