Use of animation-enhanced video clips for teaching abnormal breathing patterns

The ability to characterize disease of the respiratory tract accurately based on breathing pattern is helpful for the development of differential diagnoses and an efficient diagnostic plan and critical for the stabilization of patients in respiratory distress. Veterinary students do not have sufficient clinical experience to observe personally all types of respiratory diseases and their resultant abnormal breathing patterns. We developed a teaching tool, the animated breathing pattern videotape (ABV), to fill this gap. The ABV is a collection of video clips of small animal patients with normal and abnormal breathing patterns on a conventional videotape of approximately 20 minutes duration. Each video clip is shown for 20 to 40 seconds, followed by the same clip with superimposed animation of rib and diaphragm motion, followed by the initial clip again, without overlying animation. The ABV has since been used in teaching third-year veterinary students, interns, residents, practicing veterinarians, and veterinary technicians. Student evaluations and responses to questionnaires by interns, residents, practicing veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and peer reviewers have been uniformly positive.     

A comparison of owner management and complications in 67 cats with esophagostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding tubes

Esophagostomy feeding tubes were placed in 46 cats. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tubes were placed in 21 cats. Owner management and complications and facility of use were evaluated retrospectively by review of medical records and owner survey. Both tube types were equally effective for maintenance of body weight, ease of owner management, and complication rates. All of 12 owners surveyed were comfortable with PEG tube management. Ninety-six percent of 24 owners surveyed were comfortable with esophagostomy tube management. The esophagostomy tube can be placed less invasively, without specialized equipment, making it an excellent alternative to the PEG tube.     

Acute Reactions in Dogs Treated with Doxorubicin: Increased Frequency with the Use of a Generic Formulation

During a 4-month period, 34 dogs with tumors received a total of 60 doses of a single generic formulation of doxorubicin; 13 acute drug reactions were observed in these 34 dogs, and no acute reactions were observed after replacing the product with the proprietary brand. These reactions were characterized by one or more of the following signs: pruritus; head-shaking; urticaria; erythema of the pinnal, axillary, or inguinal regions; vocalization; vomiting; hyperemic or pale mucous membranes; high heart rate; and high respiratory rate. We propose that a component unique to generic doxorubicin was responsible for the unusually high number of acute drug reactions observed.     

Hormonal influences on in vitro [35S]-sulfate uptake by gill arches from the goldfish (Carassius auratus L.)

A bioassay for insulin-like growth factor (IGF), based on the in vitro incorporation of [³⁵S]-sulfate into gill arch tissue was used to study the hormonal regulation of proteoglycan synthesis in the goldfish (Carassius auratus). [³⁵S]-sulfate incorporation into gill arch tissue was found to be time-dependent with maximal uptake occurring by 48h, suggesting that proteoglycan synthesis in this tissue was maintained for at least 48h in vitro. The addition of human recombinant IGF-I (IGF-I) to the incubation medium was found to significantly stimulate [³⁵S]-sulfate uptake into the gill arches, whereas bovine growth hormone (GH) was without effect. Porcine insulin was also stimulatory, but results indicate that the effects of porcine insulin and IGF-I may be mediated by a single receptor system. Finally, arches from hypophysectomized fish were significantly less responsive to IGF-I than were arches from sham-operated fish. Furthermore, administration of ovine GH in vivo appeared to increase subsequent responsiveness in vitro. Together, these results provide evidence that the growth-promoting actions of GH in the goldfish may be mediated, at least in part, by a peptide related in structure to mammalian IGF-I.     

A synthesis of the life history and ecology of juvenile Pacific herring in Prince William Sound,Alaska

Physical and biological variables affecting juvenile Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) in Prince William Sound (PWS) from 1995 to 1998 were investigated as part of a multifaceted study of recruitment, the Sound Ecosystem Assessment (SEA) program. Though more herring larvae were retained in eastern PWS bays, ages‐0 and ‐1 herring used bays throughout PWS as nursery areas. Water transported into PWS from the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) contributed oceanic prey species to neritic habitats. Consequently, variations in local food availability resulted in different diets and growth rates of herring among bays. Summer food availability and possible interspecific competition for food in nursery areas affected the autumn nutritional status and juvenile whole body energy content (WBEC), which differed among bays. The WBEC of age‐0 herring in autumn was related to over‐winter survival. The limited amount of food consumption in winter was not sufficient to meet metabolic needs. The smallest age‐0 fish were most at risk of starvation in winter. Autumn WBEC of herring and winter water temperature were used to model over‐winter mortality of age‐0 herring. Differences in feeding and energetics among nursery areas indicated that habitat quality and age‐0 survival were varied among areas and years. These conditions were measured by temperature, zooplankton abundance, size of juvenile herring, diet energy, energy source (GOA vs. neritic zooplankton), WBEC, and within‐bay competition.     

International and collaborative strategies to enhance genetic health in purebred dogs

Health problems in pedigree dogs have recently been highlighted in the media worldwide and verified internationally by cynological organisations. Collaborative actions are now needed to deal with both existing and future issues. In this article, potential roles for various stakeholders are discussed and the value of national and international platforms for collaborations is stressed. Development of specific strategies for action must be based on criteria of significance, such as severity, prevalence and inheritance, as well as availability of effective preventive measures. Assessment of options should be founded on evidence from appropriate populations-at-risk and consider broader issues, such as demographics and human-animal interactions. Existing data, such as those from insurance statistics and health surveys, should be used as a reference until representative national/international population-level breed-specific data are available. Key issues and challenges, as well as possible strategies to address them, are discussed.     

Arsenic and chromium resistance mechanisms in the Micrococcus luteus group

High arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) concentrations are currently receiving attention because of their negative effects on the environment and human health. Microorganisms inhabiting contaminated environments have developed resistance mechanisms against the toxicity of these pollutants. Indeed, members of the bacterial genus Micrococcus have been isolated from different toxic metal-contaminated environments; however, knowledge concerning its resistance mechanisms to As and Cr toxicity remains lim...     

抗重金属植物根际细菌的植物促生长特征以及它们对黑芥种子萌发的影响

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants and their associated microbes to clean up pollutants from the soil, water, and air. In order to select the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) for phytoremediation of heavy metal contamination, 60 bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of two endemic plants, Prosopis laevigata and Spharealcea angustifolia, in a heavy metal-contaminated zone in Mexico. These rhizobacterial strains were characterized for the growth at different pH and salinity, extracellular enzyme production, solubilization of phosphate, heavy metal resistance, and plant growth-promoting(PGP) traits, including production of siderophores and indol-3-acetic acid(IAA). Overall, the obtained rhizobacteria presented multiple PGP traits. These rhizobacteria were also resistant to high levels of heavy metals(including As as a metalloid)(up to 480 mmol L(-1)As(V), 24 mmol L(-1)Pb(Ⅱ), 21 mmol L(-1)Cu(Ⅱ), and 4.5 mmol L(-1)Zn(Ⅱ)). Seven rhizobacterial strains with the best PGP traits were identified as members of Alcaligenes, Bacillus, Curtobacterium, and Microbacterium, and were selected for further bioassay.The inoculation of Brassica nigra seeds with Microbacterium sp. CE3R2, Microbacterium sp. NE1R5, Curtobacterium sp. NM1R1,and Microbacterium sp. NM3E9 facilitated the root development; they significantly improved the B. nigra seed germination and root growth in the presence of heavy metals such as 2.2 mmol L(-1)Zn(Ⅱ). The rhizobacterial strains isolated in the present study had the potential to be used as efficient bioinoculants in phytorremediation of soils contaminated with multiple heavy metals.