Atypical Radiologic Appearance of a Second Cervical Vertebral Fracture in a Horse

This report presents the case of a 21-year-old Warmblood mare referred to the clinic with neurological dysfunctions and considerable signs of discomfort. A fracture of the caudal vertebral body of C2 with a very unusual radiographic appearance was diagnosed, and the mare was euthanized due to deterioration in neurological status. Histology revealed no evidence of neoplasia or pathological fracture.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of canine mast cell tumors

Mast cell tumors (MCT) are the most common cutaneous tumors in dogs. Our purpose was to describe the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging characteristics of cutaneous MCT and to identify imaging characteristics that allow differentiation of metastatic from normal lymph nodes. Eight dogs with a total of nineMCT were imaged as were their presumed draining and associated contralateral lymph nodes. The signal intensity of tumors and lymph nodes was compared to adjacent musculature. On T2-W images, 7/9 MCT were hyperintense to muscle and 2/9 were isointense. On T1-W images, 8/9 MCT were isointense and 1/9 were mildly hypointense. All tumors were strongly contrast enhancing; 5/9 were homogeneous and 4/9 heterogeneous in their enhancement patterns. Six lymph node pairs were included in the evaluation (five sentinel lymph nodes with metastases, one without, and six contralateral lymph nodes). Metastatic lymph nodes were significantly larger than their contralateral lymph nodes (P = 0.039). All lymph nodes were isointense on T1-W images and hyperintense on T2-W images. 5/5 metastatic and 2/7 normal lymph nodes were heterogeneously T2-hyperintense. All lymph nodes were moderately to strongly contrast enhancing. 4/5 metastatic and 2/7 normal lymph nodes had heterogeneous enhancement patterns. While heterogeneity was more common in metastatic than in normal lymph nodes, this difference was not significant (P = 0.058 for T2-W images; P = 0.234 for postcontrast images). MR imaging may be useful in the presurgical evaluation and clinical staging of cutaneous MCT.     

The effect of oral metformin on insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant ponies

Metformin may be an effective therapeutic option for insulin-resistant (I-R) horses/ponies because, in humans, it reportedly enhances insulin sensitivity (SI) of peripheral tissues without stimulating insulin secretion. To determine the effect of metformin on insulin and glucose dynamics in I-R ponies, six ponies were studied in a cross-over design by Minimal Model analysis of a frequently-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). Metformin was administered at 15 mg/kg bodyweight (BW), orally, twice-daily, for 21 days to the metformin-treated group. The control group received a placebo. A FSIGT was conducted before and after treatment. The Minimal Model of glucose and insulin dynamics rendered indices describing SI, glucose effectiveness (Sg), acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) and the disposition index (DI). The body condition score (BCS), BW and cresty neck score (CNS) were also assessed. There was no significant change in SI, Sg, AIRg, DI, BW, BCS or CNS in response to metformin, or over time in the control group. There were no measurable benefits of metformin on SI, consistent with recent work showing that the bioavailability of metformin in horses is poor, and chronic dosing may not achieve therapeutic blood concentrations. Alternatively, metformin may only be effective in obese ponies losing weight or with hyperglycaemia.     

Effects of maternally-derived antibodies on serologic responses to vaccination in kittens

The optimal vaccination protocol to induce immunity in kittens with maternal antibodies is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of maternally-derived antibody (MDA) on serologic responses to vaccination in kittens. Vaccination with a modified live virus (MLV) product was more effective than an inactivated (IA) product at inducing protective antibody titers (PAT) against feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). IA vaccination against feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV) and feline calicivirus (FCV) was more effective in the presence of low MDA than high MDA. Among kittens with low MDA, MLV vaccination against FCV was more effective than IA vaccination. A total of 15%, 44% and 4% of kittens had insufficient titers against FPV, FHV and FCV, respectively, at 17 weeks of age. Serologic response to vaccination of kittens varies based on vaccination type and MDA level. In most situations, MLV vaccination should be utilized and protocols continued beyond 14 weeks of age to optimize response by all kittens.     

Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) Feeding Strategies at Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar: An Indirect Sampling Method

In this research, we focused on aye-aye populations in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. From August to December 2008, we tested how aye-aye feeding was influenced by presence/absence of both fruiting and non-fruiting Canarium trees. Deadwood feeding traces were used as a proxy for evidence of Canarium feeding. We enumerated deadwood feeding traces in 20 locations, 10 with Canarium, 10 without. Each location contained two transects (80 m L × 20 m W) for a total area of 5.6 ha. Feeding trace results for Canarium locations compared to non-Canarium locations were not significant (Z = -1.926, p = 0.083); however, feeding trace results were significant when comparing fruiting and non-fruiting Canarium locations (Z = -2.417, p = 0.016). These results highlight the importance of Canarium in the diet of aye-ayes and demonstrate how the distribution of this resource may influence the foraging behavior of aye-ayes.     

Effect of spatial scale of soil data on estimates of soil ecosystem services: Case study in 100 km2 area in France

Over the last decade, the ecosystem services (ESs) framework has been increasingly used to support mapping and assessment studies for sustainable land management purposes. Previous analysis of practical applications has revealed the significance of the spatial scale at which input data are obtained. This issue is particularly problematic with soil data that are often unavailable or available only at coarse scales or resolutions in various part of the world. In this context, four soil-based ecosystem services, namely biomass provision, water provision, global climate regulation, and water quality regulation, are assessed using three conventional soil maps at the 1:1,000,000, 1:250,000 and 1:50,000 scales. The resulting individual and joint ES maps are then compared to examine the effects of changing the spatial scale of soil data on the ES levels and spatial patterns. ES levels are finally aggregated to landforms, land use, or administrative levels in order to try to identify the determinants of the sensitivity of ES levels to change in the scale of input soil data. Whereas the three soil maps turn out to be equally useful whenever ESs levels averaged over the whole 100 km² territory are needed, the maps at the 1:1,000,000 and 1:250,000 induced biases in the assessment of ESs levels over spatial units smaller than 100 and 10 km², respectively. The simplification of the diversity and spatial distribution of soils at the two coarsest scales indeed resulted in local differences in ES levels ranging from several 10 to several 100%. Identification of the optimal representation of soil diversity and distribution to obtain a reliable representation of ESs spatial distribution is not straightforward. The ESs sensitivity to scale effect is indeed context-specific, variable among individual ESs, and not directly or simply linked with the soil typological diversity represented in soil maps. Forested and natural lands in the study area appear particularly sensitive to soil data scales as they occupy marginal soils showing very specific ESs signatures.     

Theileria buffeli infection of a Michigan cow confirmed by small subunit ribosomal RNA gene analysis

Theileria buffeli, generally a benign parasite of cattle, has been reported in animals from Texas, Missouri and North Carolina. To date, there have been no reports of the parasite in cattle residing in northern portions of the US. An 8-year-old cow (Maine Anjou x Angus cross-bred) in Michigan presented with hemoglobinuria and a packed cell volume of 9. Blood films stained with Giemsa showed numerous intraerythrocytic parasites morphologically consistent with T. buffeli. The parasite was confirmed to be T. buffeli by SSU rRNA gene sequence analysis (SSU rRNA sequence, Type A). This represents the first report of this parasite in an animal in Michigan.     

Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of New Dosage Forms as Vehicles for Dehydrated Vegetables

A dehydrated vegetables mixture loaded in four pharmaceutical dosage forms as powder, effervescent granulate, sugar granulate and gumdrops were investigated for their antioxidant capacity using 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging capacity assay, oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay and ferric reducing antioxidant potential assay. Total phenolic content of dehydrated vegetables powder mixture was also measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, so as to evaluate its contribution to their total antioxidant function. The effect of different temperatures on stability of these systems after 90 days storage was also evaluated. These formulations presented strong antioxidant properties and high phenolic content (279 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of sample) and thus could be potential rich sources of natural antioxidants. Antioxidant properties differed significantly among selected formulations (p?<?0.05). Generally, the losses were lower in samples stored under refrigeration. To interpret the antioxidant properties a kinetic approach was performed. Degradation kinetics for the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity followed a zero-order function. Effervescent granulate was the formulation which underwent faster degradation. Contrary, sugar granulate and gumdrops were much more slowly. Time required to halve the initial amount of phenolic compounds was 589?±?45 days for samples stored at 4?º C, and 312?±?16 days for samples stored at room temperature. These developed dosage forms are new and innovative approach for vegetable intakes in population with special requirements providing an improvement in the administration of vegetables and fruits.     

Does Kochia prostrata Spread From Seeded Sites? An Evaluation From Southwestern Idaho,USA

Purposeful introductions of exotic species for rehabilitation efforts following wildfire are common on rangelands in the western United States, though ecological impacts of exotic species in novel environments are often poorly understood. One such introduced species, Kochia prostrata (L.) Schrad (forage kochia) has been seeded on over 200 000 ha throughout the Intermountain West to provide fuel breaks and forage, and to compete with invasive plants. Despite its potential benefits, K. prostrata has been reported to spread from some seeded areas, and no studies have addressed its potential interactions with native species. A systematic investigation is needed to increase understanding of the extent to which K. prostrata spreads from seeded areas, the environmental conditions under which it spreads, and its interactions with the associated plant communities. We sampled 28 K. prostrata postfire rehabilitation and greenstrip seedings in southwestern Idaho, which ranged from 3 to 24 yr since seeding. We analyzed cover of K. prostrata and the associated plant community in adjacent seeded and unseeded areas, and quantified extent of spread from seeded areas. Abundance of K. prostrata was negatively associated with that of most plant functional groups, including native species, but was positively associated with abundance of exotic annual forbs. Kochia prostrata spread to unseeded areas on 89% of sampled sites; distances of the farthest individual from the seeding boundary were greater than those previously reported, ranging from 0 to 710 m, with a mean distance of 208 m. Further, although the area covered by K. prostrata increased with time since seeding, we found no evidence that plant community composition affected spread of K. prostrata. Results contribute to current understanding of potential ecological implications of seeding K. prostrata and will enhance the ability of land managers to make scientifically based management decisions about its use.     

Linking Phenology and Biomass Productivity in South Dakota Mixed-Grass Prairie

Assessing the health of rangeland ecosystems based solely on annual biomass production does not fully describe the condition of the plant community; the phenology of production can provide inferences about species composition, successional stage, and grazing impacts. We evaluated the productivity and phenology of western South Dakota mixed-grass prairie in the period from 2000 to 2008 using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The NDVI is based on 250-m spatial resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. Growing-season NDVI images were integrated weekly to produce time-integrated NDVI (TIN), a proxy of total annual biomass production, and integrated seasonally to represent annual production by cool- and warm-season species (C₃ and C_4, respectively). Additionally, a variety of phenological indicators including cool-season percentage of TIN were derived from the seasonal profiles of NDVI. Cool-season percentage and TIN were combined to generate vegetation classes, which served as proxies of the conditions of plant communities. TIN decreased with precipitation from east to west across the study area. However, the cool-season percentage increased from east to west, following patterns related to the reliability (interannual coefficient of variation [CV]) and quantity of midsummer precipitation. Cool-season TIN averaged 76.8% of the total TIN. Seasonal accumulation of TIN corresponded closely (R² > 0.90) to that of gross photosynthesis data from a carbon flux tower. Field-collected biomass and community composition data were strongly related to TIN and cool-season percentage. The patterns of vegetation classes were responsive to topographic, edaphic, and land management influences on plant communities. Accurate maps of biomass production, cool- and warm-season composition, and vegetation classes can improve the efficiency of land management by facilitating the adjustment of stocking rates and season of use to maximize rangeland productivity and achieve conservation objectives. Further, our results clarify the spatial and temporal dynamics of phenology and TIN in mixed-grass prairie.