Recovery of brodifacoum in vomitus following induction of emesis in dogs that had ingested rodenticide bait

AIM: To assess the benefit of inducing emesis in dogs that have ingested rodenticide bait containing brodifacoum (BDF), by determining the amount of BDF in bait recovered from the vomitus relative to the estimated amount consumed.

METHODS: Between 2014 and 2015 samples of vomitus from seven dogs that ingested rodenticide baits containing BDF were submitted by veterinarians in New Zealand. All seven dogs had been given apomorphine by the veterinarian and vomited within 1 hour of ingesting the bait. Some or all of the bait particles were retrieved from each sample and were analysed for concentrations of BDF using HPLC. Based on estimations of the mass of bait consumed, the concentration of BDF stated on the product label, and the estimated mass of bait in the vomitus of each dog, the amount of BDF in the vomited bait was calculated as a percentage of the amount ingested.

RESULTS: For five dogs an estimation of the mass of bait ingested was provided by the submitting veterinarian. For these dogs the estimated percentage of BDF in the bait retrieved from the vomitus was between 10–77%. All dogs were well after discharge but only one dog returned for further testing. This dog had a normal prothrombin time 3 days after ingestion.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The induction of emesis within 1 hour of ingestion can be a useful tool in reducing the exposure of dogs to a toxic dose of BDF. The BDF was not fully absorbed within 1 hour of ingestion suggesting that the early induction of emesis can remove bait containing BDF before it can be fully absorbed.     

Veränderungen der Vegetation durch experimentelle Erdgasbehandlung

Changes in vegetation caused by experimental leakage of natural gas The response of vegetation to natural gas leakage was studied in Central Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, in 1978–84. The gas used was of the following chemical composition: 93·8% methane, 3·6% ethane, 0·8% propane, 0·25% butane, 0·3% carbon dioxide. The test crops were planted in 60·5 m plots containing underground bores from which gas was released into the soil through distribution pipes. In addition, the response of some weed species was recorded. The important effects of contamination observed were restricted growth and decrease in the number of individuals present. A change in the green colour of leaves was recorded in Medicago sativa, Brassica oleracea var. acephala, Secale cereale, Lolium multiflorum. Beta vulgaris and Zea mays. An obvious shift of developmental stages was found in Solanum tuberosum. Helianthus annuus and Zea mays (delay of recruitment and blooming). Restricted or even failure of reproduction can be considered the typical effect of exposure to natural gas: this holds true especially for Allium cepa, Triticum aestivum, Hordeum distichon, Trifolium sp.div., Medicago sativa, and most of the weedy species. Various growth deformations, mostly found in the underground parts of the plants (tubers and roots in Solanum tuberosum, Beta vulgaris), can be ascribed to the unfavourable conditions of soil aeration. Plants of Chenopodium album and Medicago sativa growing in the vicinity of the gas release point had an increased number of stomata. There were changes in the course of the reflectance curves estimated in the population of Trifolium pratense subsp. sativum. There was a conspicuous decrease of the near infrared reflectance in the stand exposed to gas in comparison with the control. Decrease of coverage and density of the stands reduced species diversity and changes in the species' composition (reduction of sensitive species) are the general consequences of natural gas leakage. The first symptoms on the vegetation were observed after 15–30 days which corresponds to about 80–150 m³ of discharged gas.     

Use of a non-linear spline regression to model time-varying fluctuations in mammary-secretion element concentrations of periparturient mares in Michigan, USA

A study was designed to model the fluctuations of nine specific element concentrations in mammary secretions from periparturient mares over time. During the 1992 foaling season, serial samples of mammary secretions were collected from all 18 pregnant Arabian mares at the Michigan State University equine teaching and research center. Non-linear regression techniques were used to model the relationship between element concentration in mammary secretions and days from foaling (which connected two separate sigmoid curves with a spline function); indicator variables were included for mare and mare parity. Element concentrations in mammary secretions varied significantly during the periparturient period in mares. Both time trends and individual variability explained a significant portion of the variation in these element concentrations. Multiparous mares had lower concentrations of K and Zn, but higher concentrations of Na. Substantial serial and spatial correlation were detected in spite of modeling efforts to avoid the problem. As a result, p-values obtained for parameter estimates were likely biased toward zero. Nonetheless, results of this analysis indicate that monitoring changes in mammary-secretion element concentrations might reasonably be used as a predictor of impending parturition in the mare. In addition, these results suggest that element concentrations warrant attention in the development of neonatal milk-replacement therapies. This study demonstrates that non-linear regression can be used successfully to model time-series data in animal-health management. This approach should be considered by investigators facing similar analytical challenges.     

Above- and belowground biomass measurements in an unthinned stand of Sitka spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea sitchensis</Emphasis> (Bong) Carr.)

Reporting carbon (C) stocks in tree biomass (above- and belowground) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) should be transparent and verifiable. The development of nationally specific data is considered ‘good practice’ to assist in meeting these reporting requirements. From this study, biomass functions were developed for estimating above- and belowground C stock in a 19-year-old stand of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong) Carr.). Our estimates were then tested against current default values used for reporting in Ireland and literature equations. Ten trees were destructively sampled to develop aboveground and tree component biomass equations. The roots were excavated and a root:shoot (R) ratio developed to estimate belowground biomass. Application of the total aboveground biomass function yielded a C stock estimate for the stand of 74 tonnes C ha⁻¹, with an uncertainty of 7%. The R ratio was determined to be 0.23, with an uncertainty of 10%. The C stock estimate of the belowground biomass component was then calculated to be 17 tonnes C ha⁻¹, with an uncertainty of 12%. The equivalent C stock estimate from the biomass expansion factor (BEF) method, applying Ireland’s currently reported default values for BEF (inclusive of belowground biomass), wood density and C concentration and methods for estimating volume, was found to be 60 tonnes C ha⁻¹, with an uncertainty of 26%. We found that volume tables, currently used for determining merchantable timber volume in Irish forestry conditions, underestimated volume since they did not extend to the yield of the forest under investigation. Mean stock values for belowground biomass compared well with that generated using published models.     

Effects of Addition of Tissue‐Type Plasminogen Activator in In Vitro Fertilization Medium on Bovine Embryo Development and Quality

Plasminogen activators/Plasmin system plays pivotal role in regulating reproductive functions of mammals. Here, we examined the effects of modification of in vitro fertilization medium (IVF medium) with the addition of tissue‐type plasminogen activator (t‐PA), on bovine embryo development and quality, assessed by quantification of expression of various genes related to metabolism, oxidation, implantation and apoptosis. In addition, plasminogen activator activity (PAA) and plasminogen activator inhibition (PAI) were measured in the spent media. After conventional IVM, 2016 cumulus‐oocyte complexes (COCs) were divided into four groups with modified composition of the IVF medium containing t‐PA and/or its inhibitor epsilon‐aminocaproic acid (control, t‐PA, t‐PA+ε‐ACA, ε‐ACA). Presumptive zygotes were cultured for 8 days in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) medium; gene expression studies were carried out on morulae and blastocysts. t‐PA alone significantly suppressed cleavage and blastocyst formation rates, but this effect was neutralized by the addition of ε‐ACA. PAA in the treated group was significantly reduced by ε‐ACA, but without total elimination. Significant differences were detected in the expression of genes related to apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest (BAX, BCL2L1, KAT2B) between embryos produced in t‐PA‐modified media and controls, giving an overall notion that the inferior developmental competence of treated embryos may be attributed to apoptotic phenomena induced by t‐PA. In conclusion, it appears that excessive t‐PA content in the IVF media, suppresses blastocyst formation rate, possibly due to induction of apoptotic phenomena.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) in tissue homogenates of the carp, Cyprinus carpio L.

Abstract. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the demonstration of the virus of spring viraemia of carp (SVCV) in liver, kidney and spleen homogenates, and in infected cell cultures is described. The sensitivity of the method is 10^2·8–10^3·5 TCID₅₀ 0·lml⁻¹ of the examined fluid. The specificity has been confirmed by the ELISA inhibition test and by results of virological examinations. Contamination with bacteria or fungi of samples taken from dead fish had no effect on the results of ELISA. Specific anti-SVCV sera were used successfully for the production of conjugates for the direct immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence detection of SVCV in infected cell cultures.     

陕西省玉米杂交种种质基础分析

对1984年～1993年陕西省种植面积在0.67万hm~2以上的玉米杂交种种质基础进行了分析,结果表明:陕西省玉米杂交种的生产已基本达到单交种化;生产上使用的杂交种比较集中,省外系和国外系组成的杂交种面积较大;玉米杂交种亲本系利用更趋集中,种质基础狭窄;玉米自交系主要采用以窄基为主的选育方式;种质杂交模式主要是美国的瑞德黄马牙、兰卡斯特分别和中国的唐山四平头、旅大红骨的杂交形式。     

Polyteny: A Source of Cryptic Speciation among Copepods

A large form of the copepod Pseudocalanus is found in two warm, semi-landlocked fiords in arctic Canada, together with a similar but smaller form attributable to the widespread P. minutus. The large form has the same chromosomne number as P. minutus, but has larger chromosomes and a higher nuclear DNA content. There are suggestions in the literature that other similar polytenic and cryptic species occur among copepods.     

Regulation of bone mass in mice by the lipoxygenase gene Alox15

The development of osteoporosis involves the interaction of multiple environmental and genetic factors. Through combined genetic and genomic approaches, we identified the lipoxygenase gene Alox15 as a negative regulator of peak bone mineral density in mice. Crossbreeding experiments with Alox15 knockout mice confirmed that 12/15-lipoxygenase plays a role in skeletal development. Pharmacologic inhibitors of this enzyme improved bone density and strength in two rodent models of osteoporosis. These results suggest that drugs targeting the 12/15-lipoxygenase pathway merit investigation as a therapy for osteoporosis.