Ectoparasites of road-killed vertebrates in northwestern South Carolina, USA

Road-killed animals are overlooked as the source of ectoparasites for monitoring vectors of zoonotic pathogens. We demonstrate that by exclusively sampling road-killed animals, a wide spectrum of vertebrate hosts and ectoparasites can be collected. Fifty-one species of ectoparasites were recovered from 35 species of road-killed vertebrates in northwestern South Carolina. Approximately, 11% of the total known terrestrial vertebrate species in the region were examined, which included more than 25% of the known mammal species. Our sampling techniques produced new state and regional records for chewing lice, ticks, and parasitic mites. Most ectoparasites were alive when they were collected, which would allow them to be screened for zoonotic pathogens.     

The power of practice: harnessing patient outcomes for clinical decision making.

The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) relies on the ability of veterinarians to evaluate clinical outcomes. Evaluation of clinical outcomes optimizes the patient care process by transforming what is learned about a population of patients and applying it to an individual patient. Veterinarians' ability to summarize and record relevant information from each pet encounter enables outcomes analysis, thereby transforming clinical data into medical knowledge. This article describes the multiple integrated processes required to evaluate outcomes and practice EBM. As a result of the aggregation and analysis of patient outcomes, knowledge is derived that has the potential to enhance clinical decision making and client communication.     

Properties of partially purified goat kidney beta-D-mannosidase

Lysosomal beta-D-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.25) was purified 6900-fold from normal goat kidney by serial Concanavalin A-Sepharose 4B and Red A dye ligand affinity chromatography, followed by anion exchange and molecular sieve high performance liquid chromatography. The relative molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated by molecular sieving to be 79,000 +/- 3000. The apparent Km for the synthetic substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-mannopyranoside, was 2.3-2.8 mM and the sharp, unimodal pH optimum was 5.5. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Hg2+, Zn2+, Ag+, Co2+ and the thiol reactive agent N-ethylmaleimide. The mannose derivatives p-nitrophenyl-beta-D- thiomannopyranoside and p-aminophenyl-beta-D-thiomannopyranoside inhibited enzyme activity and may be of use as immobilized ligands in future attempts to purify beta-D-mannosidase by specific affinity chromatography.     

Plasma concentrations of pepsinogen and corticosteroid in relation to gastric lesions in swine.

Plasma pepsinogen and plasma corticosteroid concentrations were found to be unrelated to the presence or severity of gastric lesions in swine. Mean plasma pepsinogen and corticosteroid concentrations were significantly different between collection periods, with significantly higher values occurring during cold weather. Seemingly, plasma pepsinogen and corticosteroid values are neither indicative of susceptibility to, nor of the presence of, gastric erosions or ulcers in swine. However, plasma pepsinogen concentration may be a potential indicator of stress.     

Retention of acetaminophen in an in vitro model of solid-phase gastric emptying of animals

OBJECTIVE: To apply an in vitro model for assessment of the solid-phase binding capacity of acetaminophen and thus assess the reliability of this marker for evaluation of solid-phase gastric emptying in vivo in animals. SAMPLE POPULATION: 4 test meals. PROCEDURES: A spectrophotometric method for detection of acetaminophen was validated and applied for assessment of the percentage retention of acetaminophen in the solid phase of 4 test meals. The gastric milieu was simulated by incubating each meal in artificial gastric juice for 2 hours in a shaking water bath maintained at 37 degrees C. Solid-phase retention was then assessed 3 times by measuring the amount of acetaminophen that had leached into the liquid phase. RESULTS: Acetaminophen was poorly retained in the solid phase of all the test meals examined in the study. There was also a large degree of variability in the percentage retention for each meal when the experiment was repeated 3 times. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Analysis of the results of this in vitro study confirmed that acetaminophen may not be an appropriate marker of solid-phase gastric emptying. The acetaminophen gastric emptying test should be applied only for the assessment of liquid-phase emptying in animals.     

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