Experimental evidence that tryptamine alkaloids do not cause Phalaris aquatica sudden death syndrome in sheep

The acute toxicity for sheep of 3 alkaloids that occur in Phalaris acquatica was examined by intravenous and oral administration. The lowest tested dose rates that produced clinically observed signs were, for 5-methoxy dimethyltryptamine, 0.1 mg/kg body weight intravenously and 40 mg/kg orally; for gramine, 10 mg/kg intravenously and 500 mg/kg orally; and for hordenine, 20 mg/kg intravenously and 800 mg/kg orally. All induced the clinical signs observed in the nervous form of phalaris toxicity, but none induced the cardiac, sudden death, syndrome.     

Evaluation of the effect of mesotherapy in the management of back pain in police working dog

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of mesotherapy in dogs compared with a positive control group.

Morphology of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) embryos in the first third of pregnancy

The breeding of South American camelids is the main economic activity of the high Andean region of South America and it, is potentially, the most profitable resource in of the Puna environmental conditions of the Puna. The duration of the gestation in alpaca is 339.7 ± 12 days. The objective of the present work was to macroscopically and microscopically describe the ontogenic development of the splanchnic cavities of the alpaca and to determine the gestational time in which the post‐cranial ossification centers are observed in the embryos/fetuses of this species, from day 21 to 107 of gestation. The documentation of normal ontogenic development, which is vacant for this period, is of the utmost importance to understand the consequences of the alterations at the different gestational times, as well as for the estimation of the gestational age in the case of abortions. Forty‐seven alpaca specimens of both sexes, at different times of their gestational development, collected during slaughter at local slaughterhouses of the Department of Huancavelica, Peru, were evaluated. Specimens were assigned to seven groups according to their morphological characteristics. The embryogenesis in the alpaca was characterized by a series of changes comparable to those occurring in other mammals with similar gestational periods. Despite these similarities, species differences were found in some organs as stomach, which are observed too in adult individuals.     

Effects of thyroxine administration on the growth and survival of pike silverside (Chirostoma estor) juveniles

The pike silverside has high aquaculture potential despite its slow growth. In this study, thyroxine (T₄) concentrations (0.13, 1.3 and 13 nM), a control with no hormonal supplement and a negative control containing 4.5 mM methimazole (MMI) were tested to evaluate the growth of this species. Juveniles (0.2 g) were exposed by immersion to these treatments for 8 h every second day for 120 days, and growth evaluations were performed monthly over the entire trial period. In addition, tissue samples from each treatment group were assayed for triiodothyronine (T₃) and deiodinase type 2 (D2) activity . The survival rates in all T₄ groups were high, and a significant increase in growth was observed (average of 58%). The MMI treatment caused an increase in mortality and a reduction in the final body weight compared with the control. T₄ administration did not affect the tissue levels of T₃, and it decreased muscular D2 activity only after 30 days of exposure. These results demonstrated that low concentrations of T₄ in the culture environment could improve the growth of this species without affecting tissue hormone levels. The technique may have useful applications for early‐stage aquaculture of this and other economically important species.     

Modeling the Exchanges of Energy, Water, and Carbon Between Continents and the Atmosphere

Atmospheric general circulation models used for climate simulation and weather forecasting require the fluxes of radiation, heat, water vapor, and momentum across the land-atmosphere interface to be specified. These fluxes are calculated by submodels called land surface parameterizations. Over the last 20 years, these parameterizations have evolved from simple, unrealistic schemes into credible representations of the global soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer system as advances in plant physiological and hydrological research, advances in satellite data interpretation, and the results of large-scale field experiments have been exploited. Some modern schemes incorporate biogeochemical and ecological knowledge and, when coupled with advanced climate and ocean models, will be capable of modeling the biological and physical responses of the Earth system to global change, for example, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide.     

Endometrial Expression of IFNAR‐1 and Oxytocin Receptor (OTR) is not Improved by Prostaglandin Analogues when Compared to Progestagens in Ewes

The objective of this study was to investigate differences on the endometrial immunoexpression of type I IFN receptor subunit 1 (IFNAR1) and oxytocin receptor (OTR) during the time of maternal recognition of pregnancy in sheep, when oestrus is synchronized with either prostaglandin analogues (group PG) or conventional progestagens (group P). Plasma progesterone was measured from day 0 to 21 post‐coitus (pc) (day 0 = day of oestrus). Immunohistochemistry was performed in samples of uterine horns from pregnant sheep on days 9pc, 13pc, 15pc, 17pc and 21pc to locate IFNAR1 and OTR expression in different endometrial compartments. Mean levels of plasma progesterone were different between treatments, obtaining higher levels in the PG group than in the P group (p < 0.05). Comparing days of pregnancy, IFNAR1 protein expression was different in the luminal epithelium (LE) (p < 0.05), while OTR was different in the LE and in the superficial glandular epithelium (SG) (p < 0.05). Temporal variation on the expression of both proteins from day 9pc to 21pc has been evidenced. IFNAR1 and OTR expression did not show significant differences between treatments. However, the response observed in the endometrium was highly inconsistent when prostaglandin analogues were used. Therefore, the protocol based on prostaglandin analogues still needs to be optimized before being considered as a better alternative to progestagens for oestrous synchronization in sheep.