CHARACTERIZATION OF PHYSIOLOGIC 18F‐FDG UPTAKE WITH PET‐CT IN DOGS

We evaluated the whole body distribution of 2‐deoxy‐2‐[18F]fluoro‐d ‐glucose (¹⁸F‐FDG) in seven beagle dogs using positron emission tomography/computed tomography. The mean and maximum standard uptake values (SUV) for various tissues were computed. The SUV of the aortic blood pool was 0.65±0.19. Moderate uptake was present in brain (3.40±1.01). Mild uptake was present in orbital muscles, soft palate, laryngeal and pharyngeal region, mandibular salivary gland, myocardium, liver, pancreas, kidney, and intestine. ¹⁸F‐FDG uptake would be normally higher in these tissues because of normal physiologic activity. Mean and maximum SUV values of the eye, skeletal muscle, bone tissue, spleen, adrenal gland, stomach, tongue, gall bladder, and lung were similar to or lower than that of the aortic blood pool. These data provide a normal baseline for comparing pathologic ¹⁸F‐FDG uptake.     

THE BASIC FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE INHERENT SOIL FERTILITY IN UGANDA

Soil samples collected from approximately 1700 fertilizer trials carried out around 62 centres in Uganda were analysed. Mean levels of total N. organic P and cation exchange capacity at the 60 centres which had non-volcanic soils were very closely related to mean organic matter levels and largely explained the strong correlation of indices of available N, P and base status with organic matter. The indices of available P and base status were additionally related to pH and the indices of available N and P were further negatively correlated with sunshine hours. Soil organic matter itself was closely related to the content of clay, silt and free Fe. with which it is presumed it forms a stable complex, whilst soil pH decreased with rainfall in excess of evaporation. Thus soil texture, rainfall and hours of sunshine are the basic factors which largely determine inherent soil fertility in Uganda.     

Epizootics of sudden death in tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) associated with an orbivirus infection

Epizootics of sudden death in tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) occurred at six research facilities and zoological gardens in New South Wales, Australia, in late 1998 and at one Queensland research facility in March 1999. There were 120 confirmed tammar wallaby deaths during this period; however, population censuses indicated that up to 230 tammar wallabies may have died. The majority of animals died without premonitory signs. A small proportion of wallabies exhibited increased respiratory rate, sat with a lowered head shortly before death or were discovered in lateral recumbency, moribund and with muscle fasciculations. Gross postmortem findings consistently included massive pulmonary congestion, mottled hepatic parenchyma and subcutaneous oedema throughout the hindlimbs and inguinal region. Approximately 30% of the animals examined also had extensive haemorrhage within the fascial planes and skeletal muscle of the hindlimb adductors, inguinal region, ventral thorax, dorsal cervical region and perirenal retroperitoneal area. The tissues of affected animals became autolytic within a short period after death. Bacteriological examination of tissues from 14 animals did not provide any significant findings. Toxicological examination of the gastric and colonic contents of four animals did not reveal evidence of brodifacoume or other rodenticides. Viruses from the Eubenangee serogroup of the Orbivirus genus were isolated from the cerebral cortex of nine, and the myocardium of two, tammar wallabies and the liver and intestine of another tammar wallaby. A similar orbivirus was also isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of another tammar wallaby that died suddenly. The disease agent appears to be a previously unrecognised orbivirus in the Eubenangee serogroup. This is the first report of epizootics of sudden deaths in tammar wallabies apparently associated with an orbivirus infection.     

Bentonite as therapy for Lantana camara poisoning of cattle

Bentonite was compared with activated charcoal as therapy for lantana poisoning in calves dosed 5 d previously with leaf material of the common pink-edged red taxon of Lantana camara. Both therapies were given by stomach tube as a single dose at 5 g/kg. Five of 6 calves in each of the groups given bentonite and activated charcoal recovered while 5 of 6 calves in the control group died. Calves given bentonite took 3 d longer on average to recover fully than those given activated charcoal but the effects of the 2 therapies on plasma total bilirubin concentrations were statistically indistinguishable. Bentonite was judged to have promise as a cheap alternative to activated charcoal for therapy of lantana poisoning of cattle.     

Diabetes mellitus-A study of the disease in the dog and cat in Kent

A survey carried out using data supplied by members of a territorial division of the BSAVA revealed that a quantity of useful data exists in general practice and, given circumstances under which extraction and interpretation of it can be carried out, new information may be produced. In this instance diabetes mellitus in the dog was shown to occur in Kent particularly in the miniature and toy Poodle as a group and in the standard, wire-haired, miniature and long-haired Dachshund as a group.
The disease was commonest in the bitch; it showed a peak age occurrence for both sexes during the 10th-12th year with a winter/spring incidence, but in the entire bitch it followed oestrus and tended to occur during the summer.
The prognosis was found to be favourable when treatment with insulin by injection was started early and survival times of 12 months (50% of cases) and 3 years (23%) could be obtained. The prognosis for the cat was favourable despite the different life styles of dog and cat. The variable results and conclusions reached by different authors on this subject may be due to the vagaries of environment, diet, breeds and breed in an area, as well as to temperament, stress factors and genetic potential.     

The early development of Erysiphe pisi on Pisum sativum L.

Erysiphe pisi , the powdery mildew pathogen of Pisum sativum , followed a developmental sequence that allowed the identification of 10 distinct growth stages (GS) over 30 h following inoculation. The growth stages were ungerminated conidia (GS1), germinated conidia, having produced a germ tube (GS2), germlings where the germ tube had forked (GS3), germlings with a multi-lobed germ tube (GS4), germlings with a single hypha (GS5), germlings with two (GS6 and 7) or three (GS8 and 9) hyphae, one of which may have formed from the appressorium (GS7 and 9), and germlings with abnormally long germ tubes (GS10), which did not develop hyphae. Conidia germinated rapidly, with a quarter of conidia producing germ tubes by 2 h after inoculation (hai). Most germlings produced multi-lobed appressoria, which showed considerable variation in structure. Haustoria, although often difficult to visualize, were first seen 4 hai, and the first hyphae 14 hai, growing from the body of the conidium. Subsequent hyphae developed from both the body of the conidium and from the appressorium.     

Femoral Head Fractures Resulting in Epiphyseal Fragmentation Results of Repair in Five Dogs

Five mature dogs with fragmented femoral head fractures were treated. Fracture reduction was accomplished with lagged cortex screws and Kirschner wires or Smilley nails. Results were good or excellent in four dogs. Rigid internal stabilization, early surgical treatment, and reduced activity postsurgically are essential for proper healing of these fractures.     

Ultrasonographic Characteristics of Ovulatory Follicles and Associated Endocrine Changes in Cyclic Ewes Treated with Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MAP)-releasing Intravaginal Sponges and Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG)

The aim of this study was to assess the ultrasonographic characteristics of ovulatory follicles in cyclic Western White Face ewes (December) that had received intravaginal sponges containing medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP; 60 mg) for 12 days, with or without an injection of 500 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) at sponge removal. We hypothesized that quantitative echotextural attributes of the follicles in ewes treated only with MAP would differ from those in MAP/eCG-treated ewes, reflecting the increased antral follicular growth and secretory function under eCG influence. Digital images of ovulatory follicles obtained at 0 and 24 h after MAP sponge removal and at 24 h before ovulation in the eCG-treated (five ewes, 13 follicles) and control (six ewes, 9 follicles) animals, were subjected to computerized analyses. The mean diameter of ovulatory follicles increased (p < 0.001) 24 h after eCG treatment. The mean pixel intensity and heterogeneity of the follicular antrum (p < 0.001), as well as mean pixel intensity of the follicular wall and perifollicular ovarian stroma (p < 0.05), were greater in eCG-treated animals compared with control ewes 24 h after sponge removal and at 24 h before ovulation. Mean serum concentrations of oestradiol-17beta tended to increase (p = 0.06) 24 h after eCG treatment and the eCG-treated ewes exceeded (p < 0.05) control animals in progesterone concentrations from days 9-15 after ovulation. Our results support the hypothesis that large antral follicles in eCG-treated ewes exhibit distinctive echotextural characteristics. Follicular image attributes in eCG-treated ewes appear to be indicative of the changes in follicular morphology and secretory activity caused by the administration of the exogenous gonadotropin, which has both FSH- and LH-like activities.