Pharmacokinetics of flunixin meglumine in donkeys, mules, and horses

OBJECTIVE: To compare serum disposition of flunixin meglumine after i.v. administration of a bolus to horses, donkeys, and mules. ANIMALS: 3 clinically normal horses, 5 clinically normal donkeys, and 5 clinically normal mules. PROCEDURE: Blood samples were collected at time zero (before) and 5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 minutes, and at 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 2.75, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, and 8 hours after i.v. administration of a bolus of flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg of body weight). Serum was analyzed in duplicate by the use of high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of flunixin meglumine concentrations. The serum concentration-time curve for each horse, donkey, and mule were analyzed separately to estimate noncompartmental pharmacokinetic variables RESULTS: Mean (+/-SD) area under the curve for donkeys (646 +/- 148 minute x microg/ml) was significantly less than for horses (976 +/- 168 minute x microg/ml) or for mules (860 +/- 343 minute x microg/ml). Mean residence time for donkeys (54.6 +/- 7 minutes) was significantly less than for horses (110 +/- 24 minutes) or for mules (93 +/- 30 minutes). Mean total body clearance for donkeys (1.78 +/- 0.5 ml/kg/h) was significantly different from that for horses (1.14 +/- 0.18 ml/kg/h) but not from that for mules (1.4 +/- 0.5 ml/kg/h). Significant differences were not found between horses and mules for any pharmacokinetic variable. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Significant differences exist with regard to serum disposition of flunixin meglumine in donkeys, compared with that for horses and mules. Consequently, flunixin meglumine dosing regimens used in horses may be inappropriate for use in donkeys.     

Zinc nutrition influences the protein composition of flour in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Zinc (Zn) deficiency and heat stress during grain filling occur in a number of important wheat growing regions around the world. The changes in grain protein composition due to high temperature are well documented, but little is known about the effect of grain Zn and its interaction with heat stress. Six field experiments were conducted at sites differing in grain filling temperatures to examine these effects. Two varieties of bread wheat were grown at six rates of Zn, including foliar sprays of Zn. The relative amounts of gliadin and polymeric protein were measured by size exclusion HPLC. Applying Zn increased grain yield at three sites and altered protein quality at two of these. Foliar Zn applications doubled grain Zn concentration, reduced the proportion of gliadin and SDS-unextractable polymeric protein and increased the proportion of SDS-extractable polymeric protein. Heat stress during grain filling was associated with a high proportion of gliadin and low proportions of the polymeric protein in the grain. However, the proportions of gliadin and of SDS-extractable polymeric protein were less affected by high temperatures in grain with high Zn concentrations. The results demonstrate that Zn nutrition can alter protein composition and the effects of Zn may interact with grain filling temperatures.     

Soil-water potential: direct measurement by a new technique

Current methods of measuring the potential of water in soil are inadequate. It is proposed to depress the reference free energy of water by a predetermined amount from the standard level of pure free water at atmospheric pressure by use of a solute. The specific free-energy difference of soil water from the depressed reference can be measured as a pressure.     

Recovery of forest structure and composition to harvesting in different strata of mixed even-aged central Appalachian hardwoods

Context

Implementing nature-based silviculture requires understanding the structural and compositional changes that occur in forested stands under known disturbance types and intensities.

Aims

The objectives were to assess the (a) resistance of hardwood forests to change, (b) their trajectory of recovery following disturbance, and (c) how closely resulting forests resemble original forests.

Methods

We characterized tree structure and composition at three points in time (pre-disturbance, 1-year post-disturbance, and ～15 years following disturbance) along a harvesting disturbance gradient created by removing trees in different forest canopy strata.

Results

Significant differences to pre-disturbance conditions were noted immediately post-harvest for tree basal area, density, species richness, and tree species composition; treatment differences were observed for all parameters except diversity. Plots exposed to the least extreme harvesting disturbances (cutting small and intermediate trees) had returned to pre-disturbance conditions for most parameters after 15 years, while the most extreme harvesting disturbance (cutting large trees) had not yet recovered.

Conclusions

Although not initially resistant, Central Appalachian eastern hardwoods are fairly resilient to the removal of trees in the subcanopy or a mixture of the subcanopy and canopy; only the removal of solely canopy trees (i.e., high grading) and complete removal (i.e., clearcutting) appear to impose harvesting disturbances to which these forests may not be resilient.     

Salmonella in captive and wild Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) in Tasmania

Translocation of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a common strategy for recovery of the species as carried out by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program. Dasyurids including the endangered Tasmanian devil are well known to asymptomatically harbour the zoonotic bacteria Salmonella enterica in their intestinal tracts. Testing for Salmonella is a routine component of pretranslocation health testing, so a statewide microbiological survey of captive and wild devils was implemented in order to understand prevalence and common Salmonella serotypes, and inform decision-making when positive cultures are identified. This preliminary study identified a significantly higher proportion of Salmonella isolations in wild compared with captive devils. Mississippi and Typhimurium were the most common serotypes, followed by Lexington, Bovismorbificans, Kottbus and Amsterdam. Given the common finding of Salmonella in wild devils and the range of serotypes involved, in addition to numerous isolations in domestic species and humans, it is unlikely that the release of small numbers of captive devils to the wild in Tasmania poses a significant risk to the destination ecosystem. Ongoing monitoring of devils is required as the stress of acclimatisation could predispose devils to clinical disease. Appropriate personal protective attire is pertinent to protect personnel handling animals from this zoonotic infection.     

Supramolecular Materials: Self-Organized Nanostructures

Miniaturized triblock copolymers have been found to self-assemble into nanostructures that are highly regular in size and shape. Mushroom-shaped supramolecular structures of about 200 kilodaltons form by crystallization of the chemically identical blocks and self-organize into films containing 100 or more layers stacked in a polar arrangement. The polar supramolecular material exhibits spontaneous second-harmonic generation from infrared to green photons and has an adhesive tape-like character with nonadhesive-hydrophobic and hydrophilic-sticky opposite surfaces. The films also have reasonable shear strength and adhere tenaciously to glass surfaces on one side only. The regular and finite size of the supramolecular units is believed to be mediated by repulsive forces among some of the segments in the triblock molecules. A large diversity of multifunctional materials could be formed from regular supramolecular units weighing hundreds of kilodaltons.     

Single-Crystal Epitaxial Thin Films of the Isotropic Metallic Oxides Sr1-xCaxRuO3 (0 le x le 1)

Single-crystal epitaxial thin films of the isotropic metallic oxides Sr1-xCaxRuO(3) (0 相似文献   

Evaluation of tumescent local anesthesia in cats undergoing unilateral mastectomy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of tumescent local anesthesia (TLA) in cats undergoing unilateral mastectomy.Study designProspective clinical trial.AnimalsA total of 12 ovariohysterectomized female cats.MethodsAll animals were premedicated with pethidine (4 mg kg^–1) intramuscularly (IM), followed by induction of anesthesia with propofol (5 mg kg^–1) intravenously and maintenance with isoflurane in oxygen. A refrigerated TLA solution (15 mL kg^–1, 8 °C) was injected using a Klein cannula. The solution was composed of 0.5 mL of epinephrine (1 mg mL^–1) and 40 mL of 2% lidocaine added to 210 mL lactated Ringer’s solution (final lidocaine concentration 0.32%). Heart and respiratory rates, systolic arterial blood pressure, temperature and oxygen saturation were measured during anesthesia. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein for measurement of plasma lidocaine concentration using high performance liquid chromatography. Postoperative pain scores were evaluated hourly for 6 hours. Analgesic rescue was performed with tramadol (2 mg kg^–1) IM and meloxicam (0.15 mg kg^–1) subcutaneously.ResultsPlasma lidocaine concentration peaked at 90 minutes after injection of TLA, but no concentration considered toxic for the species was measured. The median postoperative analgesia time was 6 hours after injection of TLA.ConclusionsThis study found that TLA prevented sympathetic response to noxious stimuli during anesthesia and provided satisfactory postoperative analgesia in cats submitted to total unilateral mastectomy, with no apparent signs of toxicity.Clinical relevanceTLA can prevent sympathetic stimulation resulting from noxious stimuli during anesthesia, promoting good intraoperative conditions, proving to be a viable addition to analgesia in cats submitted to a total unilateral mastectomy.