Oral hyaluronan gel reduces post operative tarsocrural effusion in the yearling Thoroughbred

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Hyaluronan (HA) has been used to treat joint disease via intra-articular, i.v. and oral administration. The efficacy of intra-articular and i.v. use has been evaluated but the oral route has yet to be examined. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of oral hyaluronan gel on joint effusion following arthroscopic surgery for osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the tarsocrural joint of yearling Thoroughbreds. METHODS: Forty-eight yearlings diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral osteochondritis dessicans (OCD) of the tarsus were arbitrarily chosen prior to arthroscopic surgery. The yearlings were included only if they had mild or no synovial effusion pre-surgery. Twenty-four of the yearlings (27 joints) were treated with 100 mg of HA orally for 30 days post operatively and 24 (30 joints) with a placebo orally for 30 days. At 30 days post operation, a blinded examiner scored the effusion of the dorsomedial tarsocrural joint individually using a scale of 0 to 5 (0 = no effusion, 1 = barely palpable effusion, 2 = palpable effusion [without plantar effusion], 3 = golf ball sized effusion with plantar effusion, 4 = tennis ball sized effusion with plantar effusion, 5 = > tennis ball sized effusion with plantar effusion). Half grades were allowed and OCD lesion sizes and locations were compared. RESULTS: A total of 57 joints were examined, of which 33 had OCD of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia, 19 OCD of the distal lateral trochlear ridge of the talus and 5 OCD of the medial malleolus. The mean 30 day effusion score of the HA treated group (27 joints) was 0.67 while the mean of the 30 day placebo group (30 joints) was 2.05 (P < or = 0.0001). Similar results were noted when comparing treated vs. placebo for each lesion location as well as for lesion sizes. CONCLUSIONS AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Oral preparations of hyaluronan are being used to treat joint disease in horse. Anecdotal reports supporting the efficacy of these preparations already exist. This study provides objective evidence that oral HA reduces joint effusion post operatively following the arthroscopic removal of an OCD lesion in the tarsocrural joint.     

Ultrasonography and progesterone concentration at a single time point for the detection of puberty in dairy heifers

Data were available from 1657 heifers across 48 dairy farms which were visited once, on average 9 days (± 5.2) prior to the mating start date (23 April, ± 12.6). Blood samples were collected via coccygeal venepuncture for progesterone (P4) analysis, and animals were scanned for the presence or absence of corpora lutea (CL), to determine the luteal status. A comparison of luteal status between ultrasound (CL identified) and P4 (≥ 1 ng/ml), based on a single measurement point, showed poor agreement (K = 0.32). The majority of animals were classified as luteal (76%) using both ultrasonography and P4. There was excellent agreement between luteal status detected by ultrasonography alone and luteal status assigned by a combination of ultrasonography and P4 (K = 0.93). The agreement between luteal status assigned by P4 and luteal status assigned by the combination of ultrasonography and P4 was poor (K = 0.37). These results indicate that at a single examination, ultrasonography is the preferred modality to determine the luteal status of maiden heifers.     

Call count responses of North Island brown kiwi to different levels of predator control in Northland, New Zealand

North Island brown kiwi have been monitored by a standard call count index at 23 stations in Northland, New Zealand annually since 1995. An attempt is made here to determine whether there are any trends in call counts that relate to predator control and advocacy in and around each listening station. Both predator and advocacy effort were rated on a 0-3 scale at each of 23 listening stations, and kiwi calling rates analysed on a generalised linear model. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a positive response of call counts to predator control. There was a weaker relationship with advocacy, but because predator control and advocacy are correlated, it was not possible to separate their effects. Ground moisture levels had a significant positive effect on calls, while wind and rain had negative effects. Overall, the analysis suggested that this kind of management is benefitting kiwi in Northland.     

Management of high-level waste repository siting

The selection of sites to store high-level radioactive waste will require more than technical decisions; an acceptable site must gain widespread public support. Ad hoc approaches have recently served as a stimulus to overcome institutional inertia in radioactive waste management, as exemplified by the Interagency Review Group and the State Planning Council for Radioactive Waste Management, but ad hoc approaches have not characteristically succeeded in resolving intense conflicts. Acceptable sites can best be established through traditional processes of legal and scientific advocacy, and their ultimate legitimacy will depend on the proper use of established democratic processes.     

Differential Rotation and Dynamics of the Solar Interior

Splitting of the sun's global oscillation frequencies by large-scale flows can be used to investigate how rotation varies with radius and latitude within the solar interior. The nearly uninterrupted observations by the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) yield oscillation power spectra with high duty cycles and high signal-to-noise ratios. Frequency splittings derived from GONG observations confirm that the variation of rotation rate with latitude seen at the surface carries through much of the convection zone, at the base of which is an adjustment layer leading to latitudinally independent rotation at greater depths. A distinctive shear layer just below the surface is discernible at low to mid-latitudes.     

Indigenous rice production and the subtleties of culture change: An example from Borneo

This analysis is based on a combination of participant observation, census data, and an agricultural survey in two Kenyah Dayak communities in East Kalimantan: isolated Long Ampung, and “modernizing” Long Segar. The dramatically higher rice yields per household in the more “modern” community are first investigated, from indigenous and “scientific” points of view. Demographic and yield data are then used to demonstrate a) a decrease in women's contribution to rice production in Long Segar compared to men, and b) an emerging conflict between production and care of dependents. Both trends point to a decrease in women's status in Long Segar. Suggestions are then offered on possible interventions that could reduce such negative impacts of agricultural development on farm families, without adversely affecting yields.