Aortic body carcinoma and myocardial infarction in a dobermann pinscher

Dilated cardiomyopathy is the usual cause of congestive heart failure in the dobermann pinscher and was the presumptive diagnosis in an eight-year-old female dobermann pinscher presented for dyspnoea and syncope. This was supported by thoracic radiography and electrocardiographic evidence of ventricular tachycardia. An echocardiogram revealed a left atrial tumour as the principal cause of cardiac failure. Pathological examination confirmed that the tumour was a large aortic body carcinoma in an unusual location. Multifocal myocardial infarctions were also found. This unusual case demonstrates the importance of a complete cardiological examination as part of a diagnostic work up and confirms the necessity of echocardiography as one of the examination methods.     

Low-voltage organic transistors on plastic comprising high-dielectric constant gate insulators

The gate bias dependence of the field-effect mobility in pentacene-based insulated gate field-effect transistors (IGFETs) was interpreted on the basis of the interaction of charge carriers with localized trap levels in the band gap. This understanding was used to design and fabricate IGFETs with mobility of more than 0.3 square centimeter per volt per second and current modulation of 10(5), with the use of amorphous metal oxide gate insulators. These values were obtained at operating voltage ranges as low as 5 volts, which are much smaller than previously reported results. An all-room-temperature fabrication process sequence was used, which enabled the demonstration of high-performance organic IGFETs on transparent plastic substrates, at low operating voltages for organic devices.     

CAUDAL VENOUS RETURN THROUGH A LEFT AZYGOS VEIN IN A DOG

The Clinical, radiologic and echocardiographic findings in a one-year old dog with mild subvalvular aortic stenosis and aberrant caudal vena circulation are described. Aberrant systemic venous return to the right side of the heart usually has little clinical significance, but the unusual features in survey radiographs, contrast angiograms and contrast echocardiograms constitute the reasons for this report.     

Prevalence of echocardiographic evidence of cardiac disease in apparently healthy cats with murmurs

The objective of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of echocardiographic evidence of heart disease in apparently healthy cats with heart murmurs. Thirty-two privately owned domestic cats were examined. All cats were considered healthy on the basis of history and physical examination, except for the finding of a heart murmur on auscultation. Cats on any medications (besides regular flea, tick and heartworm preventative) or that were pregnant or lactating were excluded from this study. The prevalence of echocardiographic evidence of heart disease in this population of cats was 53%. Therefore, identification of a heart murmur on routine physical examination in apparently healthy cats warrants further investigation.     

Survey of equine castration techniques,preferences and outcomes among Australian veterinarians

Objectives

(1) To collect the perceptions of veterinarians performing equine castrations in Australia on techniques, preferences and outcomes, (2) to investigate veterinarian use and experience with the Henderson castrating instrument and (3) to investigate potential associations between demographics, castration methods and techniques, and complications.

Design

Online survey of members of the Australian Veterinary Association’s Special Interest Group, Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA).

Methods

A link to the survey was included in the EVA e‐newsletter and practices on the EVA website were contacted by telephone and follow‐up email. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine associations between ligation and complications. A generalised linear model with a negative binomial family was used to determine associations between count response variables and categorical independent variables.

Results

Responses were obtained from 138 veterinarians (response rate, 13.1%) who performed 5330 castrations over 12 months. Castrations were most commonly performed in the field, on anaesthetised horses, using emasculators, via an open approach and without ligation of the spermatic cord. Estimated complications after use of emasculators were swelling (25%), haemorrhage (5%) and infection (5%). The Henderson instrument was used by approximately 10% of respondents and its use for castration was associated with fewer reports of postoperative swelling compared with emasculators (P = 0.002). Rates of evisceration with the Henderson and emasculator methods were comparable (0.43% and 0.9%, respectively).

Conclusion

Castration preferences varied widely among survey participants. Reported complication types and rates were comparable to those reported previously in other countries. Perceptions that the Henderson instrument was associated with less swelling should be investigated further via a prospective controlled investigation.     

Use of tilmicosin in a severe outbreak of respiratory disease in weaned beef calves

Severe respiratory disease, associated with seroconversion to bovine respiratory syncitial virus (BRSV), caused the death of two cattle and necessitated antibiotic treatment of 70 calves (rectal temperature of 39.6°C or greater) from a group of 96 (73%) during an 8-day period. Tilmicosin injection resulted in a reduction in median rectal temperature from 40.3°C to 39.2°C and 39.0°C for the first and second days after treatment. The rectal temperature was 39.5°C or lower in 72% (48 of 67) and 96% (64 of 67) of cattle 1 and 2 days after tilmicosin treatment, respectively. Ten cattle were re-treated with tilmicosin 6 to 16 days after the first treatment. Our study demonstrated that bovine respiratory syncytial virus infection could cause severe respiratory disease in a beef herd that had no previous history of BRSV-related disease. Secondary bacterial invasion after BRSV infection was controlled effectively by tilmicosin treatment but repeat antibiotic treatments were occasionally necessary due to bacterial re-infection of the respiratory tract.     

Localized dispersal and recruitment in great barrier reef corals: the helix experiment

To examine the problem of how far coral larvae disperse from their natal reef, coral recruitment densities were experimentally determined at distances up to 5 kilometers from a small, relatively isolated platform reef, Helix Reef, on the central Great Barrier Reef for 7 months. High concentrations of recruits, accounting for up to 40 percent of all recruitment, were found downstream of the reef in areas of high water residence time, suggesting that near-field(proximal) circulation has a profound influence on dispersal and recruitment of coral larvae. Coral recruitment declined logarithmically with distance from the reef, decreasing by an order of magnitude at radial distances of only 600 to 1200 meters. On an ecological time scale, advective dispersal of semipassive marine larvae with relatively short planktonic lives(minimally days) may be extensive, but success of recruitment is highly limited. Through evolutionary time, sufficient dispersal occurs to ensure gene flow to reef tracts hundreds or possibly thousands of kilometers apart. In the short term, however, coral reefs appear to be primarily self-seeded with respect to coral larvae.     

Presence of Leptin and Its Receptor in the Hypothalamus,Uterus and Ovaries of Swine Females Culled with Distinct Ovarian Statuses and Parities

Leptin acts on energy metabolism, affecting reproductive functions through activation of its receptors in the brain and in reproductive organs. This study compared the presence of leptin and its receptor (ObR‐b) in hypothalamus neurons, endometrial glands and oocytes of culled swine females across ovarian statuses and parities. Immunohistochemistry was done in samples of uterus, ovaries and hypothalamus from 28 culled females, using polyclonal antibodies antileptin and ObR‐b. Immunolabelling was compared for sows categorized by parity at culling (0, 1, 2–4 and <4) and ovarian status (luteal and follicular phases of the oestrous cycle and with cysts). Immunolabelling for leptin and ObR‐b in neurons and oocytes was weaker in females with cysts (p < 0.05) than in those at the follicular phase. In endometrial glands, leptin immunolabelling was less intense in females with cysts (p < 0.05), but immunolabelling for ObR‐b was similar across ovarian statuses (p > 0.05). In sows culled with 2–4 parities, leptin immunolabelling in neurons and endometrial glands was more intense than in nulliparous females (p < 0.05). In comparison with sows culled at greater parities, ObR‐b immunolabelling for nulliparous females was less intense in endometrial glands and in oocytes (p < 0.05), but more intense in neurons (p < 0.05). Thus, in swine, the presence of leptin and ObR‐b varies across parities and is more intense in the uterus, ovaries and hypothalamus of females that were cycling before culling than in those having cystic ovaries.