Comparative lipid and lipoprotein metabolism

This review summarizes a number of recent reports in several areas of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Absorption of dietary lipids, cholesterol synthesis, and biliary cholesterol metabolism are mentioned only briefly to be complete. Comparative aspects of lipoprotein metabolism, however, are detailed in an effort to integrate the myriad metabolic events which characterize these important lipid transport particles. Where comparative information is known, those aspects of lipoprotein metabolism that may be protective against atherogenesis in certain mammalian species are also described. Efforts to understand atherogenic resistance comparatively in animals lends a better understanding of the metabolic events leading to coronary artery disease in humans. They also provide an important basis for understanding lipid metabolism in numerous veterinary species.     

Tailoring codend mesh size to improve the size selectivity of undifferentiated trawl species

Tiger flathead, Neoplatycephalus richardsoni (Castelnau), and sand flathead, Platycephalus bassensis Cuvier, are undifferentiated and managed with a common legal minimum length (LML). The Commonwealth Trawl Sector (CTS) and the Tasmanian Danish‐seine fishery (TDSF) use a minimum codend mesh sizes of 90 and 70 mm, respectively. The codend mesh size should be tailored to the LML, which is based on the length of first maturity of females (M₅₀). This study found the length–girth relationship of N. richardsoni and P. bassensis was not significantly different. Using the covered codend method, these two species had 50% retention lengths (L₅₀) of 294 ± 2 and 307 ± 3 mm, in 70‐mm and 90‐mm codends, respectively. L₅₀ estimates for mesh sizes from this study and others produced a curvilinear relationship: y = 120 ln(x) ? 214, with an r² of 0.8504. The size at maturity (M₅₀) for female N. richardsoni was 337 mm, which is larger than the estimate for female P. bassensis (247 mm). There is a mismatch between the estimates of L_50, the estimates of M₅₀ and the LMLs in each fishery, leading to suboptimal exploitation of female Platycephalus. The model produced in this paper recommends a codend mesh size of 98 mm for both fisheries to exploit Platycephalus species sustainably.     

Comparison of methods to assess dog owners' therapeutic compliance

Objective To compare different methods for assessing the compliance of veterinary clients administering medication to their dogs.
Procedure Thirty-one owners whose dogs were prescribed amoxycillin-clavulanate, twice and thrice daily, for a duration of five to seven days were recruited from three Sydney veterinary hospitals. Compliance was assessed by electronic monitoring devices, return medication counts, client self-reports and veterinarians' estimation of likely compliance.
Results Electronic monitoring showed owners administered on average 84% (range 7 to 104%) of prescribed medication to their dogs. Both return medication counts and client self-reports tended to overestimate therapeutic compliance when compared with electronic monitoring. When questioned, the majority of owners (71%) claimed perfect compliance with the prescribed regimen. No correlation was found between veterinarians' estimates of owner compliance and that assessed electronically.
Conclusion Electronic monitoring provided valuable information on dose timing and variation, but proved costly and difficult to employ in veterinary practice. Simplicity and low cost of return medication counts makes this method attractive for use in veterinary compliance studies. Client self-reports reliably detected some noncompliers and permitted identification of individual problems or errors. For practical purposes a combination of return medication counts and client self-reports may have merit in future veterinary compliance studies.     

Kisspeptin,c‐Fos and CRFR Type 2 Co‐expression in the Hypothalamus after Insulin‐Induced Hypoglycaemia

Normal reproductive function is dependent upon availability of glucose and insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia is a metabolic stressor known to disrupt the ovine oestrous cycle. We have recently shown that IIH has the ability to delay the LH surge of intact ewes. In the present study, we examined brain tissue to determine: (i) which hypothalamic regions are activated with respect to IIH and (ii) the effect of IIH on kisspeptin cell activation and CRFR type 2 immunoreactivity, all of which may be involved in disruptive mechanisms. Follicular phases were synchronized with progesterone vaginal pessaries and at 28 h after progesterone withdrawal (PW), animals received saline (n = 6) or insulin (4 IU/kg; n = 5) and were subsequently killed at 31 h after PW (i.e., 3 h after insulin administration). Peripheral hormone concentrations were evaluated, and hypothalamic sections were immunostained for either kisspeptin and c‐Fos (a marker of neuronal activation) or CRFR type 2. Within 3 h of treatment, cortisol concentrations had increased whereas plasma oestradiol concentrations decreased in peripheral plasma (p < 0.05 for both). In the arcuate nucleus (ARC), insulin‐treated ewes had an increased expression of c‐Fos. Furthermore, the percentage of kisspeptin cells co‐expressing c‐Fos increased in the ARC (from 11 to 51%; p < 0.05), but there was no change in the medial pre‐optic area (mPOA; 14 vs 19%). CRFR type 2 expression in the lower part of the ARC and the median eminence was not altered by insulin treatment. Thus, disruption of the LH surge after IIH in the follicular phase is not associated with decreased kisspeptin cell activation or an increase in CRFR type 2 in the ARC but may involve other cell types located in the ARC nucleus which are activated in response to IIH.     

Arthropods as surrogates of diversity at different spatial scales

This study evaluates the effectiveness of taxonomic, colonization and trophic groups of arthropods from native forests of the Azores archipelago as surrogates of the diversity of other arthropod groups and of the remaining arthropods. Consistency in the performance of surrogates was tested across three spatial scales and using two measures of diversity. Pitfall and beating samples from 109 transects, 18 forest fragments and seven islands were analysed. The results showed that Araneae, Hemiptera and small orders taxonomic groups; native, endemic and introduced colonization groups; and the herbivores trophic group were consistent surrogates of the remaining diversity across the three spatial scales analysed, for both alpha and dissimilarity diversities. However, none of the subsets considered was significantly related with all of the other subsets at any of the three spatial scales. The effectiveness of surrogacy was dependent on the spatial level considered, and groups behaved inconsistently depending on the measure of diversity used. The value of a group as a diversity surrogate should be evaluated for a study area for a given spatial scale and diversity measure, in accordance with the scale and measure that will be used for biodiversity assessments and monitoring programs in that area.     

Hemagglutinating activity associated with bovine herpesvirus type 1

Using C57BL/HPB mouse erythrocytes, hemagglutination has been observed with the Los Angeles and Colorado-1 strains of bovine herpesvirus type 1 and with 12 other Canadian field isolates as well. The specificity of the hemagglutination observed with the viral strains has been confirmed by a hemagglutination-inhibition assay.     

Owner compliance with short term antimicrobial medication in dogs

Summary: The degree to which dog owners complied with instructions to administer a 5 to 10 day course of antimicrobial medication to their pets was assessed using microprocessor based monitoring devices. Twenty two clients gave an average of 84% of prescribed doses of amoxycillin-clavulanate. No difference was found between twice and thrice daily dosing regimens in the overall percentage of prescribed doses given. However, timing of doses was far from ideal in many cases and only 34% of doses were given within the designated optimum time period. Adherence to desired dosing intervals tended to be better with twice daily than with thrice daily dosing, although the difference was statistically insignificant.