Comparison of the effects of adrafinil, propentofylline, and nicergoline on behavior in aged dogs

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of adrafinil, propentofylline, and nicergoline for enhancing behavior of aged dogs. ANIMALS: 36 Beagles between 9 and 16 years old. PROCEDURE: Dogs were randomly assigned to receive adrafinil (20 mg/kg of body weight, PO, q 24 h; n = 12), propentofylline (5 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h; 12), or nicergoline (0.5 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h; 12) for 33 days. Baseline behaviors in an open field and in kennels (home cage) were recorded before treatment. After treatment, behaviors in the open field were recorded 2 hours after drug administration on days 2, 15, and 28, and 10 hours after administration on days 7, 20, and 33. Behaviors in the home cage were recorded 2 and 7 hours after drug administration on days 4, 17, and 30. RESULTS: Treatment with adrafinil resulted in a significant increase in locomotion in each of the open-field tests and an increase in locomotion in the home cage. This latter increase was smaller and more variable than that in the open field. Locomotion was not affected by treatment with propentofylline or nicergoline. In the open field, sniffing decreased over time in all 3 groups, but the largest decline was observed in the propentofylline group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Treatment with adrafinil may improve the quality of life of aged dogs by increasing exploratory behavior and alertness.     

Web-based, interactive simulation of an anesthesia machine

Gases are transparent and the piping layout in anesthesia machines is not obvious, making it hard to understand anesthesia machine function, potential failure modes, and recovery from faults. We experimented with an approach that simplified the layout of the anesthesia machine piping by removing extraneous details and making gases not only visible, but also color-coded. More than 15 anesthesia machine controls were represented by icons that a user can adjust by clicking on the icon with a pointing device and subsequently observing the effect of his/her intervention on anesthesia machine function in real time. We simulated two anesthesia machine failures and also supported non-English languages and non-US gas color codes. Further, we initiated an experiment in Web philanthropy by deliberately choosing to make the educational module accessible without charge and selected the Web as the preferred medium for dissemination of the Virtual Anesthesia Machine (VAM) viewable at http://www.anest.ufl.edu/vam . Originally designed for use in human anesthesiology, a significant percentage (about 30%) of the 54 000 international visitors, as tracked by an independent third-party Web traffic monitoring service, for the period 9/00–5/02, were from the veterinary field. VAM is being used as part of the curriculum in veterinary programs in the US and overseas and has been well received by the global anesthesia community (human and veterinary).     

Effects of Exogenous Insulin on Luteolysis and Reproductive Cyclicity in the Mare

Insulin is a pancreatic hormone that classically regulates carbohydrate and fat metabolism, but also appears to play a role in various reproductive processes. A preliminary study suggested insulin production by day 10 to 18 equine conceptuses. The aim of the present study was to examine the hypothesis that insulin is the conceptus signal responsible for maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) in the mare, or otherwise influences reproductive cyclicity during the MRP period. Six Warmblood mares were treated daily during days 7 to 17 after ovulation of two successive oestrous cycles with either (short and intermediate acting) insulin or control saline. Mares were assigned randomly to treatment, and crossed over during the subsequent cycle. Time of ovulation and corpus luteum surface area were determined by serial transrectal ultrasonographic examination of the mares' ovaries, and daily jugular vein blood samples were analysed for progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations. On day 14 of dioestrus, the luteolytic drive was examined by measuring systemic 15-ketodihydroprostaglandin F_{2 α} (PG-metabolite) release in response to oxytocin challenge. In addition, yolk sac fluid recovered from 32 day 10 to 14 equine conceptuses was analysed for insulin concentrations. Insulin administration did not affect luteal size, dioestrus length, the interovulatory interval, or circulating LH concentrations. Insulin administration also failed to suppress oxytocin-induced PGF_{2 α} release, and tended to depress systemic progesterone concentrations. Finally, insulin could not be detected in the yolk sac fluid of day 10 to 14 equine conceptuses by radio-immunoassay. It is concluded that insulin administered daily during days 7 to 17 of dioestrus has little or no effect on reproductive cyclicity in the mare, and is unlikely to be the MRP signal.     

冬季日光温室的保温措施及对天气性灾害的预防对策

高效节能日光温室以太阳能为主要能源 ,不加温或临时加温就能进行果菜类生产 ,但近几年发展的温室偏高偏宽 ,保温措施又跟不上 ,结果在1 999年冬至 2 0 0 0年春雪多、严寒的条件下 ,不少温室出现了 2℃以下低温 ,甚至冻害 ,使果菜类生产受到很大影响 ,造成了很大的损失。对此 ,我站经过试验和调研 ,提出如下的保温措施及对天气灾害性的对策 ,使果菜类冬季能在日光温室得以正常生长 ,进一步提高冬季蔬菜生产的经济效益和社会效益 ,保证我市保护地蔬菜生产持续发展。1　温室结构与保温的关系沈阳市地处北纬 41°以北 ,冬至太阳高度角低 ,中午 …     

Circular polarization in star- formation regions: implications for biomolecular homochirality

Strong infrared circular polarization resulting from dust scattering in reflection nebulae in the Orion OMC-1 star-formation region has been observed. Circular polarization at shorter wavelengths might have been important in inducing chiral asymmetry in interstellar organic molecules that could be subsequently delivered to the early Earth by comets, interplanetary dust particles, or meteors. This could account for the excess of L-amino acids found in the Murchison meteorite and could explain the origin of the homochirality of biological molecules.     

Polioencephalomyelopathy in a mixed breed dog resembling Leigh’s disease

A 14-month-old mixed-breed dog was presented with acute onset of exercise intolerance that quickly progressed to quadriparesis. Gross and microscopic autopsy findings indicated a type of degenerative polioencephalomyelopathy resembling subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy in dogs or Leigh’s disease in humans. This syndrome has previously been reported only in purebred dogs.