Association of hyperlactatemia with age,diagnosis, and survival in equine neonates

Objective – To investigate the association between blood lactate concentration, measured at admission and following 12–36 hours of treatment, and age, diagnosis, and survival in neonatal foals. Design – Retrospective, observational study. Setting – Two equine referral hospitals. Animals – One hundred and twelve foals ≤96 hours of age were included. Interventions – Arterial or venous blood samples were obtained from all foals at admission and surviving foals at 12–36 hours. Measurements – The lactate concentration (LAC) was recorded at 2 time points: admission (LAC‐Admission) and 12–36 hours following treatment (LAC‐24 hours). Main Results – LAC decreased by 0.05 mmol/L for each increased hour of age at presentation. Premature/dysmature foals demonstrated increased odds of nonsurvival of 55% for each 1 mmol/L increase in LAC‐Admission while foals with major diagnoses of neonatal encephalopathy (NE), enteritis and ‘Other’ had increased odds of nonsurvival of 52%, 113%, and 247%, respectively, for each 1.0 mmol/L increase in LAC. Blood‐culture positive foals had significantly lower LAC than blood culture negative foals. LAC‐Admission and LAC‐24 hours were significantly larger in nonsurviving foals. LAC‐Admission of >6.9 mmol/L and LAC‐24 hours >3.2 mmol/L, respectively, correctly classified 85.6% and 94.1% of cases as survivors or nonsurvivors. No differences were found when the 24‐hour change in LAC was investigated in terms of outcome, age at admission, or major diagnosis; however, LAC‐24 hours remained significantly associated with survival. Conclusions – Admission or persistent hyperlactatemia is associated with a nonsurvival. Younger foals, premature/dysmature foals, and foals with neonatal encephalopathy had the largest LAC.     

Quantifying subjective human dimensions of recreational fishing: does good health come to those who bait?

Recreational fishing is a popular sport and leisure activity in many countries worldwide. There has been growing interest by recreational fishing groups and researchers in the perceived physical and psychological health and social (or ‘biopsychosocial’) benefits of recreational fishing. However, quantifying the key subjective ‘human dimensions’ of fishing that satisfy both the needs of recreational fishing groups and fishery managers is a major obstacle. We propose the use of psychometrically valid health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) measures widely used in the medical and health sciences – namely the Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36) – as rapid, reliable and cost‐effective instruments for quantifying HRQOL of recreational fishers. The widespread use of SF‐36 and availability of population normative data allows comparisons of the HRQOL of recreational fishers across multiple temporal and spatial scales, with participants of other activities, and the general population. The use of such measures in periodic surveys allows the biopsychosocial status of a recreational fishery's participants to be assessed using a modified Kobe plot, a graphical format that is easily interpretable and consistent with existing reporting formats used in fisheries stock assessment. Future biopsychosocial research in recreational fisheries can further benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration to develop a suite of standardized psychometrically valid and reliable instruments for assessing specific issues that commonly affect recreational fisheries from regional to international scales, such as drivers of fisher motivation, behaviour and satisfaction.     

Towards the development of a standardized method to monitor lakeshore hydromorphological restoration measures

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DNA‐analysis to monitor fisheries and aquaculture: Too costly?

Evidence from DNA‐analysis is commonplace in human criminal investigations, and while it is increasingly being used in wildlife crime, to date, its application to control and enforcement activities in fisheries and aquaculture has only been sporadic. Contemporary DNA‐analysis tools are capable of addressing a broad range of compliance issues, species identification, mislabelling of fish products, determining the origin of catches and the farm of origin of aquaculture escapees. Such applications have the potential to ensure traceability along the fish product supply chain and to combat consumer fraud and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing. Nevertheless, DNA‐analysis is not yet used routinely in investigations into compliance with fisheries and aquaculture legislation. One potential reason for this is that DNA‐analysis techniques may have been regarded as too expensive. However, costs have plummeted over the past decade prompting us to objectively assess whether the costs associated with routine use of DNA‐analysis techniques for fisheries and aquaculture control and enforcement activities do constitute an impediment. Based on a number of recent fisheries and aquaculture compliance investigations that incorporated DNA‐analysis, our results indicate that the use of genetic analysis was justified and worthwhile in all cases examined. We therefore conclude that the costs associated with DNA‐analysis do not represent a barrier to the routine adoption of DNA‐analysis techniques in fisheries and aquaculture compliance investigations. Thus, control and enforcement agencies should be encouraged to use such techniques routinely.     

Enzyme activity levels associated with the production of glycerol as an antifreeze in liver of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)

Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) tolerate temperatures close to the freezing point of sea water, in part, through the use of glycerol as an antifreeze. Potential mechanisms for glycerol production by liver were assessed by comparing activities of key enzym es of carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in rainbow smelt to those in Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) and smooth flounder (Liopsetta putmani). The latter two species inhabit the same environment but do not maintain high levels of blood glycerol. The enzyme profile of liver from rainbow smelt is substantially different from those of the other species and is poised for glycerol production. With respect to carbohydrate metabolism, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in rainbow smelt liver was 156 µmoles min^-1 g^-1, a level which was 28 and 12-fold higher than activities in tomcod and flounder liver, respectively. Glycerol-3-phosphatase activity in smelt liver was 1.95 µmol min^-1 g^-1. This activity was 2.7 and 5.4-fold higher than those in tomcod and flounder liver, respectively. As such, the production of glycerol appears to be dependent upon the concerted action of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glycerol-3-phosphatase. The enzyme profile also suggests that amino acids are a potential source of carbon for glycerol. Aspartate aminotransferase activity in rainbow smelt was 7 to 14-fold higher in comparison to tomcod and flounder liver, respectively. Activities of alanine aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase in liver were between 2 and 3-fold higher in rainbow smelt than in the other two species. Finally, it is shown that in vitro preparations of smelt liver sections produce glycerol at 0°C lending support to the concept that liver is a site of glycerol synthesis in vivo.     

Genetically engineering better fungal biopesticides

Microbial insect pathogens offer an alternative means of pest control with the potential to wean us off our heavy reliance on chemical pesticides. Insect pathogenic fungi play an important natural role in controlling disease vectors and agricultural pests. Most commercial products employ Ascomycetes in the genera Metarhizium and Beauveria. However, their utilization has been limited by inconsistent field results as a consequence of sensitivity to abiotic stresses and naturally low virulence. Other naturally occurring biocontrol agents also face these hurdles to successful application, but the availability of complete genomes and recombinant DNA technologies have facilitated design of multiple fungal pathogens with enhanced virulence and stress resistance. Many natural and synthetic genes have been inserted into entomopathogen genomes. Some of the biggest gains in virulence have been obtained using genes encoding neurotoxic peptides, peptides that manipulate host physiology and proteases and chitinases that degrade the insect cuticle. Prokaryotes, particularly extremophiles, are useful sources of genes for improving entomopathogen resistance to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These biological insecticides are environmentally friendly and cost‐effective insect pest control options. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Prevalence of Gastric Ulcerations in Horses with Colic

The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastric ulcers in horses with acute abdominal crisis (colic) and to examine the temporal effect of hospitalization on ulcer development in equine patients treated for colic. In addition, other factors that may be associated with gastric ulceration were also explored. The study design was a prospective original study incorporating 169 horses that presented to the George D. Widener Hospital for examination. One hundred and twelve horses presenting with the chief complaint of colic were included in the study group, and 57 horses that presented for non-colic or nonemergency complaints were evaluated and included as case controls. Gastroscopy was performed on equine patients presenting with the chief complaint of colic or horses presenting for reasons other than colic (control); mucosal changes were scored 0 to 3. Additionally, horses presenting for colic were gastroscopically evaluated twice during a 5-day period. Medical records were reviewed for history, clinical findings, laboratory results, and treatment. Seventy-six of 112 horses presenting with the chief complaint of colic had gastric ulceration compared with 41 of 57 horses in the control group. There was a significant association between age of the patient and chief complaint (ie, colic vs control) and between breed and chief complaint. There was no association between gastric ulcer score and chief complaint (colic vs control). Thirty-eight of the 112 horses presenting with colic deteriorated in ulcer score while hospitalized. Using a Pearson chi-squared test, there was no statistically significant association between gastric ulceration with age, breed, or sex. Horses with gastric ulceration in the colic group had lower packed cell volumes compared with horses presenting with colic without gastric ulcers, and this was statistically significant (P < .001). The high incidence of gastric ulceration in the study and control groups supports the reports of other investigators that gastric ulcers in horses, no matter the presenting complaint, are widespread. There was a significant association between breed and chief complaint (P = .005); however, breed and outcome of gastric ulceration were not related (Thoroughbreds were the least likely breed to present for colic). Although a trend in increasing gastric ulceration was seen in hospitalized colic patients, it was not statistically significant. This suggests that horses that are hospitalized may be at increased risk for developing gastric ulcers because of stress, feed deprivation, and administration of treatment. Thus, horses that present for colic should be gastroscopically evaluated if clinical signs raise the index of suspicion for gastric ulceration.     

Do epiphytic orchids behave as metapopulations? Evidence from colonization, extinction rates and asynchronous population dynamics

Previous in situ studies of orchid population dynamics with conservation relevance have focused on one or a few populations in a limited area. Many species of orchids occur as hyperdispersed populations in ephemeral habitats (epiphytic, twig epiphytes, short lived or vulnerable host). In this contribution, we show that orchid populations that are patchily distributed and that exist in disturbance-prone environments may act somewhat like a metapopulation with high turnover and low correlation in population dynamics. We tested for evidence of metapopulation dynamics in the riparian orchid Lepanthes rupestris by sampling over 1000 sites (250 initially occupied, 750 initially unoccupied) in biannual surveys for 5 years. Extinction and colonization of groups of orchids on a single substrate or patch (either trees or boulders) was common and more or less consistent across different time periods, and asynchronous subpopulation dynamics were evident among the populations. From this we predict non-zero equilibrium values for site occupancy () of L. rupestris. Nevertheless, this study species differed from a typical Levins’ metapopulation system in that small populations were more likely to go extinct than large populations, and that colonization of previously occupied sites was more common than colonization of initially unoccupied sites suggesting that site quality may influence population persistence and colonization. A major difficulty applying the metapopulation approach to orchid conservation is identifying empty sites suitable for colonization. In spite of this limitation, our study highlights the necessity of following multiple orchid subpopulations (e.g., an entire orchid “metapopulation” in the broad sense) may provide a more accurate basis for predicting persistence in epiphytic orchids.