Successful use of an acceleration rate response pacemaker with a transvenous steroid-eluting screw-in lead for third-degree atrioventricular block in a labrador retriever

Permanent pacemakers are commonly used in veterinary practice and can have a dramatic effect on the treatment of heart block. A Labrador Retriever dog suffering from exercise intolerance secondary to third degree atrioventricular block was treated with a new pacemaker system. A steroid-eluting screw-in type lead that has the advantage of being more fixed to the myocardial wall without increasing the pacing threshold was used. The heart rate was regulated with an acceleration sensing pacemaker generator that included several automatic modulation systems. Nineteen months after implantation, the dog has a normal level of activity. The present case suggests that this pacemaker design may offer important advantages for canine patients.     

Direct enzyme immunoassay of fecal estrone derivatives in dairy cows

The present study was undertaken to develop a novel, practical and simple procedure for enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay of fecal estrone derivatives (estrone, estrone sulfate and estrone glucuronide) in dairy cows. Fecal solution, prepared by mixing feces with borate buffer, was applied directly to wells without extraction, and incubated with anti‐estrone antibody and horseradish peroxidase‐labeled estrone. Estrone sulfate was used as the standard. The sensitivity of the assay was estimated as 0.15 ng/mL (0.6 ng/g). The intra‐assay and inter‐assay coefficients of variation were 5.3–8.1% and 13.4–15.7%, respectively. The recovery rate was 78–102%. Only 4 h were needed to complete an assay to measure fecal estrone derivative concentrations. A significant positive correlation was established between plasma estrone sulfate concentrations and fecal estrone sulfate equivalent concentrations. When fecal estrone sulfate equivalent concentrations were measured in pregnant dairy cows, a gradual increase from day 150 of pregnancy, and subsequent drastic increases from day 240 to calving date were observed. These results suggest that the direct enzyme immunoassay procedure developed in the present study is a practical and reliable method for measuring fecal estrone derivative concentrations.     

苹果自花结实性品种花柱S - 核酸酶基因的克隆

 从苹果二倍体品种‘Ontario’和‘迎秋’花柱中分别克隆到了两个S - 核酸酶基因。同源性比较结果, ‘Ontario’和‘迎秋’都有一个与‘富士’Sf - 核酸酶基因完全相同的序列。‘Ontario’另一个S等位基因编码一个新的S - 核酸酶, 被命名为S8 - 核酸酶; ‘迎秋’另一个S等位基因与苹果‘红茜’的Sd - 核酸酶基因序列相同。     

The prokinetic effect of mosapride citrate on horse gastric emptying rates

The prokinetic effect of the 5-HT4 receptor agonist mosapride was evaluated in seven healthy thoroughbreds. Mosapride was orally administered at doses of 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg. The breath 13CO2/12CO2 rate (Delta13CO2), an indirect indicator for the rate of gastric emptying, was measured at appropriate points for 4 hr after drug administration. There was a significant increase compared with the control value at 15, 20 and 165 min for 0.5 mg/kg, 30 min at 1.0 mg/kg and 165 min for 1.5 mg/kg. The results suggest that mosapride may facilitate the gastric emptying in horses.     

Evaluation of equine cecal motility by ausculation, ultrasonography and electrointestinography after jejunocecostomy

OBJECTIVE: Horses often suffer reduced intestinal motility after jejunocecostomy. Therefore, accurate evaluation of intestinal motility is important for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this condition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate intestinal motility in horses after jejunocecostomy using three different methods, i.e. auscultation, ultrasonography and electrointestinography. ANIMALS: Six healthy thoroughbreds were used in this study. They were subjected to jejunocecostomy. PROCEDURE: Bowel sounds in the right paralumbar fossa were assigned a score of 0-3 for intestinal motility evaluation by auscultation, and the number of cecal contractions during a 3-min period were counted by ultrasonography. Electrointestinography (EIG) was used to measure percutaneous potential of the cecum. RESULTS: We identified three specific postoperative periods: the period of reduced intestinal motility (postoperative day 1 to day 2), in which intestinal motility declined, the unstable period (day 3 to day 7), in which intestinal motility partially recovered, and the full recovery period (day 8 to day 31), in which intestinal motility returned to preoperative state. Careful management was found to be especially important during the period of reduced intestinal motility and the unstable period. We found that, in healthy horses that underwent jejunocecostomy, it takes approximately one month for the cecum to return to normal motility patterns observed before surgery. CONCLUSION: We have shown in this study that evaluation of intestinal motility after jejunocecostomy in horses by EIG is more objective and provides more details than evaluation by auscultation or ultrasonography.     

Quantitative estimation of the predation of marine ranched striped jack <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudocaranx dentex</Emphasis> by herons

The Goto station of the Japan Sea-Farming Association conducted marine ranching experiments with striped jack Pseudocaranx dentex from 1988 to 1999 in the Goto Islands, Nagasaki, Japan. Marine ranching is a stocking method where released fish are fed for some period after release in order to decrease initial mortality from starvation. Ranched fish were fed for 0, 90, and 15 days after stocking in 1997, 1998, and 1999, respectively. During the experiment, herons (grey heron Ardea cinerea, black-crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax, and great egret Egretta alba) were often observed preying on released fish in the ranching area. The present study estimated the number of fish preyed upon by herons during observation periods in 1997, 1998, and 1999 from the number of herons that flew into the ranching area and the predation rate on ranched fish by herons. The former was counted during sightings. The latter was estimated from the sighting observations and heron regurgitations. The number of herons that flew into the ranching area increased with the feeding period. The numbers of fish lost to predation by herons in 1997, 1998, and 1999 were estimated to be 0, 5,741, and 829, respectively.     

Retrospective study on the outcomes and risk factors of right paramedian abomasopexy for right abomasal disorders in 47 dairy cows

Very few epidemiologic studies have verified the utility of the right paramedian abomasopexy (RPA) technique in cows with right abomasal disorders. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes and risk factors for non-survival in the herd within 30 days of surgery in cows with right abomasal disorders who underwent the RPA technique. Forty-seven Holstein cows with right abomasal disorders (25 with right abomasal displacement [RDA] and 22 with right abomasal volvulus [RAV]) were included. Twenty-two cows with RDA (22/25, 88.0%) and 10 cows with RAV (10/22, 45.5%) survived at 30 days post-surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that hyponatremia, hypokalemia, and the presence of abomasal volvulus were the major risk factors associated with non-survival.     

Epidemiological survey,general blood biochemistry,and histological examination of slaughtered heavy horse breeds with hemorrhage in the adipose tissue in the crest of the neck

Fifty-four slaughtered horses were classified into groups having adipose tissue in the crest of the neck with or without hemorrhage (AH and NH groups, respectively). Blood biochemical tests (Alb, TP, T-bil, GOT, GPT, LDH, T-cho, and BUN) and an epidemiological survey (age, gender, weight, origin, breed, BCS, CNS, and hoof disease) were performed. T-bil tended to be high, while the other parameters were normal. Weight, BCS, and CNS were higher in the AH group (P<0.05). GOT was lower in the AH group (P<0.05). It was suspected that the horses in the AH group had lipomatosis. It was assumed that the adipose tissue of the horses in the AH group contained damaged capillaries, and inflammation was confirmed based on evidence of macrophages and lymphocytes.     

Factors determining the distribution of a keystone understory taxon, dwarf bamboo of the section Crassinodi, on a national scale: application to impact assessment of climate change in Japan

The objective of this study was to identify climatic factors determining the distribution of a keystone understory taxon, section Crassinodi of the genus Sasa, and assess the impacts of climate change on the taxon. Relationships between the distribution of sect. Crassinodi and five climatic variables were explored using classification tree analysis. Potential habitats under current climate and future climate in 2081–2100 were predicted. Potential habitats were further divided into suitable and marginal habitats. The predictive accuracy of the model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis and by comparing model predictions with an independent dataset. The model was reasonably accurate. It showed that the warmth index (WI) and snow cover were the most important climatic variables for Crassinodi distribution. Potential habitats were limited to cooler regions with WI <102.7°C month. Suitable habitats were limited to even cooler regions with WI <84.8°C month. The model also showed that areas with deeper snow than previously reported would provide suitable habitats for Crassinodi under some climatic conditions. In 2081–2100, 37.4% of current potential habitats are predicted to become non-habitats because of increases in WI. Most currently suitable habitats are predicted to vanish from western Japan by 2081–2100. Meanwhile, Hokkaido and high-elevation areas of eastern Honshu will sustain suitable habitats. Sect. Crassinodi, which is adapted to less snowy climates, is predicted to be more affected by climate change than sect. Sasa and Macrochlamys, which are adapted to snowy climates.     

Flocculation and Stabilization of Allophane in the Presence of an Anionic Microbial Polysaccharide (Gum Xanthan) and Several of Its Hydrolytic Intermediates

The polymeric effect of gum xanthan (GX) on the stability of allophane at pH 4.5 and 6.5 was compared with the effect of several of its hydrolytic intermediates (hGX). The polymeric effect of GX was manifested by (i) the effective flocculation at low GX concentrations, (ii) the higher stabilizing ability above the flocculation concentration (FC), and (iii) the appreciable ability of deflocculation of (a) flocculated allophane and (b) allophane-halloysite floc, at extremely low concentrations of GX solution at pH 6.5. In contrast to GX, in the presence of sodium polyacrylate, there was a complete lack of deflocculation of the flocculated allophane at pH 6.5. This fact suggests that effective deflocculation is due to the double-stranded wormlike structure of the GX chain with a small but finite flexibility. The fact that flocculated allophane by GX at pH 4.5 still exhibited a positive electrophoretic mobility can be ascribed to the flocculation of allophane particles by bridging with this biopolymer. The relationship between FC of GX and the allophane content in soil clays was also examined.