Brucella suis in three dogs: presentation,diagnosis and clinical management

Brucella suis is an emerging, zoonotic disease predominantly affecting dogs and humans that engage in feral pig hunting in Australia and other countries. Although B. suis infection in dogs shares some clinical similarities to the host-adapted species (B. canis), B. suis remains an incompletely understood pathogen in dogs with limited published data on its pathogenesis and clinical features. This case series describes the presentations, diagnosis, and clinical management of B. suis infection in three dogs: (1) a bitch with dystocia, abortion and mastitis; (2) an entire male dog with septic arthritis and presumptive osteomyelitis; and (3) a castrated male dog with lymphadenitis. Unique features of these cases are reported including the first documented detection of B. suis from milk and isolation from lymph nodes of canine patients, as well as the follow-up of pups born to a B. suis-infected bitch. Consistent with previous reports, all three dogs showed a favourable clinical response to combination antibiotic therapy with rifampicin and doxycycline. Individually tailored drug regimens were required based on the clinical presentation and other factors, including owner expectations and compliance with therapy as well as a zoonotic risk assessment (generally considered low, except around time of whelping). The authors include their recommendations for the clinical management of dogs that are at-risk or seropositive for B. suis with or without clinical signs or laboratory-confirmed infection.     

Gabapentin as an adjuvant for postoperative pain management in dogs undergoing mastectomy

This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of gabapentin as an adjuvant for postoperative pain management in dogs. Twenty dogs undergoing mastectomy were randomized to receive perioperative oral placebo or gabapentin (10 mg/kg). All dogs were premedicated with intramuscular acepromazine (0.03 mg/kg) and morphine (0.3 mg/ kg). Anesthesia was induced with propofol (4 mg/kg) intravenously and maintained with isoflurane. Intravenous meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg) was administered preoperatively. Postoperative analgesia was evaluated for 72 hr. Rescue analgesia was provided with intramuscular morphine (0.5 mg/kg). Dogs in the Placebo group received significantly more morphine doses than the Gabapentin group (P=0.021), despite no significant differences in pain scores. Perioperative gabapentin reduced the postoperative morphine requirements in dogs after mastectomy.     

Characterisation of cold-tolerant fungi from a decomposing High Arctic moss

Given that changes in the patterns of vegetation and size of carbon (C) pools in the Arctic are likely to be profound by the end of this century, it is necessary to characterise the identity and ecological groupings, in terms of temperature response and C substrate utilisation, of saprotrophic (decomposer) fungi in organic matter in Arctic soils. Thus, the aims of this study were: (1) to identify the fungi isolated from standing-dead material of Schistidium apocarpum, as an example of a High Arctic moss, (2) to determine mycelial extension rates of these fungi at a range of temperatures (4, 10 and 25 °C), and (3) to characterise the functional potential, defined by C substrate utilisation at 6 °C, of fungal taxa.Fungi were isolated at 4 °C from standing-dead material of S. apocarpum from an area of polar semi-desert (79 degrees N), close to Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in the High Arctic. From a collection of 662 isolates, 43 pure cultures were identified by DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing. Phoma sclerotioides, previously known as a temperate snow mould, was isolated most frequently. The ecology of fifteen fungal isolates was characterised in detail. In terms of temperature response, two groups were apparent, one of truly psychrophilic/psychrotrophic fungi and one of more mesophilic fungi which were generally less frequently isolated. In terms of carbon substrate utilisation in semi-defined solid media, most fungi could utilise a variety of carbon substrates (degradation of casein, cellulose and starch was widespread), except for tannic acid (degraded by only two of the five P. sclerotioides isolates and Scytalidium lignicola) and lignin and chitin (not decomposed by any isolate). The majority of isolates had been recorded previously from polar environments and/or as being able to survive at low temperatures.Fungi in tundra ecosystems, therefore, have significant potential to mineralise C at temperatures below 10 °C. A better understanding of the ecology of these fungi will allow us to improve predictions of C dynamics in arctic biomes in the future.     

Early growth and survival of Eucalyptus pellita provenances in a range of tropical environments,compared with E. grandis,E. urophylla and Acacia mangium

Provenance/family trials of Eucalyptus pellita F. Muell were established at three seasonally-dry tropical sites in northern Australia (two in north Queensland and one on Melville Island in the Northern Territory), and at Luasong, a tropical site with year-round high rainfall and humidity in Sabah, Malaysia. After 2–3 years, it was clear that New Guinea provenances outperformed Queensland provenances in their survival, growth and form, and in their crown health, in the humid tropical environment of Luasong. New Guinea provenances were also clearly superior to Queensland provenances in their growth and form at Melville Island, but less clearly so at Cardwell, Queensland. Among Queensland provenances, Helenvale and Kuranda were superior to the more northerly Cape York provenances, Tozers Gap and Lankelly Creek, while there was little difference between the two New Guinea provenances tested, Bupul-Muting (Irian Jaya) and Keru (Papua New Guinea). Significant differences in growth traits, form and survival were demonstrated between families within provenances. In a species/provenance trial at Luasong, E. pellita displayed better growth and survival than tropical provenances of E. grandis and E. urophylla, but was inferior in growth and crown health to Acacia mangium.     

Structure of causation and its influence on cooperation: A comparative study of forest management in Ontario, Canada

The paper uses cause mapping and structural analysis to analyse how key consensus-building criteria influence the development of cooperation among and between stakeholders and a government agency. The analyses are based on a comparative study of two Local Citizens Committees (LCCs) in Ontario, Canada. Given–Means–Ends (GME) analysis is used to identify the informal goals of LCCs, including the development of cooperation, and LCCs' influence over consensus-building criteria, and Context, Structure and Performance (CSP) analysis is used to identify the relative influence of key consensus-building criteria on cooperation criteria. The paper concludes with a discussion of the relationship between the structural analysis and content analysis of the same data and four inferences for consensus-building and co-management theories.     

Effect of some herbicides on freshwater algae

The activity of 12 herbicides was tested against various freshwater algae found in Britain. Three of the most troublesome species, Cladophora glomerata L., Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum Katz., and Vaucheria dichotoma Ag. were all susceptible to methylthio-1,3,5-triazines. Terbutryne and cyanatryn were the most active and both killed C. glomerata and R. hieroglyphicum at 0.05 mg/litre. The concentration of terbutryne had to be increased to 0.1 mg/litre to control V. dichotoma. Asulam and WSCP (2.0 mg/litre), metflurazone and HZ5914 (1.0 mg/litre), copper sulphate (1.0 mg copper ion/litre) and cutrine (2.0 mg copper ion/litre) had no visible effect on the algae. Diquat (1.0 mg cation/litre) did, however, control C. glomerata and R. hieroglyphicum although, in natural conditions, the algae quickly recovered after treatment. Success with diquat (2.0 mg/litre) against V. dichotoma in laboratory experiments was not achieved in a field experiment.     

Association between burrow densities of two Australian freshwater crayfish (Engaeus sericatus and Geocharax gracilis: Parastacidae) and four riparian land uses

• 1. Freshwater crayfish that burrow into river banks are likely to be affected by riparian land uses that affect soil conditions and vegetation cover. The aim of this research was to determine whether burrow densities of two crayfish species (Engaeus sericatus Clark and Geocharax gracilis Clark) were associated with riparian land use and vegetation type in three streams in south‐west Victoria, Australia.
• 2. Four riparian land‐use categories were studied on each stream: native forest blocks; thin strips of mature native vegetation, fenced, with pasture adjacent; riparian pasture areas, fenced, with no cattle access to the stream; pasture and cattle access to the water's edge. Crayfish burrows were counted and a range of water quality and riparian condition variables were measured.
• 3. Native forest areas were found to have more than twice the densities of freshwater crayfish burrows than other land uses, which did not differ. Native forest areas also had higher mean burrow mound heights but lower burrow activity levels. Riparian characteristics also differed between land uses. In particular, soil compaction was the lowest in native forest areas, which also had better riparian condition scores and water quality than pasture areas.
• 4. This study suggests that cattle grazing may have reduced populations of burrowing crayfish in these streams, and that subsequent fencing and the presence of remnant native vegetation may be insufficient to ameliorate these effects. Blocks of native forest that remain on these streams may act as an important refuge for these species in agricultural areas.

Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of Treated Industrial Effluent on Physical and Chemical Properties of Three Subtropical Soils and Millet Nutrition

The use of treated industrial effluents to irrigate plants is an alternative, because of nutrients that can increase yield of the agricultural crops. This study was conducted to determine irrigation with treated effluent and gypsum application, which changes the chemical and physical characteristics of soils and the growth and nutrition of millet (Pennisetum glaucum). Thus, an experiment was conducted on PVC columns with three soil classes, Typic Hapludox, Typic Hapludult, and Arenic Hapludult. Nutrient and Na⁺ concentrations in the millet biomass reflected concentrations of elements in the effluent and soil. In the control, low N levels were found in the biomass, while higher leaf N concentrations were observed, due to irrigation with treated effluent. In the short term, irrigation with treated industrial effluent by controlled application could be an alternative and a complementary source of nutrients for plants, reducing the volume of nutrients and organic materials discharged into water bodies.